Patriotism – misrepresentation in the Arunachal context

(Editorial, Nov 8 2009)
Amidst the Chinese claim of Arunachal and the proposed visit of Tibetan spiritual head, the global media attention went to the recent election held in the state which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. The mainstream media in the country emphatically reported that high voter turnout in the state was an unswerving response to Chinese claim on the state. While it presumes the overwhelming participation of Arunachali people in the Indian democratic exercise as a show of patriotism by giving the message of no to Chinese claim, the credence of such observation is not as it is perceived. In fact, there is no Chinese angle and the issue has no preference on voter’s mind. It would be naïve to conclude that Arunachali people voted massively as an emphatic no to Chinese claim as many of the tribal people would lack in understanding of what the voter turnout figure could mean in larger political context. As Joram Begi, Director of NERIST while speaking to a media said, “Arunachali are proud and patriotic Indians and we have nothing to do with China's claim. The impressive turnout only shows that democracy is vibrant in every nook and cranny of the state. As a matter of fact, the people of Arunachal are not at all worried about China’s claim and are least bothered about the issue. What they are most interested in is development".

The high voter turnout can be attributed to Arunachal having a low candidate:voter ratio as it is easy to reach out to all on one to one basis. In a place like Anini with only 3600 voter for an assembly segment, geographical remoteness is the only constraint. To an average Arunachali where the traditional source of livelihood has been fast replaced with the onslaught of modernity, participating in this democratic process is the only way out to catch up in this process of socio-economic development. Arunachal has neither any historical or cultural link with China nor its aspiration can ever extend beyond the nationalistic spirit since the people here have been part of the Indian democratic system and strongly adheres to it. However the jingoism added every time over such democratic participation can be misleading since the politics of patriotism comes into play. Like in recent months, many of the mainstream media went on to report that huge infrastructural development projects like dams in Arunachal is a direct answer to China’s massive investment in infrastructures across the border. What concerns the tribal people in Arunachal is that while the media acclaims the huge investments on infrastructural projects, patriotic fervor is also added to downplay the aspirations of the local tribal people. For past two years many of the people have raised serious concern over large number of hydro projects planned for the state. It’s an absolute hypocrisy on part of the state govt and the national media on their sudden expression of fear and concern over 116 meter dam being built in the upstream of the Siang River in China when it continues to maintain silence over hundreds of dams that are planned in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. What aggravates the sentiments of the local people more is the misrepresentation of patriotism to suit the agenda. Like a national news magazine 'Open' in its September 2009 issue reporting on the govt’s massive investment in infrastructural projects in Arunachal quotes a professor from the Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh who goes on to the extent of saying that patriotism of Arunachali people can be gauged by their acceptance of Hindi as their language even at the cost of their mother tongue. If that is indicative of patriotism, then what about millions of South Indians who are yet to accept Hindi as their main lingua franca. An Arunachali designer based in New Delhi Diana Karbak has recently raised a very pertinent question, “People say I don’t’ look like Indian but what is Indian?”

To an average Arunachali, the news of Chinese claims and the border incursions are neither intimidating nor xenophobic. For them such reports are like any other news which is overtly sensationalized by the national media. Many of the recent incursion reports are concocted and one such news in Times Now has been substantiated as vague information which was provided by locals living in plains of Assam. Even after more than four decades of border debacle of 1962, India and China is yet to arrive at any solution on the vexed boundary issue. If the boundary issue remains unsolved and govt fails to make any affirmative response to Chinese claims then the fault lies entirely with them and the innocent people of Arunachal should not be hauled into this game.