Imphal, December 14 2008: The molestation and assault of two young Manipuri girls by a landlord and his son at a Gurgaon residential complex on December 13 morning has drawn wide condemnation with NGO representatives all set to prevail upon State authorities apprise central for protection of the region's fairer sex who are staying at the national capital and nearby cities for studying or are working.

The molestation and subsequent thrashing of the two girls, as per information conveyed by the New Delhi-based North East Support Centre and Helpline, took place at the industrial hub of Gurgaon, which is on the Haryana-Delhi border in the early hours of December 13 with the landlord along with his son outraging modesty of the girls and before the physically assault.

The landlord is informed to have been in an inebriated state.

Reacting to the act of felony, United Committee Manipur's president Konsam Lanngamba furiously noted that the Gurgaon incident is not the first as people from the NE region particularly girls have been discriminated against by people of mainland India.

Demanding that Central government authorities initiate necessary and stringent measures to ensure safety of the region's women who are in large number in and around the national capital, Lanngamba stated that the Chief Minister O ibobi Singh would be urged to exert pressure to the Centre to prevent such atrocities before the issue goes out of hand.The culprits should be booked accordingly, he expressed.

On the otherhand, president of the influential All Manipur United Clubs Organisation Y Koireng vehemently condemned the criminal acts and highlighted that 'people of mainland Indian have a different thinking towards the north Easterners'.

"This is because of the differences in culture, tradition, food habit etc between people of the region and beyond.

Whatever the case may be human should treat human as human beings," the AMUCO leader opined.

Sharing her sentiment and grimly noting the incident, general secretary of Women Action for Development (WAD) Sobita Mangshatabam conveyed that after gathering requisite information on the matter from Gurgaon a formal complaint would be lodged with the Manipur State Commission for Women to do the needful.

"We will request the State Commission to formally refer the matter to the national Women Commission to ensure the culprits are punished," she said while recounting that sexual and physical harassment are being frequently committed against NE women in the national capital.

"We will also depute two women investigators there to make a general study in the matter and do the needful," the secretary said.

It may be reminded that the girls, who are in their 20s and worked at call centre in Chandigarh, had come to Gurgaon a few days back.

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