It may be premature to congratulate Home Minister L K Advani on becoming a true believer in multiculturalism. However the demands of his job are such that he is beginning to sound like one. At any rate since it has fallen to him to do so, he is trying to sensitise central ministries and departments to the cultural aspirations of the north-eastern states.On the advice of the north-east cell of politicians and officials, the Union Home Minister has instructed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Ministry of Human Resources Development to give more visibility to the culture and people of the region on Doordarshan, in NCERT history textbooks and in the National Museum. This is a good beginning. The region deserves much more attention and space than it has been getting and it is especially important that it receives sensitive handling from the central government.Starting with the Films Division, the official media has done the obligatory minimum and for the most part been content to deal instereotypes. General ignorance about the region and a degree of bureaucratic arrogance have prevailed for too long. It would not be an exaggeration to say that over the last 50 years the region has undergone only one major image change and it has not been for the better. It was projected paternalistically in the early years as a region of colourful dancers and subsequently as a region of insurgencies. There was little in between. To speed up integration of the people of the north-east with the rest of the country, attitudes will need changes within and without.Employment opportunities can be expanded not only by concentrating on infrastructural and other investment in the states but by opening doors for young people in other parts of the country. Many more students are going to university in other states but are not visible enough in the all-India services or in the private sector with the exception of the entertainment industry. It may well be that something needs to be done about that stereotype imageand anything that can help improve their chances in the all-India job market should be welcomed. Recruiting women and men from the region as TV newscasters has several pluses to it: it would get them all-India recognition, it would also do Doordarshan good in and outside the region.Writing the histories of any of the people of India is always an ultra-sensitive job. It can be an exercise in steering through shoals of trouble that ends with saying nothing serious or interesting. It is not a business for sarkari scholars or for committees. One thing it would be wise for the HRD Ministry to remember is the north-east has many peoples and many histories so it should proceed with due care.The government risks alienating more people than it can win over if the histories are not sensitively written in a comprehensive and fairly balanced manner. Failure to do that could mean one more irritant in the north-east's relationship with the Centre. The government should not allow itself to be defeated by thecomplexity of the task. It should consult north-eastern scholars and go ahead.
