As I sit back to write something, I contemplate on the fact that there is certainly some charisma about this place i.e. Delhi. It’s been 5 years now that I had come to this place and in spite of cribbing and sulking over various things such as the soaring mercury, spine-chilling cold, the haughty Delhites, the traffic rush and so on, I feel some kind of camaraderie with the place and I wonder why! 

The influx of young people from across the nation to this place is due to the plethora of academic prospects that it provides. Besides this, a world of myriad professional prospects welcomes you. So, the pursuit of academic excellence and job opportunities primarily draw in these young minds. But, this is not the end of it. There’s a host of things that lends to the attraction of this place.  

The students from the Northeastern part of the country form a major chunk of the student community in Delhi. Relinquishing the cool climes of the Northeast region, every year more than 4,000 youngsters from the land of seven (eight Now) sisters come here to re-define a ‘home away from home’.  The most often heard problem is that there are cultural barriers, language problems and stereotyping of people from this region that gives the sense of alienation from the mainstream. Though a lot more needs to be done, things are changing for the better. It’s a two way process and we can bridge the gap with the right efforts.  

 However, I do not intend to comment about these profound things at this point. The brighter and more agreeable aspect of the living in Delhi is what captivates my attention. Delhi has a life of its own and  we are a miniature replica of the Northeast here. Be it places like Outram Lines and Mukherjee Nagar in North Delhi or Lajpat Nagar in South Delhi, familiar faces at market places or known bits of languages from addas here and there gives a feel of home and some kind of pleasure, that can’t be explained in words.  

In the month of February, when you see the decked up Assamese girls in Chadar Mekhala and excited Assamese guys moving to and fro Sewa Kutir, a nostalgic yearning of good old days of Assam hits me and almost instinctively leads to some kind of nameless happiness.  Then, comes the spring with the colourful celebrations of Bihu in various places in Delhi, showcasing the exquisiteness of the region and the opulence of the culture.  There’s no way how you can miss the enchantment of the season, even if you are miles away from home! 

The celebrations of traditional festivals of the region such as Me-Dam-Me-Phi, the ancestor worship of the Ahoms and Ali-Ai-Ligang, the colourful festival of the Mishing tribe are also successful endeavors to bring the feel of home in the distant land.  
  
 It is not only the traditions and festivals that bind us together in Delhi. Cultural programmes organized at various scales in various places also bring us together. Many a times, popular youth icon of Assam like Zubin Garg and his voice becomes the uniting force for the Assamese youth. The name of this singer itself gives a feeling of solidarity and I remember all of us getting thrilled by the feeling of hearing Mayabini and Ya Ali live and flocking to be a part of such programmes.

 With such passionate, compelling and mesmerizing aspects that reflect the true spirit, tradition and lifestyle of the people of the NE region in Delhi, we definitively have more to cherish and less to crib about!