Helpline for people from Northeast to be set up: Rijiju

Helpline for people from Northeast will be set up in major cities starting from Gurgaon in the wake of the recent racist attacks.

This was today announced by Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was here to review the law and order situation following an attack on three youths from Nagaland by locals on Wednesday night.

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

"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.
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 repeat of such incidents."

"No stone will be left unturned to control such type of hate and racist attacks against Northeast people. Integrity and solidarity of the country will not be allowed to be disintegrated as the people of the Northeast region have equal rights," the Minister added.

He also said the Centre will soon implement recommendations of the committee 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.

The committee headed by M P Bezbaruah, a North Eastern Council member, was formed following widespread outrage over the death of Nido Taniam, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, in a racist attack in Delhi. It submitted its report to Rijiju on July 11. Among the recommendations were legal measures to ensure safety and security of people from Northeast.

"The Home Ministry will implement recommendations of the committee headed by M P Bezbaruah," Rijiju said. The Minister 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 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.

To a question as to why he did not visit the city earlier, the Minister said he was away from Delhi.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 Minister said Gurgaon Police have already identified two more culprits involved in the incident and will soon arrest them.

Among the terms of reference of the committee were to examine the various kinds of concerns, including the concerns regarding security, of the persons hailing from the Northeastern states, to examine the causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the people from the Northeastern states and  to suggest measures to be taken by the government to address these concerns.