This is my fourth year in the North East. I moved in here, in 2017 for my higher studies. Since then, I was curious to learn about the indigenous people (Adivasi’s) of the North East. It was August 17th, 2019, Ken Lyngkhoi (name changed), one of my friends from Meghalaya, and I were in a serious conversation during our lunch. I asked him, what does he think about equal society?
To which he replied, “I am wearing jeans and shoes in the college though I belong to a tribal community. Only then, people treat me equally. Otherwise I will be doomed in society.
Teasing tribal for who they are is still very common in society. I say that I belong to a tribal community. But who has given this status to me? Once I go to my village, I belong to an animal community not a tribal community. There I wear and eat whatever I get from the forest. People like me have to live with hesitation and fear of being judged for who we are. Until the day comes when every human treats his/her fellow human being Equally, people like me will go through what I go through. But I hope that day comes soon. And remember, all of us belong to the animal kingdom. We all respire the same oxygen as other animal does”.
