Over 4,14,850 NE people migrated in five years
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 27 2011: Over 4,14,850 people from NE states migrated to mega cities of the country during the last five years from 2005 to 2010, a study report of the by NE Support Centre & Helpline revealed, citing the main push factor as lack of educational infrastructure.

The latest report of the group observed that the annual average increase in the number of migration is 13.62%.Delhi is one of the most preferred destinations for NE migrants, currently with over a 200,000 population, which is 48.21% of the total number of migrants.

Only 5% of migrants return to the NE after completing their studies.

It is a matter of concern as far as intellectual, professional and technical investment is concerned in the region, which otherwise could have resulted in an investment in their home states if they had returned.

The report also pointed out that 66.35% of NE migrants migrate for higher studies, out of which, 78.15% for graduate studies, 11.48% for Engineering/managerial, 6.80% for Research/Ph.D.and 3.57% for medical studies while 35% of migrants migrate for employment opportunities in other cities of India with 15% for Government jobs and 85% for un-organized private sectors.

The main factor leading to the migration is the limited choice of education, followed by unemployment problems in the region which are badly affected by the socio-political unrest and communal conflict among the heterogeneous communities of the region, it suggested.

NE Support Centre & Helpline pointed out that with globalization, Delhi is the most attractive destination for good educational infrastructure with multiple choices of study and employment opportunities in Central government jobs and private companies.

It said that no specific attempt was made by the Union Government as well as by the state governments to develop educational infrastructure in the NE.

Professional and technical education is backward.

Union Government's budget for 2011-12 is ' 8,000 crore which was presented in the budget session in Parliament.

The study cost of NE students is one fifth of the Union Government's budget for 2011-12 if calculated at the rate of ' 5,000 per student annually, the report asserted.

With regard to the challenges in Delhi and NCR, the report said that Delhi is unsafe for women.

Delhi has become an unsafe city for women with increasing crimes against women.

According to Delhi police, every 18 hours, a woman is raped and every 14 hours a woman is molested in Delhi.

Jagori an organization working for women in Delhi conducted a pilot research in 2009 and their findings matched close to police records.

Around 70% women were reported harassed on roads while around 60% men and 71% common witnesses reported that they have seen women being harassed, it said.

NE people in Delhi and NCR continue to face racial discrimination, racial attack, abuse, rape, molestation and killing.

NE Support Centre & Helpline records 96 crimes against its people in Delhi and NCR, of which, 58% happened against women (34% molestation, 8% human trafficking, 7% beating, 4% rape, 2% attempt to rape), 26% against men, 5% murder, 6% non-payment of salary, 3% non-refund rent deposit, 1% missing person and 1% media bias.

Challenges faced by NE people in Delhi have a paradigm shift from racial attack to sexual violence to human trafficking, the group said observing racial discrimination against NE communities is increasing. The 78% of North Easterners in Delhi face racial discrimination in different forms which is slightly less compared to the 86% in 2009.83% of NE men and 74% of their women face racial discrimination in Delhi and NCR.

The root cause of racial discrimination is the social profiling.

The social profiling is a reflection of India's caste practices and social system as majority of NE come from scheduled caste and tribes and an ethnically Mongoloid race, who falls out of caste hierarchy.

Police inactiveness leads to crimes, the report pointed out saying that inactiveness of police officers on duty, who are biased in providing service to vulnerable men and women to racial attack and sexual violence and failing to book the perpetrators have fuelled more crimes against the North East Indian communities in Delhi and NCR.

There is reluctance to issue directive to law enforcing agencies to provide safety measurement for vulnerable North East communities.

They waited and delayed until the matter became very serious.

This is due to lack of political will, the report observed.

The report recommends investment for education and economic development.

North East Indian states need specific investment for educational infrastructure and economic development from Union government and state governments must prioritize it.

Union Government along with Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, North East Council and state governments must seek to invest more to develop the educational sector in the region.

A political will from Union Government, Delhi Government, and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) must issue directives to implement existing laws, policies and plan of actions to end racial discrimination, sexual violence and human trafficking challenges faced by NE communities in national capital cities.

NE MP Forum must take note of the plight faced by their communities and take up the matter with concerned law enforcing agencies and governments.

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