Demand for Anti-Racism Law: Students from the North East on February 6 marched towards the Parliament from Jantar Mantar, demanding an anti-racism law. Protestors hold placards as they participate in a protest in New Delhi. The beating and subsequent death in New Delhi of Nido Tania on January 30, has sparked a furious outcry against racism and criticism of police in the Indian capital. (AP Photo)
• North East Parliamentarians urge Prime Minister
• Demands enactment of the anti-racial law in India
New Delhi, February 6 (IANS): As protests continued to rage in the national capital over attacks on people from the northeast, the central government Thursday announced the formation of a committee that will examine the reasons behind such attacks and suggest remedial measures.
The announcement to form the six-member committee came soon after a delegation of leaders from the North East met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was also present at the meeting.
In the wake of an attack on Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania that has outraged the nation, several parliamentarians, cutting across party lines, also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to take steps to stop discrimination against people from the region.
Manmohan Singh said the leaders should give their views to the committee, which will look into various kinds of concerns of people from the northeast. “I share your concerns. Indians have a right to live with dignity anywhere in India,” the prime minister told the members of the Northeast Forum of Parliament.
“It is deplorable and condemnable. The home minister has set up a committee to go into these causes in a systematic manner and prevent them,” Manmohan Singh, who is also a member of the forum, said. The prime minister is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam. Manmohan Singh also told the MPs to “work closely” with the committee. The government announcement to form the panel came even as scores of demonstrators, mostly activists and students, continued their agitation demanding justice for Tania. Tania was thrashed by shopkeepers at a south Delhi market over his appearance and dress. The 19-year-old died Jan 30.
The protesters, who have been demonstrating at Jantar Mantar since Sunday, later tried to march towards Parliament House, barely half a km away. But the 300-plus crowd was stopped midway by policemen as parliament is in session. When the activists and students tried to break through the barricades, they were detained for a few hours. Hearing about their detention, seven MPs and some other leaders from the region came out to extend their support. The parliamentarians later led the demonstrators, demanding enactment of the anti-racial law in India, back to Jantar Mantar.
In Arunachal Pradesh, Tania’s father Nido Pavitra said his son was a “victim of racism”. “Being parents, we demand justice for him and want the accused to be punished,” said Pavitra, who is a legislator in the state. Delhi Police has arrested three accused in the case.
“We have been given enough assurances, but hardly any strong action has been taken,” activist Binalakshmi Nepram told IANS. “We want action and not just another committee,” demanded law student Vinika. “We don’t want that the next generation faces the same discrimination that we have faced,” she added.
Accused’s bail plea to be heard by ‘special court’
A court here on Thursday transferred the bail hearing of two men accused in the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania to a special designated court, saying that it has no jurisdiction to hear the matter. Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar, listing the bail application of the two accused, Sunder Singh and Pawan for Friday, transferred the matter to a special court exclusively dealing with cases under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.Defence counsel S. K. Sharma and Shalabh Gupta apprised the court that their clients have been booked under the SC/ST act and so their matter can be taken up by a designated court exclusively dealing such offence.
Govt sets up panel to address
concerns of North East people
NEW DELHI, February 6 (PTI): Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held consultations with home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and MPs from North East to discuss steps to end harassment of people from the region even as the government set up a committee to suggest remedial measures to address their concerns.
AICC general secretary in-charge for North Eastern states Luizinho Faleiro, who led the delegation to Gandhi, said the Congress vice president wanted not only to ensure justice in the case of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania but also address the issue of discrimination of people from the North East.
Faleiro said the ministry of home affairs has set up of a six-member committee headed by retired IAS officer M B Bezbaruah, which will submit a report within two months after examining the causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the people from the Northeast.
The committee headed by Bezabaruah, who is also a member of North-Eastern Council, has the deputy secretary in ministry of home affairs S Saha as Member Secretary and retired IAS officers H W T Syeim, Alemtemshi Jamir, Tape Bagra and P Bharat Singh as members.
Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police, Robin Hibu, who hails from that region, will also be in the team of the ministry of home affairs, which will assist the committee. The Chairman of the Committee shall co-opt members, one each from the other Northeastern states like Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim as well as one lay member.
“It has been decided to constitute a Committee to look into various kinds of concerns of the persons hailing from the Northeast, who are living in different parts of the country, especially metropolitan areas, and suggest suitable remedial measures, which could be taken by the government,” an order issued yesterday by Deputy Secretary of MHA’s Northeast Division, Ajay Kanoujia said.
