NE MPs endorse law to fight racism
Source: Hueiyen News Service

New Delhi, February 11 2014: Concerned over the alleged discrimination faced by the north-eastern community living in different parts of the country, MPs from the region on Monday requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene an all-party meeting to examine the option of enacting an anti-racial discrimination law.

The MPs were only echoing the demand of north-eastern people for a separate law to deal with racial discrimination, in the wake of Arunachal student Nido Tania's death due to an alleged assault.

Their reasoning was that the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Act only extends protection to SC/ST categories and does not cover non-tribal communities from the north-east.

During their meeting with the prime minister, the MPs led by general secretary of the North-east MPs' Forum B P Baishya, sought an expeditious probe into Nido's death.

They sought adequate measures to bring the culprits to justice within a given timeframe.

The PM has forwarded the forum's charter of demands to the home ministry for suitable action.

Talking to reporters after meeting the PM, Baishya said their demands - based on resolutions passed by the N-E Forum on February 7 -- included constitution of a judicial commission to study all forms of racial discrimination directed against students of north-east region.

The MPs also sought a dedicated cell or centre to attend to the grievances and redress issues raised by north-eastern students.

Last but not the least, the parliamentarians suggested inclusion of information on history, culture and demographic profile of north-eastern region in the national curriculum of CBSE and UGC.

This is expected to help in integration of north-eastern students into the mainstream.

Incidentally, the MPs are not too happy about composition of the M K Bezbaruah panel set up by the home ministry to study issues relating to alleged discrimination and hardships faced by people of the north-eastern origin.

They have objected to its "overcrowding" with retired bureaucrats and suggested that it be made more broad-based by including representatives from civil society, NGOs, etc.

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