Twitter Storm: Northeast to demand inclusion of the region in NCERT textbooks

Our Reporter
Dimapur, June 1 (EMN): In the wake of rising cases of discrimination against people from north-eastern India, student organisations, universities from the region and individuals from across the country have come up with an idea to ‘storm’ microblogging site Twitter over non inclusion of information about the region in India textbooks.

The virtual campaign called “Twitter Storm” with hash tags #AchapterforNE and #NortheastMatters, is an initiative to appeal to the central authority for inclusion of a mandatory chapter on Northeast India in the NCERT textbooks. The event will be held on June 4 from 6pm to 8pm.

“Our history, ethnicity, lifestyle, personalities, natural resources, and patriotism have to find a place in the NCERT textbooks,” an update from the organisers read.

SASARD, Nagaland University, had issued a notice earlier stating that the racial slurs and atrocities committed against north-eastern people stem mostly from ignorance and ill-information about the region. So, awareness through the inclusion of a Northeast chapter in NCERT textbooks is seen as an important step in having a far reaching impact regarding the presence of the region in the country, it stated.

Congress MLA Ninong Ering from Arunachal Pradesh, also tweeted that inclusion of the Northeast culture and history must be done in the curriculum. “Had introduced a bill on the same issue in 2017 in Lok Sabha,” the tweet read.

Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars Forum, Arunachal Pradesh, also appreciated the initiative taken up by the North East Students’ Union, Vadodara, Gujarat to organise “Twitter Storm ” on June 4. The Forum also stated that the demand for inclusion of a section on the “North Eastern chapter” in the NCERT curriculum was ‘highly laudable and the need of the hour’.

They also appealed to the people of Northeast to take part in the storm and make the initiative a success.

MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu has also tweeted: “I extend my fullest support for Twitter Storm. #NortheastMatters #AchapterforNE”.

It may be mentioned that recently, a Punjab-based Youtuber made racial remarks against senior congress MLA Ninong Ering and the people of Arunachal Pradesh. According to reports, the accused was brought to Arunachal Pradesh, and on Saturday he was produced before the Chief Judicial magistrate court and remanded to six-days in judicial custody.