Govt will soon enforce Bezbaruah panel's proposals: Rijiju

Assuring that no stone will be left unturned to stop racist attacks against people from Northeast, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju today said the Centre will soon implement recommendations of Bezbaruah committee formed to look into the issue.

The Minister also said an exclusive helpline will be set up of for Northeast people living in Gurgaon.

"The Home Ministry will implement recommendations of the committee headed by M P Bezbaruah, that has looked into various concerns of the people of the Northeast region living in different parts of India, especially metropolis," said Rijiju here.

The Minister was here to review the law and order situation following an attack on three youths from Nagaland by locals on Wednesday night.

Rijiju had an hour-long meeting with Gurgaon Commissioner of Police Alok Mittal, Divisional Commissioner D P S Nagal and other senior officials of Gurgaon over the incident.

He said he has already met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue and the "government of India is 100 per cent committed to not allow repeated of such incidents."

"No stone will be left unturned to control such type of hate and racist attacks against Northeast people," he said.

"Integrity and solidarity of the country will not be allowed to be disintegrated as the people of NE region have equal rights," the Minister added.

He claimed that his ministry and the people of NE region are "satisfied with civil and police administration of Gurgaon for their quick and right reactions and actions on the recent incident."

The Minister said he has approved setting up of an exclusive helpline for the people of Northeast living in Gurgaon.

"If the helpline will prove to be beneficial in checking such incidents, it will be replicated across metro cities where people from Northeast region live in the country," he said.

To a question as to why he did not visit the city earlier, the Minister said he was away from Delhi and that was why he could not come here before.

However, high-level officials of his ministry took regular feedback on the incident, he added. "We have to be very sensitive about the issue," he said.

The youths from Nagaland were beaten up allegedly by eight persons at Sikenderpur village in Gurgaon on Wednesday night for refusing to have drinks with the attackers.

Three persons were yesterday arrested in connection with the attack.

The Minister said Gurgaon Police have already identified two more culprits involved in the incident and will soon arrest them.

The M P Bezbaruah committee was formed in February, 2014 to look into various concerns of persons hailing from the Northeastern states who are living in different parts of the country, especially the metropolitan areas, and to suggest suitable remedial measures which could be taken by the government.

The Terms of Reference of the Committee were: (1) to examine the various kinds of concerns, including the concerns regarding security, of the persons hailing from the Northeastern states (2) to examine the causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the people from the Northeastern states (3) to suggest measures to be taken by the government to address these concerns (4) to suggest legal remedies to address these concerns.

The committee submitted its report to Kiren Rijiju on July 11.