The Passive MPs
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 19, 2013 -

An open letter has been doing the round urging all the Members of Parliament (MPs) from the eight North Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura for intervention in ensuring justice to Reingamphi Awungshi and other victims of racial discrimination from the region in other parts of the country.

Signed by people from all across the globe, the open letter, which is an initiative of Justice4Richard, has drawn the attention of the MPs not just to the recent tragic case of Awungshi, a 21-year old girl from Ukhrul district of Manipur, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances in her rented room at Chirag Delhi, New Delhi on 29 May last, but also to other similar cases that have been given quiet burial in the past despite strong public outcry and endless protests.

All these cases may have taken place at different places and times, but one common trait that runs through them all is the same negative attitude of the Indian police in handling the cases with preconceived notions that such incidents are bound to happen, for they feel that people from Northeast are into drugs and loose in their moral character, and hence, lesser human than other mainland Indians.

As a result, none of the cases have been ever solved and brought to their logical conclusion.

While such negative attitude of Indian police towards the people from Northeast has contributed largely to further alienation of the region from the rest of the country, what has come even more shocking, nay, painfully hurtful is the passive nature of the elected as well as the nominated MPs from the region in the Parliament from even listening to the cry of justice of their own people who have elevated them to their present position and status.

Leaving aside the number of MPs in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House), there are in all 25 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the eight North Eastern States in the Lower House (Lok Sabha).

They include 14 from Assam, 2 each from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura and 1 each from Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

It is unnerving to note that not even a sound of whimper has been heard from the 25 MPs on the recent case of Reingamphi Awungshi, thus, necessitating writing of an open letter reminding them to exercise the responsibility and power bestowed upon by the people as their elected leaders in the Parliament.

This passivity on the part of the 25 elected MPs as well as other nominated members in the Parliament towards the problem of racial discrimination being faced by their own people is even more than dangerous than the skewed mindset of the mainland Indians, for it would only help in perpetuation of racism, one of the worst forms of crime against humanity, in India.