‘’Twitter Storm’ By Northeastern Students Groups Tomorrow For Chapter On Region In NCERT Books

New Delhi: The North East Student Union (NESU) has planned a ‘Twitter storm’ from 6-8 pm on June 4. Their aim is to storm the microblogging site with an appeal for a mandatory chapter on the Northeast in NCERT textbooks. They have also created two hashtags — #AchapterforNE and #NortheastMatters — with the hope of catching the Centre’s attention, The Print reported.

“We were surprised with the support we received from people across the eight Northeastern states. Over 30 student groups from the region have come together in less than a week. We will all be tweeting our appeal simultaneously Friday (4 June) with the two hashtags,” NESU president Mayur Kaushik told ThePrint.

The recent racist slur by Punjab-based YouTuber, Paras Singh, against Arunachal Pradesh Congress MLA Ninong Ering. Singh, who runs the YouTube channel ‘Paras Official’, has triggered the ‘Twitter Storm’.

“I contacted Kaushik right after Singh’s comment. It’s time we put an end to casual racism against Northeasterners. Mongoloid features don’t mean one is Chinese. Rest of the country should know the role our freedom fighters played in the Indian Independence struggle. Our campaign is not a demand nor a protest. It’s a request,” Debonil Baruah, advisor of NESU told ThePrint.

“So many soldiers from the region have fought for the country. We have players like Mary Kom and Hima Das who have made India proud. I support this students’ campaign because people from the mainland should understand that Northeast is a part and parcel of India,” ThePrint quoted Ering as saying.

Like Ering, Kaushik also felt that people from the rest of the country should know the region’s history. “We have read about the Maratha kings, but why isn’t Maharashtra reading about our kings?” he was quoted as saying.

“Twitter plays a crucial role today and will draw the government’s attention to our appeal. With a pandemic raging, this is the best and effective course of action. We have also contacted YouTubers from the Northeast to promote the Twitter storm,” Hipito Achumi, president of Nagaland University Students Union, NUSU (L), told ThePrint.

David Lalrinchhana, president of the Mizoram University Student’s Council, added that many celebrities from the region have also come out in support of their campaign.

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