We are happy-go-lucky people

“Oh, you do not look at all a ‘chinki’ though you are from North-Eastern part of India.” "Don’t you people  look alike?”.   “Fair, bland skin, lean and  effeminate”. Do I even bother to give an explanation to the mainstream stereotype thinking? No, I do not, I wish had the patience and time to put out all the unnecessary racial profiling I am subjected to for the reason that I come from North-Eastern part of India.  I do not understand the mainstream fixation with the people from North-East.

People from North-Eastern region have always being easy targets of mockery and humiliation. They are mocked simply because they look different, unlike the dominant section of the Indian society. Fair, spotless skin, straight hair, lean statue have been the source of several differences and unrest in this country. The way North- easterners looks, or what they eat or wear have always been ridiculed and scorned off by certain section of our society. But, recently the way North-easterners are being portrayed in the Indian television are more shocking and gruesome.

The other day I was watching a reality based tv show, and towards the end of the program I was irked by the way North-easterners were being projected.  The episode was about the male protagonist being stalked by one of his friends. The so called ‘hero’ was being projected as a tall, dark and handsome teenager residing in Delhi and the “stalker friend” was a fair looking effeminate young fellow played by the so called ‘chinki’. The Tv show authenticated the mainstream thinking. My question is: Why not reverse the character portrayal? Why is the fair looking North-Easterner being made to play the gay character in the episode and why not the robust looking hero?

These debatable questions are raised but are always left unanswered.  The Tv show was actually a play of common conventions of our mainstream society. The common conception of gay men as effeminate and fair looking is being validated by bringing a North-Eastern guy to play the gay character. It is humiliating and unacceptable. Television is in one way or the other shaping our perceptions. In a subtle way we are forced to think that men from North-east are not only weird in their looks but are also mostly gay. Why such forced perception? Why are we an easy target? We are happy-go-lucky sort of people and nobody has any rights to discriminate us on false and forced perceptions.