Northeast history, culture in NCERT books: Arunachal CM

The central government has agreed to include geography, history and tradition and culture of the indigenous people of the northeastern states in NCERT textbooks, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki said Tuesday.

"I met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the recent attacks on people from the northeastern states here in the national capital and after a long deliberation the prime minister has agreed to include information about the northeastern states in the NCERT text books," Tuki told IANS.

He said the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks will include the geographical location, history of the northeast besides the tradition and culture of the people in the seven northeastern states, which border China, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

On frequent attacks on and harassment of the northeastern people in Delhi, the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister asked the people from here to visit the northeastern states and learn more about the region.

"They should visit our region to learn more about the geography, history and culture of the people of the region. These racist attacks on our people in metropolitan cities across India are mainly due to discrimination and lack of knowledge of the people about the northeastern states," he stated.

"The Nido Tania incident is not the first case. We have brought many dead bodies back to the northeast and these racist attacks can be stopped only if the people in the region know more about the northeastern region," Tuki said.

Tuki was referring to Tania who was beaten up by shopkeepers in south Delhi Jan 29 following a quarrel over his appearance and clothing. He died the next day.