Calling a Northeastern 'Chinki' Can Land You in Jail for 5 Years. Oh, Really?

The Ministry of Home Affairs recently passed an order which it communicated to all the States and Union Territories that anyone found calling someone from Northeastern part of the country 'chinki' can be jailed upto 5 years. The culprit can be booked under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The fact of the matter is that the MHA order too is highly flawed. Everybody from the North East does not come under the category of Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe. And when the victim is outside of that category, how can the Law book a culprit under the SC/ST Act. I don't see how this makes sense! Isn't this a case of Ministry of Home Affairs too being ignorant of the kind of composition of people in the North East India? If it is not ignorant then I consider the order to be a bluff. 

However, will this order really solve the problem of prejudices among the Northeastern people? To some extent, I would say. If the government is really serious about solving this problem once and for all, then it needs to introduce some more concrete measure. Since the government has deliberately kept the Northeastern region under 'wrap' for ages, it has to take extra measure to address the problem. And these are some of the measures that I believe will help. 

1. Let the government waive 100% tax on any film producer that includes main actors from the Northeastern region. The government can also take similar step for any film that attempts to highlight the case & story of Northeastern people. 

2. Hire more people from the Northeast in government agencies to carry and highlight the different faces and colours that people in India are made up of. 

3. Include special chapters in the syllabi of schools and high schools about North East. For example, why should study of History be only about Guptas, Mauryas and Mughals or about Gandhi, Nehru and Tilak?

4. Bring in deserving people in significant positions. 

5. Connect the region with proper roads and railway track so that the region too can develop.