The SP Pune University has affiliated colleges where M.A. (English) as a post-graduate course is taught. In one such center, while I was teaching the seniors, in walked for introduction an entire group of students from the North-East. For their two-year-long course, I taught them more than twelve out of sixteen papers. There was a good connect established. Many amongst them are still in touch, and keep on writing from Manipur , and beyond, for instance.
Once they were to attend an evening dramatic programme. As they were not locals and as it would be late evening before they reach their hostel, I was a little worried. During some such interactions, many amongst them told me how they were mocked as 'chinky eyes', how there were prior assumptions about their 'character', and how they would be chased. That is discrimination. Hence the need of March 1!
March 1 is celebrated as the anti-discriminating day as per the UNESCO directives. In a world that discriminates on the basis of race, class, caste, language, region, gender, age, and on such silly but entrenched notions, such a wor(l)d needs tough anti-discrimination laws executed strongly.
The societal mindset must change, too. Laws alone never can manage the change. Comic street plays full of fun and satire can do this job real well. A skit with all the 'first aid' units such as songs and dance and pithy dialogues can 'perform' best the entertaining goal.
Many are the ways that can end discrimination, and allow all to destroy these discrepancies. Such praxis makes us truly human(e). Long live the anti-discrimination day!
Pratima@Discrimination destroys!
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