Northeast soft power captivates the city

In 2012, a rogue text message altered the destiny of northeast residents in Bengaluru.
Meghanath Singh was holidaying in Gokarna at the time, when a call from a friend in Bengaluru told him things were not quite alright in the city.“You must come home at once,“ the caller cried. “Bengaluru is no longer safe. Everyone from northeast will be shunted out.We must leave at once.“
Singh dismissed it, but cut short his holiday and returned.
On reaching his neighbourhood in HSR Layout, he realized the gravity of the situation. The locale was swarming with policemen. A cop, who spotted Singh's car, inquired if he was from the northeast and offered to escort him home, where a few dismayed youth from Manipur, Assam, and Meghalaya were already assembled. They briefed him about the situation. Apparently ,a few northeast residents in Bengaluru had received an SMS (WhatsApp wasn't popular then), threatening them of dire consequences if they did not leave the city at once. This message was forwarded to several others from the community. The aftermath: Fear psychosis.
While many fled to their hometown, those left behind chose to go into hiding. A few days later, it came to light that the threat SMS was sent not to harm but to create panic among the community . Fortunately , with support from police and local residents, the situation was brought under control.Except for a few stray incidents, nobody was harmed.
Fast forward three years: The community today has gained more strength munity today has gained more strengt and endurance. Those invidious times, which threatened the fabric of northeast consciousness and values, served as a muse to create something meaningful for Bengaluru, and the exodus proved to be an essential ingredient of several successful business ventures.
Singh founded Giskaa.com, an e-commerce startup that works closely with artisans in the Seven Sister states and sells their homemade pickles, chutneys, crockery, and furnishings to the rest of the world.
“We are doing quite well in India.We will soon be coming out with a mobile app,“ said Singh, the Assam-born entrepreneur who has now made Bengaluru his second home.
Axomi, an Assamese eating joint in Koramangala, and Nagaland-inspired Zing ron and The Naga Chef have also stolen the hearts of many in the Garden City . “We have a loyal customer base that comprises both northeast residents in Bengaluru, as well as locals, who have begun to appreciate our cuisine,“ said Dipankar Kalita, managing partner of Axomi.
“Our facial features are still an object of ridicule, but not as much as it used to be. The city is now sensitive and tolerant,“ said Kalita, who is also the secretary of the Assam Society of Bengaluru.
Another northeast venture that has gained a niche fan following is The Ants Café. Nestled in Indiranagar, the charming boutique store houses han dlooms and crafts and jewellery from the Seven Sister states.
Its founders Smitha Mur thy and Pradee p Krishnappa have made it their life's mission to em power northeast artisans.
“Besides generating and sustaining livelihoods of the artisans from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, we also wanted to highlight the positive features of the people and communities living in the northeast,“ said Krishnappa, who played a prominent role in helping the community during the exodus.
Despite disputes back home, the residents of the northeast states have learnt to co-exist peacefully in Bengaluru. To strengthen the bond among the community, several food festivals and cultural exhibitions are held periodically. These are organized by the government as well as the associations that represent the northeast states.