Mindset towards Northeast people must change: Najma Heptulla

Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla says its painful to see people of north-eastern areas not being treated well in other parts of India. She said people are "foolish if they call or treat them as foreigners". A change in mindset is required, she said.

New Delhi: Expressing regret over the people, especially women from north-eastern parts of India, getting mistreated in other areas of the country, Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla said such instances are painful and there is a need to change the mindset as "they too are Indians and not Chinese or foreigners as termed in most cases".

"It's painful, and people must not be misbehaved with by terming them Chinese or Americans," the Manipur Governor told the ETV Bharat in online interaction.

"It's foolish to harass people by terming them foreigners. They are very much Indians and work in different parts of the country and there is a need to change the mindset," said Dr Heptulla.

She said people those who indulge in such acts are "weak" and they must not harass anyone like this. The fact they come out of their region and work in different areas of the country helps in integrating the country.

"They cannot have a tag of being Indian on them, clarifying that they are not Chinese or foreigners," she added, saying it's people who must understand and treat them with due dignity.

Talking about women of Manipur, Dr Heptulla, who was a union minister in the first Narendra Modi government at the centre before taking over as governor, said they are "independent and self-reliant".

"The women of the state are very hard working. They have been helping people in various ways during the on-going coronavirus crisis," she said and added that it's because of people coming from other parts of the country that Manipur again has cases of the contagious disease, otherwise the state had become coronavirus free.

Dr Heptulla praised the womenfolk of the state saying they contribute immensely for the growth of Manipur.

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Giving an example of the famous Ima market which is run exclusively by women in Imphal, she said the work done by them is praiseworthy.

Touching upon the coronavirus crisis, the governor said it would pass and people should not lose courage and follow the guidelines issued by the government from time to time.

She also supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of India becoming self-reliant in these difficult times, saying it was need of the hour and the nation must stay strong to handle the crisis that has disrupted the whole world.

"...but some vaccine or medicine should be developed to deal with the disease," she said, adding that being self-reliant is good but there should be no problem in working with other nations to neutralize the killer virus.

On being asked about the migrant workers, who have been forced to walk for hundreds of miles to reach their home states, the Manipur governor said: "nobody had thought that situation would become so bad".

States governments should generate employment opportunities for their people but workers are free to go anywhere and work in the country, she said.

Commenting on the upcoming festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, also known as Eid-al-Fitr, she said these are unprecedented times and as other festivals have passed without people meeting each other, it too would pass.

"Once normalcy returns, we will celebrate it again," she added.

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