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Concern in RS over N-E bias
In the wake of death of two students from the North- East in Bangalore and Gurgaon recently, the Rajya Sabha on Friday expressed concern over the issue of racial profiling and discrimination against people from the region.
The Elders asked the Government to sensitise the police and administration and remove sense of alienation amongst students from there.
Admitting that there was “certain discrimination” against “certain people”, Home Minister P Chidambaram said he will ask all the States to adopt a policy of “zero tolerance” against crimes against students from the North-East. He, however, rejected the charge of racial profiling by the Delhi Police during the recent Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Summit when several Tibetan and some youth from North-East were detained.
Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said the need of the hour was to reach out to people from North-East and make them “feel wanted and welcome” all over the country.
He asked the Government to set a helpline for students from the North-East as more than 86 per cent of complaints pertained to harassment. Terming this figure as “alarming,” the BJP leader said the Government must take steps to sensitise people in the mainland about the culture of North-East.
Jaitley asked the Government to speed up major infrastructure development projects like railways, roads and setting up quality educational institutions to bring the North-Eastern States on par with the rest of the country. He said migration from there to other parts of the country had increased by more than 12 times from 2004 to 2009 and it was a healthy sign as it gave fillip to national integration.
Echoing similar sentiments, Chandan Mitra (BJP) mooted the proposal to set up a cell for North-East students on the lines of Crimes Against Women Cell of the Delhi Police. He said the proposed cell should be manned by an officer hailing from North-East.
Several members from North-East including Jharna Das Baishya, Biswajit Daimary, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Kumar Deepak Das and Thomas Sangma highlighted instances of discrimination like the police asking the students to furnish passports instead of other documents like driving licence to prove their credentials.
Chidambaram said the Home Ministry had issued clear instructions to the Delhi Police in 2009 for “zero-tolerance” towards cases of crime against women in general and crime against women of North-Eastern States in particular.
Besides this, the Delhi Police has set up three help lines — 1091, 1090 and 011-23317004 — and these lines are manned round the clock by English-speaking officers to help those not able to speak Hindi, Chidambaram said.
On complaints that many students from North-East were harassed and detained during the recent BRICS Summit in Delhi, the Minister said, “Only four people from North-East were detained for questioning. When their identity was established, they were let off...No one, including Tibetans, was chargesheeted.”
PC no on relaxing inner-line permits
New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram ruled out relaxing inner-line permit in some North-Eastern States to promote tourism. Responding to a question in this regard, he said regulations were relaxed in many of these States but a balance has to be maintained between security and promotion of tourism. “I cannot say inner-line permits will be removed from all North-Eastern States,” he maintained. PNS
In the wake of death of two students from the North- East in Bangalore and Gurgaon recently, the Rajya Sabha on Friday expressed concern over the issue of racial profiling and discrimination against people from the region.
The Elders asked the Government to sensitise the police and administration and remove sense of alienation amongst students from there.
Admitting that there was “certain discrimination” against “certain people”, Home Minister P Chidambaram said he will ask all the States to adopt a policy of “zero tolerance” against crimes against students from the North-East. He, however, rejected the charge of racial profiling by the Delhi Police during the recent Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Summit when several Tibetan and some youth from North-East were detained.
Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said the need of the hour was to reach out to people from North-East and make them “feel wanted and welcome” all over the country.
He asked the Government to set a helpline for students from the North-East as more than 86 per cent of complaints pertained to harassment. Terming this figure as “alarming,” the BJP leader said the Government must take steps to sensitise people in the mainland about the culture of North-East.
Jaitley asked the Government to speed up major infrastructure development projects like railways, roads and setting up quality educational institutions to bring the North-Eastern States on par with the rest of the country. He said migration from there to other parts of the country had increased by more than 12 times from 2004 to 2009 and it was a healthy sign as it gave fillip to national integration.
Echoing similar sentiments, Chandan Mitra (BJP) mooted the proposal to set up a cell for North-East students on the lines of Crimes Against Women Cell of the Delhi Police. He said the proposed cell should be manned by an officer hailing from North-East.
Several members from North-East including Jharna Das Baishya, Biswajit Daimary, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Kumar Deepak Das and Thomas Sangma highlighted instances of discrimination like the police asking the students to furnish passports instead of other documents like driving licence to prove their credentials.
Chidambaram said the Home Ministry had issued clear instructions to the Delhi Police in 2009 for “zero-tolerance” towards cases of crime against women in general and crime against women of North-Eastern States in particular.
Besides this, the Delhi Police has set up three help lines — 1091, 1090 and 011-23317004 — and these lines are manned round the clock by English-speaking officers to help those not able to speak Hindi, Chidambaram said.
On complaints that many students from North-East were harassed and detained during the recent BRICS Summit in Delhi, the Minister said, “Only four people from North-East were detained for questioning. When their identity was established, they were let off...No one, including Tibetans, was chargesheeted.”
PC no on relaxing inner-line permits
New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram ruled out relaxing inner-line permit in some North-Eastern States to promote tourism. Responding to a question in this regard, he said regulations were relaxed in many of these States but a balance has to be maintained between security and promotion of tourism. “I cannot say inner-line permits will be removed from all North-Eastern States,” he maintained. PNS
