Biased Report on Mail Today

Druglords prey on N-E girls to act as peddlers

The following is a mail I sent to the author of this article as I am really pained to see Northeastern girls being portrayed in such a way. You can see my feelings from the contents of the mail:

Dear Kumar Vikram,

I am writing to you in relation to your biased report against the Northeastern girls in your article on Mail Today dated 28th January, 2008.

While appreciating the fact that you have highlighted the illegal drug trade going on in the capital, it is unbecoming of your profession to generalize and portray people belonging to a particular region or community in such a bad light. While it may certainly be true that some Northeastern girls may have fallen prey to these druglords and easy money, it is ridiculous to portray the whole community in such despicable terms. There is no doubt that some northeastern girls are involved in this trade, but portraying the whole community in such a bad light is difficult to understand. You know there is a black sheep in every community. The Northeasterners in general and Northeastern girls in particular have always been looked upon in contempt and in a bad light, and people always have a biased attitude and pre-conceived notion against them.
You see, supposing I go to the infamous GB Road in Delhi and there I found many North Indian girls indulging in flesh trade and the next day I write an article in a national paper portraying the North Indian girls in the same light as you portray Northeastern girls in your article , what would be your reaction? What would be the reaction of the people of Delhi?. Now you can imagine how much you have hurt our sentiments. I have always believed that the media should be the champion of the cause of the minorities, the downtrodden and the neglected. But your article have cast some doubts on the role the media is playing for/against the Northeasterners, and I am not alone. I am highlighting to you the sentiments of my fellow Northeasterners when they read your article. Mr Kumar, it hurts!

Hoihnu Hauzel, a reputed journalist from Manipur and a person whom i truly admire for her writings (though I haven't had the opportunity to meet her in person) replies:

Letter to Mail Today

Dear Kumar Vikram,

I have always believed that media, to a great extent, is responsible for the way Northeast women are wrongly projected in a place like Delhi. And your yesterday's article "Druglords prey on N-E girls to act as peddles," once again proved just that.

While I have no doubt in your facts and intentions, I am quite upset at the tone of the article. It is upsetting and hurtful beyond words the way you have carelessly yet confidently projected the tribe in your story.

It's even more difficult to imagine that you could begin with words like: "The next time a cocaine addict in Delhi order for a fix, it's unlikely than tan African man will be standing at the door. Instead, it'll probably be a young, trendy Northeast Indian girl. And for a few extra thousands, she'll put sex on offer as well."

And it ends in the same tone: "And the person ringing the bell in all probability will be a no eastern girl."

Are you sure that all of them are from the region? And how many of them are into the trade? I am not writing to you to defend or justify anything. I am writing to you because you have hurt our sentiments. But, for the crime of one, you cannot generalize the entire community. And that's exactly what your article has done. Does Maninder Pal Singh Kohli's (prime suspect in the rape and murder of British teenager Hannah Foster) crime make every Indian a criminal?

As a fellow journalist and someone who comes from one of the states of Northeast India, I am deeply hurt at the way you have chosen to deal with an issue like this. It is derogatory and insensitive to many women like me from the region who have left their homes to build a career. While it may not be your intention to generalize the community, I feel you have been extremely careless and tactless in your choice of words.

Also, it would have really authenticated your story if you have the name or identity of those accused instead of merely basing your story on one unnamed police officer. A.S Cheema merely commented that it is a new trend.

And why do you thrive on the miseries of the region which is typically what the Indian press in doing. Why don't you write the positive stories? Look around; there are many positive stories on the region that can be done from the city.

It is a pity that mainland India has so little or no knowledge of the Northeast India. I have spent half my life here in Delhi and even after living here for more than 15 years I am still fighting a biased attitude from people. People like you who should be actually educating the mass, make it worse for us.

And anyone with "small eyes" or the term people so loved to use "chinky" are not necessarily from the Northeast. You must understand that India has Mongoloid race even from other states like Ladakh and Sikkim (which is the eight states of the region). The city also has a good population of Tibetans and Nepalis.

I will appreciate your response. And this is not to discourage you but to let you know that we, as a community of journalist, ought to be more sensitive when dealing with such issues.

Warm regards,

Hoihnu Hauzel