I found the Mizos practise honesty and trust effortlessly. Why don’t we give it a try?
“Sir, Do you know what they’re announcing?” My office driver was asking me excitedly.
“What?” I asked.
It was a beautiful December morning. The sun was at its brightest, yet couldn’t wipe out (didn’t even try) the chill in the air. Christmas celebration was thick in the market.
Mizoram celebrates Christmas not just on December 25 but the whole month. The December market in the second largest city Lunglei in Mizoram wore a festive look to the hilt. People were buying all sorts of things — dress, Chinese gadgets, utensils, tools and whatnot. The whole city seemed to be in the market. It was amid this ordered clutter that the driver was referring to the announcement made over the public address system in Mizo language.
“Sir, they are announcing that someone had purchased a T-shirt, paid for it, but absent-mindedly left it at the shop itself. They are calling that person to come and collect it!”
I stopped in my tracks. What? There’s a limit to being honest. My first thought after I recovered from my surprise was, will it happen in my place?
Central government service is a boon as well as a curse. Boon, because you get to see different places in India free of cost. Curse, because you have to be away from your family. It was 10 years ago that I was posted to Lunglei for a two-year tenure.
There is a lot of misconception about the North-East in many parts of India. That people there are “culture-less tribals, head-hunters, that they eat wild animals,” etc. In short, there is a definite, palpable and unmistakably condescending attitude towards the people of North-East in the mainland. The general apathy and animosity sometimes manifests as hostility we see elsewhere.
Initially, when I was called a mainland Indian I was irked. Why should I be singled out? Are they not Indians? Soon, I realised there’s a Himalayan difference between ‘them’ and ‘us’. I experienced this the day I set my foot on Mizoram.
As I was travelling from Aizawl to Lunglei, which is 235 km down south by a Tata Sumo (the normal travel mode), we stopped by for tea en route. Being the “superior” mainland Indian, I was a little troubled to take tea from a shop run by a tribal. Yet my stomach won out and I grudgingly ventured into the shop. The shopowner, a woman, smiled disarmingly and asked pleasantly, “Kapu, do you want tea?” Tea was only so so. I gave a 10-rupee note and expected the balance amount. She vigorously shook her head. “No change. Do rupyaa!”
I, too, had no change. The driver, a Bengali from Silchar, was impatient back in the car and horned. I felt awkward. Then she smiled and said something in Mizo I couldn’t comprehend. She waved me towards the car. Then it dawned on me: she simply forsook her two rupees, yet she smiled! I never thought a paan-stained-teeth smile could be ever so beautiful.
Today, I could imagine what she might have told me. These people are unpretentious, honest and simple.
My professor friend (a Tamil from Nagercoil), who is settled in Lunglei for more than 20 years, told me that it is common for people to travel to Lunglei with heavy luggage. If they can’t carry them home as they alight from bus, they would simply leave them at a corner, or beside any shop at the bus stop itself. They’d collect them the next day. If they don’t find them there, surely, the nearby shop-keeper would have kept them inside his shop to protect them from rain!
And when you ask for the luggage they will never ask for your identity or to prove yourself. They simply trust you and hand over things. Phew! They implicitly trust others!
I felt ashamed when I remembered an episode back home. I was angry at my wife once. The bus conductor had to give her a four-rupee balance. He gave her four big round coins.
Obviously, no coin was 50 paise size. I was sure at least 4 rupees were there, otherwise more. Yet my wife counted them to ensure that all were one rupee coins. I was upset with my wife’s foolishness. If there were not one rupee coins, then they must be two-rupee coins. In that case, we stood to gain. Doesn’t she know? Why did she count them in front of him? We’d have lost the extra money had he found out. It was sheer stupidity, I had thought. Today, I hang my head in disgrace for being ‘smart’!
The Mizos celebrate Christmas as a society. Everybody contributes money. Vehicles passing through their areas are stopped and occupants, Christians or not, are asked to contribute. Once you donate, they give you a flag (a piece of yellow/green cloth tied on a bamboo stick). If this flag flies on your vehicle, they don’t stop the vehicle again.
My fellow mainland Indians settled there were put off by this Christmas collection. They felt that being Hindus they need not donate money. But they may be subjected to harassment by drunkards. So they came up with an ingenious idea — they simply put up their own flags on their vehicles (jugaad!) without paying money.
While I am not surprised by my compatriots’ ability to fool others, I was touched by the sheer innocence of Mizos who never suspected such behaviour and would smilingly wave us away. Every time my friend laughs victoriously, I would burn inside. Is this the way of civilised people? Does being smart mean the ability to deceive others?
This is not to simply sing paeans to the Mizos. They have their own foibles. Many of them drink or chew guthka. Drug-addiction is rampant. Teenage pregnancy is common. Women, more so spinsters, face harsh treatment from society. Yet. . .
Yet, people-to-people they practise honesty and truthfulness as a trait. They honour their word. Crime is unheard of. It was my experience for 10 years in Mizoram.
My fellow Indians from the mainland have long had a grouse that Mizos haven’t tried to learn Hindi or assimilate with Indians. I differ. Let them be Mizos, be honest and truthful. Let us not corrupt them. Maybe, Mizos too have something to learn from the mainland. Let good things be exchanged. Not guthka or cheatsing.
If someone has to change, I think it is we the mainlanders.
The Mizos simply showed me honesty begins as trust. Trust others implicitly. Where the trust is reciprocated, honesty flourishes. Is it so difficult to practise honesty in everyday life? We don’t need Team Anna to do that. Gandhiji’s example looks tough and difficult to practise. But I found Mizos practise it effortlessly. Why don’t we give it a try?
‘Ka lawm e, oh’, Lunglei (Thank you, Lunglei).
(The writer, an assistant engineer at the DD Kendra, Chennai, can be contacted at sgmnse@yahoo.in)
Keywords: North East culture, Mizoram culture
Keini pawh kan lawm e Ka Pu. Lunglei is my hometown and this article
sure makes me miss the wonderful people there. Indeed there is a lot of
misconception about the North East and sad to say the media is not
helping much. Articles like this from people who had actually been to
the North East will go a long way in shedding much needed light.
Thank you for this article sir.I am pretty impressed with this article.
For moments i wanted to travel to Mizoram and thank the people there for
their generosity. Articles like these would help our Country in
maintaining peace and unity. And now i have become fond of Open page
articles. Thanks to Hindu for publishing this article.
Yes, this article is so right.
Thank you very much Mr. S. Gurumanickam. A very melodious song you sang for us. May God always be with you and your family
Sir,we Mizo people always welcome you to visit again Mizoram.It is one of Mizo traditional practice to help others without hoping any reward and to be friendly/good for a guest. Whenever you visit Mizoram,we'll always ready to help you when U need some help.
That was really nice, to appreciate the honesty of other human beings, especially about the
people of NE who are yet recognized by the mainlanders.
I am really amazed by the way you perceive and see things from a
different angle. Most mainlander's try and see only the dark side of
this tiny little region of India but often forget to consider the
black dot in oneself. This is one of the very reason of the existance
of a crack between the n.e people and the mainlander's. We often
forget that we both (n.e. people and mainlanders) have many good
things to learn from each other; but only see the odd side. I think
it's a really great article. By reading this article I feel that I
should not forget that it takes a great personality and intelligence
to view the brighter side of others, not only the bad things
This is realy a great article..i love it!it makes me proud as being a mizos
Thanks alot sir.I hope and pray that your article would do change the attitudes of our fellow-Indians towards us .Infact minimize and eliminate the misconception,so our country may dwell in peace and unity !
Well written, thank you for being the one who explore the inside truth of the people who live in a small isolated hill area who symbolised "LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF"
best article i have ever read in my liffe.. PROUD TO BE MIZO
Dear Mr. Gurumanickam,
Thank you very much for writing this article. The anecdotes given are quite an eye opener for 'mainlander' readers like us. Many of the readers perhaps may never get a chance to visit the Mizoram but this article surely gives us a better introspection into the life of Mizos.
sir we sure do appreciate it.You makes us so proud to be mizo,we never expect this kind of praise and honor but here we get it..may god bless you and your family.very well written,,thank you so so much
I have had the honour to have visited the North East (Shillong)
several times to visit the Mizo family of my future wife. They, and
the other Mizos i have met, are the most honest, trusting, giving,
friendly, caring and open people I have ever met.
I have travelled to many countries around the world and yet only in
the North East of India have I experienced all these traits at the
same time. Here, and only here, amongst the Mizos, do I really feel at
peace. They accept people for who they are inside. You will not find a
homeless Mizo or a beggar on the streets, the Mizo community will not
allow someone to suffer in this way. They will share their last bowl
of rice with a stranger and offer him a bed for the night to rest
before an onward journey and expect nothing in return. That to me
speaks volumes about what type of people they are. Its is not only
mainland India that can learn from the Mizo, the wider world could do
far worse that watch and learn from them.
you sir deserve a big round of applause sir... many people speaks against us by observing some mischievous people in their own state but they never visited northeast in their life. I wish people would come here more often and learn about our existence too as an Indian... God bless you sir and may honesty and happiness follows u n your family in the days to come.
wrote so well thanks
Dear sir,
Its been honor to go through your article. its awesome and I am left
with no words to express the gratitudefor the love of Mizoram which is
the 'state of peace and prosperity'.I would just love to say "Thank
you" for highlighting some of the facts that is practiced in Mizoram.
I would love to look forward for your visit again in future.
God bless! Regards to the rest!
It's sweet to read the good side of the Mizos in reputed paper. If a
good majority of the mainlanders view the North-Easterners as does the
author, most of the hostilities in the North-East will vanish
automatically.
Sir,
Also being a tribal Indian hailing from the NE India(Assam) i can't resist myself thanking you for such a good article.Honestly, may be I've never heard such a lovely words for NE from anyone originally resident of the mainland India.I would also like to add to your worth mentioning thoughts that we don't need any team Anna or other external influences to be honest and clean.That it is only "I" who can change myself and no other.It's really a great question that why I can't give it a try ? Thank you once again.May Lord bless you and be with you and your family always.
The Best ever Article written for NE... Thank you so much SIR!!! Just
LOVED IT :)
Makes me proud to be Mizo.Thank u so much
An excellent article and this time on a lighter subject but in an important area. Can't wait to visit North East espicially Mizoram.
Kindly increase the frequency of your articles. Such articles will definitely project the positive aspects of North East to the so called main landers and increase the tourism in that area. I am equally afraid that the honesty of the Mizos and their pleasant qualities may get corrupted by the (over)smart mainlanders.
Keep writing Guru.
I've always wanted to experience the magic of the north-east.. And
this articles gives me one more reason to do so..
And, something else.. Even though the 'mainlanders' usually have very
bad credentials when it comes to treating the people from the north-
east. But believe me, there are lots of people( like me ) who are
absolutely 'Nort-east Indophiles'..
I just love them...They look cute.. Have an amazing sense of style..
And most importantly, I find them very innocent and simple..kudos...
Mr. S. Gurumanickam, thank you for your 'OPTIMISTIC' view and experience
of Mizoram and the Mizo people. You have succinctly described the
positive character and culture of our people. I wish more of the
'mainlanders' be like you. I too feel proud and grateful that there are
people like you who not only see the goodness and beauty in other's
culture and habits but take the courage and pain to share it with
others. Thank you for this wonderful article.
Very well written article. Thank you Mr. S. GURUMANICKAM.
S. Gurumanickam for sure reveal what a good man he is himself, noticing the best side of mizoram....chuan a lo dawng sawng tu te in va ti tha m...taxi driver amah phur tu poh kha..
Thank you Very Much Mr S.Gurumanickam...It reminds me that When I was Traveling to Outside Mizoram one Man(Very aged man and an Officer) who
had posted In Mizoram for long years Told me the Same thing what you
have written and he also said that "Mizo society is one of the Best
Society in the World", further he told, They are very Cooperate,
friendly, Diligent
Nice articles for Mizos. Thanx
Sir, your Article has been shared to Different Social Gathering sites like facebook, twitters and others. Your Article is deeply much appreciated by the Mizos. We all thank you for leaving a good prints of the Mizo society as well as day to day cultures among the mainland of india.
the line that cheating or outsmarting another one is portrayed really well.the tendency of judging someone is based on what kind of person you are and hence the action. Great work on north east literacy drive.
Mr. S.Gurumanickam, Kei ni pawh kan lawm e!This is the best reaction I have received from the mainland and I wish that other mainlander will read this article and include us in the main stream of our proud country INDIA, Jai Hind
makes me prouud to be mizo.. :)
Thanks for your article.I want to say that Lunglei is the largest
District in Mizoram but not the capital of state.
Good to hear, praised by outsiders...
A well-written article taking right to the northern eastern India and drowning our hearts with some mind-evoking examples and instances.You have defined what is true civilisation and that honesty is not the sole property of the educated and high-classed.It lies in a society when it lies in one's own hearts.But the success of Mizoram lies in their desire for collective good and national harmony.'Backward in appearance doesn't and never means backward in spirituality and thought' proved the Mizos.Hatsoff to you.The true spirit of India not only can be expected in the highly developed cities of India but can be clearly traced out in the known-to-none areas as well.India is ever undiscovered in means of people's thinking and actions.
More than the article itself, the comments of the Mizos reflect their innocense. A little praise can build strong bridges. Hope not in the distant future they will be called Indians and not Mizos.
oh what a wonderful and sweet article. Please do come again someday and always welcome in Mizoram.
Lovingly said words,and a beautiful article. We, the mainlanders need to know about this part of our country, but there is such a lack of interest in affairs of northeast that sometimes it's difficult to recall the locations of states.More awareness about the culture and affairs of northeast should gain importance in our lives.
Such a heart warming article.Hope to visit Mizoram some day.
I am proud that such people are part of my country. Our government should give more
attention to eastern states.
Reminded me my two such tenures in DD's job. India is a world itself. Those Difficult station postings made me ready for projects in Afganistan and Middle East.
Love this line
My fellow Indians from the mainland have long had a grouse that Mizos
haven’t tried to learn Hindi or assimilate with Indians. I differ. Let
them be Mizos, be honest and truthful. Let us not corrupt them. Maybe,
Mizos too have something to learn from the mainland. Let good things be
exchanged. Not guthka or cheatsing.
It's truly an inspiration and moral lesson for every Indian to be learnt for practical honesty in day to day life from the Mizos.
Instead of agitations and dharna by others to be corruption free - citizens in our country would be able to learn to be honest and corruption free if it's taught at home, schools and our villages, towns and cities.
Let's practice it and live corruption free.
Hi Mr. Gurumanickam,
Thank you for your lovely article and wonderful account of my people and my home town, Lunglei. I have been living in the South India since I was 16 years old, 6 years in Hyderabad and almost 8 years now in Bangalore. Though living in big cities require you to take certain considerations and precautions, so as not to put yourself in a vulnerable positions, all in all, my experience with the South Indians have been nothing but wonderful. I have met many honest people, as helpful as my fellow Mizos, many a time. Just last Saturday, my two kids and I were on our way to attend a Birthday party in Koromangala; I was driving and was unable to locate the place where the party was held, though i knew i was pretty close by. I stopped and asked a teenager who was traveling in the opposite direction on a bicycle. He stopped on his track, turned and took us to the location, which was probably at least a 100 meter away. He was such a blessing!
Well written. Nice article. I have fond memories of my visit to Aizawl.
"I never thought a paan-stained-teeth smile could be ever so beautiful."
hahahaaa.. i like it
Congratulations to Gurumanickam on his thought-provoking Article on Mizoram
and its people whose daily life is based on the noble characteristics of trust and
honesty which is indeed a matter of great pride to everyone of us. This is in
refreshing contrast to the state of affairs existing in other parts of the land. It is a
great pity that the north-east has not been given adequate attention in the matter of
development and visits by our central Ministers to these parts are very rare. The
media also should give wider coverage to news relating to the north-eastern States
in which the nation are vitally interested.
A lawmawm dangdai hle mai aa.. AN rama rinawmna leh dikna an hmuh
ngailoh nasa takin a rawn hmu ve a.. a tha khawp mai..
Thank You MR. S. GURUMANICKAM for expressing your real thoughts about
Mizo and Mizoram.. Hope let there be a time for you to come again in
Mizoram.. We are pleasingly welcome you...
Thank you so much...
Finally some good news article to read. And I am pleasantly surprised by
the number of Mizo readers commenting on this. Would love to visit
Mizoram someday.
Thank you for using your experiences in Lunglei (my hometown) to preach the sweetness of honesty. Do visit us again!
Greatly written article.. Cant wait to see Mizoram.!!
Congratulations for writing such a touching article. Very well written indeed. Also, thanks for 'introducing' me to Mizoram. I would love to visit them.
thank you so much sir, for remembering our good deeds though we have many faults too... May God bless you and your family
The article is very warm in our ears.. It's really true that you can trust a Mizo anywhere.. no cheap tricks. God Bless
Wonderful Article...
I also had many experiences while i was in Mizoram. They are very honest
and kind people. Everyone should try to imbibe these good things. There
is no need to learn Hindi to be an Indian.
Thank you for this wonderful article on Mizoram and its people. I hope to infrastructure and economic development in coming days. But with development will come the traders from 'mainland' and their 'jugaad' ways unfortunately.
What a wonderful article by Mr Gurumanickam on a sunday morning. Freshens up your spirits with the thought that there are good people and good places still in this crazy world. I take this oppurtunity to thank Hindu for publishing such simple yet beautiful articles.
Having lived in the North East all my life I have come to appreciate certain aspects of the tribal society which we so called "mainstream mainland" Indians should learn from them- as Mr Gurumanickam has mentioned about their simplicity and honesty and I would also like to mention about their civic sense. You wont find people dumping garbage and household waste in the street corners or in the drains-Places like Shillong and Aizwal are really clean. It pains and saddens me when I hear educated yet highly ignorant people living in Delhi or other big cities talk about the NE states as if they are a part of another continent and our fellow tribal brethren as people from pre-historic age living in trees and eating raw meat.
Mizos are indeed a great people. Their greatness will increase manifold if they could address the longstanding problems of Reang minorities of Mizoram.
Just so good to read.. proud to say that is where I grew up.
its the great article!!!!!
come and visit all of us..........its make me proud of mizo.
I suggest The Hindu to give more coverage of news / articles and more
elobrately from the entire north east of India , Burma . Thailand ,
Malaysia , Vietnam etc which have close cultural resemblance with India
.
It's a really cute article reaffirming our faith in honesty and
kindness.I may just like to expand this topic and say that all the
people living in difficult areas,be it Ladakh or Rajasthan or Mizoram
,tend to be more courteous and respectful to each others rights.While
in 'mainland' India where the resources are more and opportunities
even bigger,every one tries to get it's share of 'loot' one way or the
other,people in these places are content and even happy with what they
have got.It just shows us that being honest and trusting others is not
such a foolish thing as branded in our 'mainland' India.It is just a
good lesson to all of of us,especially in metro cities to be kind and
to understand the need of others and help them when required.
Once again congratulations to the writer for writing such a good
article.
And I am looking forward for enjoying the hospitality of the Mizos in
the near future.
I have always been fascinated by North East. Can't wait to visit
Mizoram. Thank you for such a honest article.
you make us so proud to be a Mizo....thank u, thank u...
Very nice and detailed article....
Good to know that the rest of India will get to know about other aspects
of Mizoram through this article. Very well written!
Being a Mizo and living in Lunglei, it is my pleasure to hear this article. There may be many bad practise here also, but you narrated what you really experienced. Thank You Mr. S. Gurumanickam, we, the Mizo people also will really love you, if you come back. May God be with you and your family.
I welcome you in Lunglei. If you have a chance Just come again in
Lunglei. Now travelling from Aizawl to Lunglei is now only 165 km. You
need to spent around 4-5 hours only now. Very good article
Thank you so much....
A welcome, heart-warming article!
"Is it so difficult to practise honesty in everyday life?" -
apparently not! It is "normal" for me to see Indians behaving just
like the Mizo people - trusting and caring - when they are outside
India in Europe, USA etc! Why?
Because these countries respect "rule of law" - meaning "no one will
lose out, or be put at a disadvantage, if s/he follows the law and
behaves in a moral/ethical way; and secondly, moral/ethical people are
highly respected in society". Sadly, in today’s “looter takes all”
India, neither of these conditions exist.
Can society be changed by a few people changing their ways, or beating
it into their children in schools? No!!
A long-term, multi-action programme (incl. deterrence though
strong/unambiguous laws effectively implemented without exception;
prevention through systemic changes; restoring moral/ethical values in
society; education; above all by practising, not just preaching) would
help. Any takers???
gurugi it is great hear your experiences in mizoram.practicing the path of honesty in 100% may not be feasible because of lack of patience and compulsions are shown as reasons to escape . but will to practice only refine the system.people with education are behaving with over smart they are not following this honesty path but still common man having fear about god and his punishment and they try to be honest . it is good to hear article from you thanking you sir
Oh, what a sweet little article! I can't wait to visit Mizoram and meet
these wonderful people. I have always found north-east amazingly
attractive, and this article surely proves that it is not just the land
that is beautiful, it is the people too.
The nicest article i've ever read. The article makes me proud to be a Mizo. Honesty is the best policy!
Ziak tha hle mai, Mizoram a awm chhung a alo dawngsawngtu te an fel bawk aniang.
North east - Truly incredible!
Staying in North east for the last five years. Love the hospitality and care of these people. The region needs infrastructure development. Cost of basic amenities is high here due to transportation costs involved. The region will bloom in the coming years.
Nice one. Mizo are the best.
This is a very good article as it enlightens us about the people of
Mizoram. Even my dad was posted in Aizawl and he had a lot of good
things to say about the place and the people.
i like this, "My fellow Indians from the mainland have long had a grouse that Mizos haven’t tried to learn Hindi or assimilate with Indians. I differ. Let them be Mizos, be honest and truthful. Let us not corrupt them. Maybe, Mizos too have something to learn from the mainland. Let good things be exchanged. Not guthka or cheatsing"
honesty is the best policy
Thanks for an interesting article. I am a man from lunglei, i really enjoy reading it. Ka lawm e
Sir,
thanks for making us believe that there are still some good place left with honesty and innocence by which human should greet stranger.
Thank you sir for the wonderful article. Swami Vivekananda said, "Each soul is potentially divine." Every one of us is CAPABLE of being honest and compassionate. If ALL of us, in mainland or in far away Mizoram, start to manifest that, someone from another country would be writing such an article about India...something similar to what Lord Macaulay wrote in 1835,“I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber,..."
Superbly written article..This is another face of one of the
Northeastern state which we as Indians really need to know.An article
which surely will go a long way in integrating the state with mainland
India.
Keini pawh kan lawm e... Oh! Jaihind!
Mr S. GURUMANICKAM thank you for your interesting article. WCB to
lunglei anytime.... we owe so much to you!
Nr. Guru ,
Thanks for the article it was a easy reading one with lots of thoughts hidden to the society we live in.
My many heartfelt thanks the author for writing a good article about this part of India. I have no words to express my surprise that such kind of people do exist. I have heard about similar traits in some villages but not in a larger place like a state as a whole. I salute the Mizo people for their truth and honesty. Let's try to emulate.
Pu S. GURUMANICKAM, Ka lawm e (Thank You)
Kudos to this article which brings out such subtle things from the NE
region ! Fully agreed with Mr. S. GURUMANICKAM that it's time for a
rethinking.
I think it's truly portrayed that it's time to break the stereotypes
and it's high time we 'educated' Indians from the main-land do some
learning back from these hill tribes :-)
Thanks !
Its so great to read this article.I'm glad that someone know mizo culture and I hope many people know our culture in a good way..thanks for all the compliments.Like you said,we have honesty and trust to each other.Mizo are great peolple who can easily adapt wherever they are.We help each other wherever we are.We never neglect others,help the poor,and so much more
Being a Mizo, it warmed my heart to read this article and I thank Pu S. Gurumanickam for the praise he lavished on us. However, I feel that I should point out that everything is not as rosy as the picture he paints. We have our share of crimes and not everyone is honest, especially those Mizo ethnic tribes coming from outside Mizoram.
Wow...what a great message for a mizo like me praising our simplicity,honesty and truthfulness. Thank you so very much Mr S. Gurumanickam. God bless you and yours abundantly!!!
I'm Mizo and i'm proud to read this article from our dear Mister. Thanks alot to praise for our society.
Touching piece. Mizos are also highly literate. I believe the literacy
rate is 98% plus. And yes, like any North Easterner, they make good
music. The author is very right in suggesting that this place should
be spared the contaminants from the mainland.
I had a similar incident when I was in Gangtok-1992. In a social
gathering of the high & mighty, there was a raging debate of "what
society has come" and how "the crime rate graph is zooming upwards". A
senior policeman was at pains to explain that they were doing
everything possible to bring the culprits to book. The issue was :
Gangtok didn't have garages, cars were parked on the street; and some
criminals used to let out the air (not puncture) from the tires at
night. Rapes, killings, abductions were unheard of. Shopkeepers will
leave their shops open to take their lunch break. Truly a paradise as
far as honesty was concerned.
Thank you for showing us that at least some people in India still know the meaning
of HONESTY and they can go an extra mile in order to achieve it. It's disheartening to
see almost everybody in India showing trends of dishonesty, either for making
money or just to avoid one's duty.
I am happy to learn about Mizo's honesty and truthfullness through this article. Thanks Hindu. We are diverse country. Our unity can be sustained and everyone will be assimilate only when we learn and accept others as they are and treat everyone equally without any hegemony. For example, the mainlanders should accept the fact that Hindi is not the only national language (only few mainlanders knew this fact) and should promote all languages equally.
Thank you S. GURUMANICKAM for showing mainland Indians some truth about
the culture-less tribals, head-hunters and who eat wild animals!!
And 'Thank you' to the writer...
Nice stuff.. I think the problem in enforcing honesty(when its lost from
culture) is that results/benefits are not visible in short term. So all
the peers of yours who are not following it seem to be getting benefits,
hence discouraging others as well. A somewhat example of Prisoner's
dilemma
how true. the people from NE are very honest unlike the 'mainland' Indians who are manipulative and somehow they are proud of it. they call that being 'smart'.
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