Karishma Pradhan: Sananda Tilottama 2007 winner. Pix:ABPKolkata is being seen as a land of opportunities and a number of youngsters from the Northeast have made Kolkata their second home. If you happen to visit any of the universities or colleges in the city, you will soon realize the number of students who have come to Kolkata for higher education and career.
There is a stereotypical perception that everyone from the region is stamped with a common identity but in reality there are thousands of tribes with an equal number of festivals in the land mass which the rest of India chooses to call ‘the Northeast’.
The “sub-culture” of northeast can be seen in malls, nightclubs, rock concerts and college canteens where cheery Northeastern youngsters strum their guitars, share their food and cosy up to Kolkata. It is seen that when it comes to job openings, youngsters from Northeast are quite far ahead of others because of their better grooming, fluency in English, natural accent, smartness etc.
This was again highly reflected at the Sananda Tilottama 2007 where the winner 18 year old Karishma Pradhan who hails from Sikkim stole the limelight and walked away with the crown and another contestant Laila Kharkongor from Shillong made it to the top five.
Hundreds of young men and women from the verdant hills of other northeastern states have descended on Kolkata to satiate an ambition that would have remained unfulfilled in their native states because of lack of infrastructure, insurgency and a semi dormant economy.
In the last few years there has been a steady increase in the northeast population in Kolkata. Observes Amlan Baruah, director of movements, Assam House, Kolkata: “Look around and you will see many Northeastern youngsters making a headway in all fields of life. There is also a distinct Northeastern sub-culture that Kolkata is witnessing,” says Baruah.
But life hasn’t been all hunky dory for the some, since at times the tribals are referred to as ‘chinkis’ and at times, as foreigners! But isn’t it known that when diverse cultures amalgamate, there are bound to be a few instances of hostility. What is more important is that how the people feel at home and become a part of the city.
There is a stereotypical perception that everyone from the region is stamped with a common identity but in reality there are thousands of tribes with an equal number of festivals in the land mass which the rest of India chooses to call ‘the Northeast’.
The “sub-culture” of northeast can be seen in malls, nightclubs, rock concerts and college canteens where cheery Northeastern youngsters strum their guitars, share their food and cosy up to Kolkata. It is seen that when it comes to job openings, youngsters from Northeast are quite far ahead of others because of their better grooming, fluency in English, natural accent, smartness etc.
This was again highly reflected at the Sananda Tilottama 2007 where the winner 18 year old Karishma Pradhan who hails from Sikkim stole the limelight and walked away with the crown and another contestant Laila Kharkongor from Shillong made it to the top five.
Hundreds of young men and women from the verdant hills of other northeastern states have descended on Kolkata to satiate an ambition that would have remained unfulfilled in their native states because of lack of infrastructure, insurgency and a semi dormant economy.
In the last few years there has been a steady increase in the northeast population in Kolkata. Observes Amlan Baruah, director of movements, Assam House, Kolkata: “Look around and you will see many Northeastern youngsters making a headway in all fields of life. There is also a distinct Northeastern sub-culture that Kolkata is witnessing,” says Baruah.
But life hasn’t been all hunky dory for the some, since at times the tribals are referred to as ‘chinkis’ and at times, as foreigners! But isn’t it known that when diverse cultures amalgamate, there are bound to be a few instances of hostility. What is more important is that how the people feel at home and become a part of the city.
