Press Conference in Delhi on Rape Case of Minor Girl from North-East

NEW DELHI, 10 Feb 2014 – A press conference was held today at the Press Club of India, attended by former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia, editor of The Northeast Today Manikya Debbarma, social activist Binalakshmi Nepram, North East Helpline founding member Dr Alana Golmei, and various student leaders from North-East states.

The North-East community called for stronger anti-racism laws, faster justice for both Nido Tania and the minor girl who was raped in Munirka on Friday night, and quick trials in fast-track courts for North-Eastern people who have been killed but never received justice.

They criticized the government’s newly formed committee, stating it was created without consulting civil society groups and consists only of retired bureaucrats, with no women members. “We reject this committee and demand its revision,” they said.

They also urged the Delhi government to take responsibility and ensure better safety for North-Eastern women in residential areas, shopping malls, spas, call centres, and workplaces.

The community demanded that the Indian government take strong action against Delhi Police for refusing to file an FIR. They insisted that any police officer who refuses to register a complaint should be held accountable and immediately suspended. Another key demand was the inclusion of North-East India’s history, culture, and identity in the national curriculum, including NCERT, CBSE, and UGC syllabuses.

Recently, Delhi has made headlines for multiple crimes against North-Eastern people. According to police reports, a local man, Ashish Tokas, also known as Vicky, allegedly raped a minor Manipuri girl in Munirka on Friday night. He reportedly dragged her into an isolated room, locked the door, and assaulted her. The accused was arrested on Saturday.

Earlier, on 25 January, two girls from Manipur were physically assaulted by local men in Kotla Mubarakpur. On 29 January, a 19-year-old boy from Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly killed by shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar market. The rape of the minor Manipuri girl sparked protests at Vasant Vihar Police Station on Saturday and Patiala Court on Sunday when the survivor was brought to record her statement. Many North-Eastern women have expressed fears for their safety in the capital.

Reports also state that two more boys from Manipur were attacked with iron rods and sticks by a biker on Sunday night at around 10:30 pm in Madangir, South Delhi. One of them has been admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre. Police have recorded their statements and begun investigations, but no arrests have been made so far.

~ Bruce K. Thangkhal

Media Incharge

North East Support Centre & Helpline
(Special Correspondent – The Mizoram Post, Manipur Chronicle, Zogam Today)

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Days after Nido Tania's death, two more boys from North East attacked

New Delhi:  Two boys from the North East were allegedly beaten with sticks last night at a south Delhi neighbourhood, less than two weeks after the death of Nido Tania in what his friends described as a racist attack. The boys, who belong to Manipur, were allegedly attacked at Madangir in south Delhi by a biker.

Courtesy: NDTV.com

One of them, Ginkhansuan Naulak, is still being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). 

The incident surfaces at a time several groups from the North East are protesting the death of 20-year-old Nido Tania, a student of Arunachal Pradesh, after being beaten with iron rods and sticks at south Delhi's Lajpat Nagar market on January 29. 

Nido was found dead in his bed hours after he was allegedly beaten by men who allegedly ridiculed him for his blonde hair and shouted racist slurs at him. An autopsy report has confirmed that he died of injuries to his head and face as a result of that attack. Nido's parents had maintained that he died due to the beating, but the police said they could act only after a medical report.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined protesters demanding justice for him at candlelight vigils last week.

Politicians across parties have vowed to work with activists and students from the North East to address their recurring concerns of being racially targeted in Delhi and other cities.

Source: ndtv.com

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BJP prime ministerial candidate’s wishes are unlikely to be fulfilled in North East

Industry insiders say lack of technical manpower & infrastructure 

hurts IT growth in Northeast

HARICHANDAN ARAKALI & INDU NANDAKUMAR

BANGALORE

Narendra Modi may want information technology companies to flock to the Northeast but software services firms are saying the BJP prime ministerial candidate’s wishes are unlikely to be fulfilled any time soon.

The absence of technical manpower, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure, prevents development of IT in the Northeast, insiders in India’s $108-billion outsourcing industry said, reacting to Modi’s exhortation.

“Why can’t Manipur be made into an IT hub,” Modi asked, in a speech in Imphal, blaming the Congressled government for the Northeast’s woes, including crumbling infrastructure and persistent “insurgency.”

“There is no harm in considering the Northeast. In fact, wherever IT industry goes, it gives people highpaying jobs,” said Rostow Ravanan, chief financial officer at Bangalore-based Mindtree, which is setting up its largest training centre in Bubhaneshwar.

However, “at this point of time, I don't see many IT firms setting up their centres in the Northeast because there aren't too many engineering schools,” Rostow Ravanan said.

The reasons for the IT industry shunning the region are fairly simple, according to industry insiders: “It is no rocket science ... beyond the existence of an airport, if there aren’t good schools, hospitals and entertainment that the IT talent looks for,” the region won’t attract the industry, said one executive, who didn’t want to be named.

“Forget the Northeast, there’s hardly any IT presence in Kolkata,” the person said. Sops Key for Expansion for Technology Firms

As long as smaller cities don’t offer the type of availability of talent and infrastructure needed for the IT industry, young people will continue to flock to bigger centres such as Bangalore or Hyderabad.

“It’s primarily because of the physical and social infrastructure and the availability of talent and opportunities. The opportunity actually feeds off on the first three and then it becomes a cycle ... because there is a lack of opportunity the other three don’t develop, so it’s a little bit of a tricky situation,” the person said. 

This means, once people decide not to move, then it’s impossible to achieve scale in an industry such as the IT sector. Given the right incentives, however, not just India’s large technology firms but even midsized companies would be willing to expand to tier-2 cities, which often bring their own advantages, such as people staying longer at their jobs, being more satisfied as they stay closer to their families and so on.

The lack of technical manpower is the single most important reason for the industry to shun the region, and concerns such as less-than-stable governance seem to be more secondary.

“The challenge lies in attracting large pools of technical manpower in the Northeast,” said Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Pune-based Zensar Technologies.

“The Centre should first set up four large universities in Guwahati, Shillong, Manipur and Arunachal, focused on employable skills,” Natarajan said.

Between 2011 and 2021, the region will have close to 17 million job seekers and only 2.6 million jobs, half of which will be in Assam alone, according to a January 2013 report by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and the consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The National Association of Software and Services Companies, the industry’s lobby, has tried getting the central government to consider a two-tiered incentive policy to encourage the IT industry to push deeper into smaller cities and towns. Such a policy is yet to materialise.

Incentives could include support on capital investments, tax holidays and employment-generation based subsidies. India could even follow what China is attempting in trying to develop its interior provinces, where for each person a company hires, the government offers some incentives, industry insiders said.

One executive, who didn’t want to be named, said “we don’t need incentives to work in Hyderabad, Bangalore or Chennai anymore. The industry needs incentives to work out of a Bhopal or Bhubaneswar and then gradually even a place like Guwahati may start looking attractive, but by choice I have no illusions about the industry moving to the Northeast anytime soon.”

Source: Economic Times, Bangalore 10/2/2014

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Protests in Imphal against attacks on NE people in Delhi

IMPHAL: Imphal witnessed sporadic protests on Sunday as several organizations took to the streets in various parts of the city, protesting against the rise in crime against north east people in the national Capital.

The renewed attacks on NE people began with the assault on two Manipuri women by local goons at Kotla Mubarakpur on January 25, followed by the killing of an Arunachal Pradesh student, Nido Tania, on January 29, allegedly by some shop keepers at Lajpat Nagar market in Delhi. Friday night's alleged rape of another Manipuri minor girl at Munirka compounded the anger of NE people.

Members of the Manipur unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest at Nagamapal traffic point in the heart of Imphal.

The serial attacks have raised serious doubts about the Indian citizenship of NE people, rued an ABVP leader. The ABVP leaders demanded that the Centre should take stringent measures to ensure no such incident takes place in the national capital in future and sought fitting punishment for the perpetrators.

The New Generation Youth Wing, Manipur, held a candlelight march at Tiddim ground here. The members sought measures to ensure no racism, no discrimination and no harassment against NE people in other parts of the country. Members of the Royal Riders Manipur (RRM) organized a motorcycle rally in the capital city protesting against racial discrimination.

Parents here are now apprehensive about sending their children to Delhi for education or employment in view of the serial attacks on the NE people. "Since Delhi is not safe for us, we have now decided to send our children to other cities for pursuing education. We feel Delhi is the crime capital," said Tomba Sharma, an Imphal resident.

Source:indiatimes.com

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Bangalore University sets up separate hostel for Northeastern students

Bangalore: After the tragic death of Arunachal boy Nido Taniam in Delhi, one the largest varsities in India - the Bangalore University - has now set up a separate hostel for Northeastern students. The university said that the idea behind it is to protect students from racial discrimination.

"We will build the hostel, install CCTV cameras, make security arrangements and put security also. That's how we can protect the safety and interest of the north east," said B Thimme Gowda, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University.

While students from the Northeast have a mixed opinion on a special hostel for them, the larger question is, will such a move isolate them further in the name of security? Will such a hostel prevent their mingling with others, failing the very purpose of integration? A 19-year-old BA student, S Henna from Manipur, who stays as a paying guest near her college, has a mixed feelings over the proposal.

"This hostel is going to provide protection only in the hostel but they aren't going to give security throughout the places wherever we go. When we are in hostel, yea, we are secure but what happens when we are outside? We can't just stay there, live there and just stick to the hostel," said Henna.

"I don't think it is necessary because we all have our own places like flats, PGs. I think it should be open for the working class," said another girl.

But there are people who support this idea. "I think it's a good idea but personally, I think we should involve the others, with locals so that we can live together peacefully," said a boy from the Northeast.

Meanwhile, the university has defended its plan saying efforts will also be made to mainstream Northeastern students. "We may accommodate 50 per cent of people of Northeast and also from other places for interactions," said Thimme Gowda.

It has been only 2 years, since Bangalore witnessed a temporary exodus of Northeastern students after fears of racist attacks. And now, days after Taniam's death, the university has said it's only reflecting the fears of immigrant students.

Source: IBNlive

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Racism, Our Dirty Secret

Prejudice based on one’s regional origins

 is deep-seated among Indians, including the police

-Indrajit Hazra

Article 14 of the Constitution deals with ‘Right to Equality’. It tells us with the straightest of faces that ‘The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.’ The very following sentence in the country’s operations manual is Article 15(1) that deals with ‘Fundamental Rights’. It says even more pithily, ‘The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.’ 

    Last Friday, Delhi high court pulled up the police and the state government for lack of progress on the case of 19-year-old Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, who died in the city following a racist attack. 

    Now, you can take your pick from all the constitutional categories mentioned above to illustrate how the real world strays from the scripture when it comes to equality before the law or when reassuring that the state is absolutely against any kind of discriminatory behaviour on its part. But with Nido’s death, the result of injuries received after a racist attack, let us stick to the statutory discrimination on grounds of race. 

    Much has been made of how ‘mainland Indians’ look upon Indians from the northeastern region bearing Mongoloid features. In Jaipur last month, a schoolteacher told a woman from a publishing house how she first thought she was Japanese and was impressed with her fluent Hindi. The teacher had no intention to offend the lady from Delhi who is originally from Manipur. Indeed, her intention was to compliment her in a strange, roundabout way. And, even as i was shocked, no offence was taken by the Manipuri lady. 

    Discrimination has two components to it: one, recognising the distinction between, say, people bearing Mongoloid features and those bearing Caucasoid features, an ability that is as helpful as that of being able to differentiate between a mosque and a temple, or an Audi and a Skoda. And two, there’s discrimination where the ability to make a distinction leads to prejudice. 

    It is this second variety of discrimination that needs to be – and can be – weeded out. This is possible not by striking at the proverbial source of the problem – ‘by changing the social mindset’ – but by addressing the problem at the spot where prejudicial discrimination comes to be redressed: before the law. 

    Almost two years before Nido’s death, 19-year-old Loitam Richard from Manipur was found dead in his hostel room in Bangalore. The local police first employed Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code to describe death ‘under mysterious circumstances’ that didn’t rule out murder, accidental death or suicide. Later, the hostel supervisor filed a fresh complaint against two fellow students who reportedly beat up Richard the night before his body was found. The police then filed the case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. 

    The tardy gathering of evidence, compounded by the initial suspicion that ‘the northeast boy’ was a drug-user and his death was caused by an overdose, was standard operational procedure. Richard was found dead in April 2012. The case is yet to reach the courts. And since the incident didn’t take place in, say, Australia, the media barely noticed. In any case, there is no ‘consul general of Bangalore’ to haul up and grill in television studios. 

    The law and order machinery across India is dysfunctional. But added to this is selective dysfunction – along socio-economic, caste, religious, regional and racial lines. The police, irrespective of what the Constitution says about legal recourse for ‘everyone’, behave differently when the complainant is from a slum and when he is from a highrise. A similar selective response holds true when it comes to complainants from northeast bearing physical features considered by far too many Indians, law enforcers included, as ‘un-Indian’, which in turn are hitched to stereotypes such as drug use and promiscuity. 

    This is what happened when the brutal rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama in 2004 in Manipur by some armymen led to a commission of inquiry whose report was never released and no perpetrators punished. This is what happened with investigations and subsequent (lack of) legal proceedings in the Loitam Richard case. This is what is happening with investigations in the Nido Tania case, where the Delhi high court has slammed the police for failing to even submit the victim’s autopsy report more than a week after his death. 

    As a nation, we are hardwired to see racial prejudice only where Indians are victims and where ‘white people’ are perpetrators. But racism against Indians by Indians thrives. And neither is it confined to the attitudinal behaviour of ‘mainland Indians’ towards ‘northeasterners’, the latter also capable of their very own brand of xenophobia. 

    For the ‘social mindset’ to change, the law must first treat, and be seen treating, crimes – including non-racist crimes – against northeast Indians seriously. It is how law enforcers deal with cases in which ethnic or racial minorities are victims and complainants that will determine whether India confines itself to benign discrimination. Until then, constitutional exceptions will continue to prove a shameful rule. 

 The writer is an author and journalist.
Source: Times Of India, Hyderabad 10/2/2014

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Protest in Delhi: Justice for Nido Tania – Stand Against Racism

 Nido Tania, a 21-year-old student at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab, was pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. He was assaulted by shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar on 29 January 2014, after being taunted for his hairstyle. He succumbed to his injuries the following day.

The son of a Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, Tania had come to Delhi only a few days before the attack. His tragic death has sparked outrage, bringing the issue of racial discrimination against Northeasterners into sharp focus and fueling calls for stronger anti-racism laws in India.

Fighting for justice for Nido Tania is a fight against the racial discrimination faced by Northeasterners in India. His tragic death is a painful reminder of the prejudices they endure, and we must demand justice for Northeasterners to ensure their safety and equal treatment. Any form of racism against them must be firmly condemned, and concrete actions must be taken to build a more inclusive and respectful society.

No to racism!
No to discrimination based on Mongoloid features!
Justice for Northeasterners!

 

Coverage by:-

Bruce K. Thangkhal
Media incharge
North East Support Centre & Helpline
Delhi

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Govt of India Forms COMMITTEE to Address CONCERNS of North-Eastern Residents

THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA has established a committee to examine the concerns of people from North-Eastern states residing in various parts of the country, particularly in metropolitan areas. The committee will recommend appropriate solutions and has been directed to submit its report within two months.

NESCH Members Engaged in Discussion | NESCH.

The committee will assess issues related to the safety and security of North-Eastern residents. It will also investigate the reasons behind attacks, violence, and discrimination against them and propose measures for the government to address these challenges.

The committee will be chaired by Shri M.P. Bezbaruah, IAS (Retd.), with members Shri H.W.T. Syeim, IAS (Retd.), Shri Alemtemshi Jamir, IAS (Retd.), Shri Tape Bagra, IAS (Retd.), and Shri P. Bharat Singh, IAS (Retd.). Shri S. Saha, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, will serve as the member secretary. The chairman may also include additional members from Tripura, Mizoram, and Sikkim, along with a female representative. Shri Robin Hibu, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police, Delhi, will be part of the Ministry of Home Affairs team assisting the committee.

~ Bruce K. Thangkhal
Media Incharge
North East Support Centre & Helpline (NE Helpline)
Delhi

 

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Conjoined baby twins in Manipur

CCPUR. 5 Feb 2014: Maternity ward of Churachandpur District hospital, today,witness unnatural still born twin baby who were born less than 7 month from the time they were conceived. The doctor on duty at the hospital Dr. Zuii Hauzel says that this was one such incident in which she had been involved, She also says that it was unfortunate that the child can't be saved. Sources also say that the two are not born death but were abnormal in their breathing and died after an hour's time.

Photo by www.zogamonline.com

The unfortunate couple were from Singngat A/C of CCpur District and the child was born around 10;30 of today. The twins share a common head and other than that they had a normal physical organ, though their breathing is not satisfactory.

It may be worth recalling that survival rate of conjoint twins, who are born approximately 1 in 200,000 delivery, are very low and which was the maximum in South West Asian countries. In the 19th century the conjoint twins were called Siamese twins which was the result of two conjoint brother from Siam( now Thailand) who were made famous by circus manager who showcase them in his show.

Statistics point out that approximately half of the conjoins are still born with the survival rate less than 25% who were mostly girls. The most recent news about the conjoint twins , that shocked the world, was when two Iranian born girls Miss Laleh and Ladan Bijali who were joint at their head died after being operated by 28 top specialists from the Globe aided by more them 100 staff after a marathon 58 hrs operation at Singapore hospital. The two ladies aged 29 were highly educated and the failed operation triggered a debate on the ethic of this of operation though they said girl volunteers themselves to be separated.

Source: Phualvatimes

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"Nothing Last Forever" : Kinchok Choden Bhutia

HAILING from the serene state of Sikkim, specifically Upper Samdong in Gangtok, 21-year-old Kinchok Choden Bhutia recently made her debut as a singer with her first single. Coming from a close-knit family, her father, Nakchung Bhutia, is a teacher, while her mother, Kee Lhamu Bhutia, is a homemaker. Her younger brother, Tashi Namgyal Bhutia, is currently in the 12th grade. Kinchok now resides in Bangalore, where she is pursuing a BSc in Biotechnology. “I love singing,” she shared during an exclusive interview.

Here's the conversation with Bruce K. Thangkhal from KV NEWS.

When and why did you choose singing/music?

Well I sing literally but I took interest in singing from past 5/6 months. Unfortunate thing is that I can’t manage time.

 

How do you manage yourself in in Bangalore? 

Well Bangalore is a good place but sometimes it gets difficult to cope up with people out here. It’s disgusting when it comes about being humiliated and calling out ‘Chinkies’ by few people like as if we don’t have any identity even though being an Indian. But no matter… still I’m enjoying.

 

What is the name of your single?

“Nothing Lasts Forever”

What does ‘Nothing Last Forever’ signifies?

Well!! Nothing on this earth is permanent right? Change!! It’s a law of nature. This song is all about betrayal. In this video the girl keeps on loving her BF and cares about him even knowing the fact that she is being betrayed… and finally girl she decides to leave him and his memos for forever… which means that those love of her for him will also end up one day.

 

How did you prepare for this single?

There are so many people who helped me in completing this song and also encouraging me...and because of their encouragement and support only I succeed preparing this song.

 

So do you plan to make a complete album?

Yup...looking forward but it may take time because it’s very difficult to manage time.

 

Describe your experience while shooting the music video?

Ummmm...... yup, I was halka nervous but more than that we had fun.

 

What lessons have you learnt from your debut single?

To manage all the things with plenty of time… no mistakes as such.

 

What were the challenges you faced during the preparation of this single?

Only the saddest part in making this song is that because of some problem the director who I assigned for my video could not manage to take shots and he introduced me with new director, Nandu Koirala and that too one night before our video shoot. That day I felt too pathetic over myself. The new director was too busy even though he managed his time for making my video and I’m thankful to him. We made this video without script and within a short period of time. So it was a bit tough and I’m satisfied with it. I thought to make video more understandable but due to lack to time we could not manage. 

What motivates you to compose and sing?

Firstly, lyrics and few of my friends' encouragement and all among these, my family supported me a lot. I’m blessed to have such family. Without their support I could not have done all these.

 

What are your hobbies?

Singing, watching movies, and yea... sleeping.

 

Your favourite Singer(s)/Band(s)/Composer(s)?

Celine Deon, Shreya Ghoshal, Charice Pempengco, Arijit Singh....

Which kind of music you listen to?

Pop, Jazz, Blues, Soul,etc. Music with meaningful lyrics has always been best for me!!

 

What are your plans for the future?

I wanna go further for MSc as well as singing too. What I believe is music is something through which you can express your unexpressed thoughts in a very sweeter way. Actually there was no such plan to make my own song and the weird thing is I don’t know any of the musical instruments to play but as soon as I get time I will learn that also. Thank you!

-------------------

 

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NORTHEASTERNERS Unite Against RACIAL DISCRIMINATION in Delhi: A CALL for JUSTICE

New Delhi, Feb 06, 2014: In a powerful pursuit of justice for Nido Tania, hundreds of Northeasterners took to the streets of the national capital, marching from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street in a daylong protest against racial discrimination. This marked the sixth consecutive day of protests by people from the northeastern states, who gathered in solidarity, demanding an end to the discrimination they have long faced.

The protestors, holding placards and chanting slogans like “Justice for Nido Tania,” “Delhi Police Down Down,” “Stop Discrimination,” “We Demand Justice, Equality, Liberty & Dignity,” and “Enact Anti-Racial Discrimination Law,” made their voices heard as they approached Parliament Street. However, their march was halted by barricades set up by police near the Parliament Street police station.

Binalakshmi Nepram, a prominent social activist, emphasized the resolve of the movement: “This is an indefinite protest. Until we get justice for Tania, we will continue to fight.”

“Our brother Nido was brutally beaten to death, and we will not rest until all those responsible are held accountable,” said Maivio J Woba, another protestor.

Nido Tania, a 21-year-old student at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab, was pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. He was assaulted by shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar on January 29, after being taunted for his hairstyle. He succumbed to his injuries the following day.

The son of a Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, Tania had come to Delhi only a few days before the attack. His tragic death has sparked outrage, bringing the issue of racial discrimination against Northeasterners into sharp focus and fueling calls for stronger anti-racism laws in India.

~ Bruce K. Thangkhal

Media In-charge

North East Support Center & Helpline, New Delhi

(Special Correspondent of The Mizoram Post | Manipur Chronicle | Zogam Today)

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Racist violence and the silence of the National Integration Council

By John Dayal 

MANY YEARS AGO some of us founded the North East Centre and Helpline as we thought we should do something to challenge the ingrained racism in many areas of the national capital, and rampant racist violence against young men and women who attended the universities and educational institutions and lived in shared accommodation particularly in houses in the many urban villages of Delhi.

Pic: Bruce K. Thangkhal | NESCH

In quick time, our colleagues researched and documented the extent of the violence, and presented the findings to the national media and the authorities, including the police. The Delhi government and the central authorities were not too keen to listen to us, but the police commissioner of that time, after one horrendous violent incident, agreed to create a single window system so that victims did not have to run around to get their complaints registered.

The Centre and Helpline had, after initial hesitation, the enthusiastic support of the many community unions and organisations that exist. Every tribe, state and religious group has its own union or association, and there is a very strong community feeling among the people living in an almost hostile environment so far from home.  Volunteers manned our phones on an around-the-clock basis, offering counseling and advice. Our teams responded to distress calls from victims of violence, rushing to the scenes of the crime and then to the police station to get cases registered under law. It was in such exercises that we discovered cases of rape not only in Delhi but also in neighbouring towns of the national capital region, including Gurgaon. 

The recent cases of violence against young people from Arunachal and other states comes as no surprise. But the death of the young student from Arunachal Pradesh, is a particularly horrendous incident, and casts aspersions not just on the professional efficacy of Delhi police, but also on its character as there are indications of corruption and partisanship. In fact, the police also emerge as racist. The Delhi High Court has chastised the Delhi police for the shoddiness of its investigations and the forensic probe.  Parliament has condemned the violence, and no less that Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress Party, has expressed her solidarity with the victims. 

Elsewhere, there have been incidents or racist violence or behaviour against people of African descent, many of whom are students in various colleges of Delhi and some are expatriate workers. Africans had even forty years ago invited the curiosity and then ridicule in North India, which has a fascination for people of European origin with their light complexion. But with the opening of the national economy, the number of persons coming from the African continent has increased, and with it have increased social tensions, which sometimes burst out into open violence. The most macabre was the molestation of two women by a mob in the presence of a minister of the Delhi government who thought the two were drug peddlers or sex workers, as if this allowed physical action against them. 

The government swings into emergency action every time such an incident generates a public outcry, or is taken up in a major way by an otherwise somnambulant media. The single window police procedure seems to have been given a go by [it also existed for domestic and other violence against women] and jurisdictional haggling and often sheer corruption ensure that the police do not act as they should. 

The Union and the state governments do not monitor racist and targetted violence and therefore are ail prepared to formulate any policies or practices to curb it. While there is lip service to secularism, and to gender justice, there is absolutely not a single thing in our school curricula or in the advertisements released on television, radio and newspapers by the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity of the government against racism and racist violence. 

The Prevention of Communal and Targetted Violence Bill, which was brutally murdered in the Rajya Sabha this week – it was withdrawn under right wing pressure – had some measures against such violence.  The Bill invited the wrath of the Sangh Parivar and its front, the Bharatiya Janata party, who felt its focus on preventing violence against Muslims in some way injured the interests of the majority community. If the Bill had become law, racist crimes would certainly have come under its ambit and it could have possibly worked as a deterrent. 

The National Integration  Council – of which this writer is a member – has failed signally in its charter envisaged by its founder, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It meets every alternate year – instead of the six monthly meetings that members stressed were needed. In its last meeting held in the wake if the barbarous violence against Muslims in Muzaffarnagar, the NIC did not refer to the Communal and Targetted Violence prevention Bill at all. In its meeting two years earlier, Home Minister Chidambaram maintained silence as BJP chief ministers butchered the draft bill. The government did not defend it at all, although the National Advisory council drafted it with government concurrence. 

The silence of the NIC in the recent cases of racist violence is deafening. Not that it has a system in place to react to such indents.

And with national polity in a flux, there is little hope that the future will unfold some deterrent laws against such violence.

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