Social Profiling: The Root Causes of Racial Discrimination against North East Indians
- Part 2 -

Madhu Chandra *

Rally against Racial Discrimination on NE at Delhi on 29th Dec 2008 :: Pix - Malem Ningthouja

A Paper Presented to Two-Day UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Gender and Racial Discrimination : the Paradigm of Women's Vulnerability, sponsored by UGC on 7th & 8th September, 2012, Organised by: Human Rights Studies Centre, S. Kula Women's college in collaboration with Human Rights Alert, Imphal, Manipur)



The Globalisation: The Pull Factor

The globalisation opened doors to many other employment opportunities, particularly for the semi-professional and semi-skilled person. Many young boys and girls from North East India, who are semi-skilled or semi-professional, get jobs in organised and non-organised private companies like BPOs, hospitality corporations, and shopping malls. Many of these young people have appealing personalities, the ability to communicate in English, and come from a hospitality/socially oriented culture that values honesty and hard work. This makes them attractive candidates to private companies. Nevertheless, they are not without challenges when they migrate to mega cities, particularly in Delhi and NCR.

Challenges in Delhi and NCR

Unsafe Delhi for Women

Delhi has become an unsafe city 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.[15] Jagori an organization working for women in Delhi conducted a pilot research in 2009 and their findings match close to police record. Around 70% women were reported harassed on roads while around 60% men and 71% common witnesses reported that they have seen women being harassed.[16]

Unsafe for North East Communities

North East people in Delhi and NCR continue to face racial discrimination, racial attack, abuse, rape, molestation, and killing. North East 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 North East people in Delhi have a paradigm shift from racial attack to sexual violence and sexual violence to human trafficking.

First two are not organised crimes while the last operates in organised gangs. We are not prepared to handle it. Perhaps, there is a need for separate study on the issue of human trafficking faced by the region.

Social Profiling against the North East Communities increase

The study finds 78% of North Easterners in Delhi face racial discrimination in different forms, which is slightly less compare to the 86% in 2009. The 83% of North East men and the 74% of their women face racial discrimination, while girls are victims of easy target of sexual violence in Delhi and NCR.

Social profiling is the root cause of racial discrimination, attack, and sexual violence against men and women from North East India. It is a reflection of India's caste practices and social system as majority of North East India come from scheduled caste and tribes and ethnically Mongoloid race.

Inactiveness of Law Enforcing Agencies

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.

Recommendations:

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 more in educational sector in the region.

The Union Government's budget of Rs 6000 crore for 2011does not have any specific designated fund for higher educational infrastructure. The budget was a peanut compare to the amounts of money sent by the poor parents from the entire North East India to their children studying outside. Over 270,000 students if calculated at the rate of Rs 5000 per month, it comes to amount Rs 1600 crore, which is the one fourth of the Union Government's budget for the region.

Political Will

The nation saw the Indian parliamentarians while the North East Indian communities were fleeing from Bangalore and other cities. It was a united voice of all parties, affirming their care and concern for the community. Soon the political parties diverted the whole issue by bringing the issue of CAG report. The world will doubt that it was just a crocodile tear.

A political will from Union Government, Delhi Government, and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) must issue directive to implement existing laws, policies, and plan of actions to end racial discrimination, sexual violence, and human trafficking challenges faced by North East communities in national capital cities. North East MP Forums must take note of the plights faced by their communities and take up the matter with concerned law enforcing agencies and governments.

The Union Home ministry's decision to include the racial discrimination under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocity 1989 is one positive response. The North East Indian communities will need to see how this new law is implemented.

Law Enforcing Agencies

Safety preventive steps taken by Delhi police following Dhaula Kuan gang rape case, setting up night patrolling in unsafe places, CCTV camera installation, English speaker Helpline operators, women helpline and women cell at police stations and 9 points safety guidelines to BPO companies must be proactively monitored on regular basis.

The North East Support Centre and Helpline has been demanding for long time to appoint a police officer, preferably from North East India and setup up separate helpline for the community. It has been denied and delayed for years. Now, with political will, DCP Mr Robin Hibul from Arunachal Pradesh has been appointed to look into the issues and challenges faced by the community.

The Need of Cultural Sensitisation and Integration

The student communities beginning from class 10 must be sensitised about safety before they leave their home states for further study and job in mega cities. Many of the North East girls get shocked when they fall at the prey of the perpetrators.

The student communities from various cities of India kept on requesting the North East Support Centre and Helpline to extend to other cities. It was not in the position to extend. Now different North East Student Forums are setup in different cities. They will have challenges as the service to the needy and victims cannot be given by non-professional personnel.

Basic legal awareness on how to file cases and legal remedies are essential part of sensitisation. The North East Indian communities have bias conception about the case being filed. They are worried about their names included in the case, fearing that it will hamper in their career. When they lodge a complaint and case filed, it is not a case registered against their names. It must be sensitised to them.

Lastly, not the least, the cultural integration is very important and the need. The cultural integration with different communities is needed from all sections of Indian society. The civil societies and public's support shown this time from different corner of the nation is the sign that there are people who do not subscribe to any form of social profiling and racial attack. The cultural integration with different people will help dealing the challenges faced by the North East Indian communities.

References:

1. The Times of India, "20% of banned hate sites put up by Hindu groups," Link here(accessed 23 August 2012).
2. Assam Chronicle, "Student Outflux from North East India," Link here (accessed 12 February 2011).
3. Vanlalchhawna, Higher Education in North-East India (New Delhi: Mittal Publication, 2006) 172.
4. Vanlalchhawna, Higher Education in North-East India, 172.
5. The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and North East Council, "North East Region Vision 2020" Link here (accessed 26 August 2012).
6. Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, "Who Rules Manipur's Street?" Link here (accessed 13 February 2011).
7. SR Tohring, Violence and Identity in North East India: Naga-Kuki Conflict (New Delhi: A Mittal Publical, 2010), 146.
8. Directorate of Education, "Government Schools," Link here (accessed 13 February 2011).
9. Centre for Civil Society, "Overview of School Education in Delhi," ( Link here (accessed 13 February 2011).
10. University of Delhi, "Colleges," Link here (accessed 14 February 2011).
11. Jawaharlal Nehru University, "Schools," Link here (accessed 14 February).
12. Shalini Verma, Soft Skills for the BPO Sector (New Delhi: Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd., 2009), 34-35.
13. Mark Kobayashi Hillary, Outsourcing to India: The Offshore Advantage (New York: Springer, 2004), 106.
14. Fundoodata, "Companies in Delhi and NCR," Link here (accessed 13 February 2011).
15. Mid Day, "Delhi Cop Drives BPO Girl to Safety," Link here (accessed 25 February 2011).
16. Jagori, "Safe City Free of Violence against Women and Girls Initiative," Link here (accessed 26 February 2011).
[1] The Times of India, "20% of banned hate sites put up by Hindu groups,"
Link here (accessed 23 August 2012).
Assam Chronicle, "Student Outflux from North East India," Link here (accessed 12 February 2011).
[2] Assam Chronicle, "Student outflux from North East India," Link here (accessed 12 February 2011).
[3] Vanlalchhawna, Higher Education in North-East India (New Delhi: Mittal Publication, 2006) 172.
[4] Vanlalchhawna, Higher Education in North-East India, 172.
[5] The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and North East Council, "North East Region Vision 2020" Link here (accessed 26 August 2012).
[6] Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, "Who Rules Manipur's Street?" Link here(accessed 13 February 2011).
[7] SR Tohring, Violence and Identity in North East India: Naga-Kuki Conflict (New Delhi: A Mittal Publical, 2010), 146.
[8] Directorate of Education, "Government Schools," Link here (accessed 13 February 2011).
[9] Centre for Civil Society, "Overview of School Education in Delhi," Link here ( (accessed 13 February 2011).
[10] University of Delhi, "Colleges," Link here (accessed 14 February 2011).
[11] Jawaharlal Nehru University, "Schools," Link here (accessed 14 February).
[12] Shalini Verma, Soft Skills for the BPO Sector (New Delhi: Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd., 2009), 34-35.
[13] Mark Kobayashi Hillary, Outsourcing to India: The Offshore Advantage (New York: Springer, 2004), 106.
[14] Fundoodata, "Companies in Delhi and NCR," Link here (accessed 13 February 2011).
[15] Mid Day, "Delhi Cop Drives BPO Girl to Safety," Link here (accessed 25 February 2011).
[16] Jagori, "Safe City Free of Violence against Women and Girls Initiative," Link here (accessed 26 February 2011).

Concluded ...