DoNER adopts measures to check racial discrimination
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 07 2014 : Whereas the Ministry of Home Affairs formed a six-member panel to suggest remedial measures to address concerns of NE people in the backdrop of the outrage over the death of a 19-year old student from Arunachal Pradesh, the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) has also adopted several measures to check the racial discrimination against the North East people in Delhi.

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary (DoNER) with Jt Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police and Nodal Officer for NE on Feb 5 .

To sensitise Delhi Police on issues relating to NER; setting up of a support centre; hiring professional counsellors on contractual basis to deal with issues being faced by NE people at the support centre; write to Home Secretary requesting him to issue necessary instruction to UP & Haryana State Police to sensitize them about issues being faced by NE people; to sensitise NE people about their rights through platforms such as Church/Fellowship, Students' Union and Resident Commissioner's office and to conduct special campaign for better assimilation and integration of NE people with the rest of the country and to sensitize mainland people that NE is part of India are among other resolutions adopted during the meeting, a statement issued by Mercy Epao, Deputy Secretary, DoNER said.

According to the statement, the NE Support Centre will be set up at NEC Guest House, Chanakyapuri in Delhi within a month and DoNER will bear the cost of setting up office of the centre from CB&TA funds.

"DoNER and Delhi Police will jointly conduct special campaign for better assimilation and integration of NE people with the rest of the country and to sensitise mainland people that NE is part of India.

Iconic personalities will be used as ambassadors for giving this message through various media.

This will be done by DoNER in collaboration with M/o IB.

Whenever advertisement is carried out in print media, local papers namely; Dainik Jagran, Punjab Kesari, Rashtriya Sahara, and other vernacular papers will also be included as these are read widely by the semi-literate populace," the meet resolved.

"Whenever recruitment of Delhi Police is carried out, NE people will be invited so that police personnel will increase.

As of now less than 40 are incumbent.

DoNER will also help disseminate information whenever DP advertised in papers," it stated.

It further decided to conduct joint meetings of Delhi Police, NGOs, student/church bodies and DoNER at least once in a month to review/discuss issues pertaining to NE people.

This will be coordinated by DoNER.

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