New Delhi: The Union home ministry has constituted a three-member panel to look into issues of racial discrimination against people of Northeast living across the country. The committee includes Satyendra Garg, joint secretary (Northeast) in the home ministry, Alana Golmei, secretary, Northeast support centre, New Delhi, and Mizum Nyodu, assistant professor, law faculty, Delhi University.
Officials said the committee will examine and try to resolve all issues of discrimination which people from Northeast face as in the recent past there have been a number of complaints from them claiming to be victims of racial abuse, racial atrocities, racial violence, racial discrimination.
These people can now send their complaints and suggestions even by email on an ID created for this purpose.
The redressal panel has been constituted in wake of an order from Supreme Court where a writ petition was filed following attacks on people from the Northeast, particularly the death of a student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, who was killed in Delhi.
The top court had observed that this committee will have special powers to even recommend stringent action in cases where racial discrimination, racial atrocities and racial violence against Northeast people comes to light.
The panel will also make suggestions as to how incidents to racial or hate crime can be contained.
The Apex Court was also of the opinion that as recommended by the M.P. Bezbaruah Committee a monitoring mechanism should be put in place as mere involvement of law enforcement agencies alone was not sufficient to help resolve the problem. It further stressed that there was need to change the mindset of people particularly in universities, colleges and educational institutions along with places of work and over all society.
Home Ministry had constituted the Bezbaruah committee in February, 2014, to give recommendations on remedial measures which could be taken to deal with incidents of racial abuse against people from the Northeast in Delhi and other parts of the country.
