Centre accepts report on safety of Northeast people

IANS
New Delhi, January 2

The central government has accepted the recommendations of a committee that has suggested immediate measures to ensure the safety of people from India’s northeast in Delhi and other major cities. “The government (has) accepted the recommendations of the M.P. Bezbaruah Committee with regard to immediate measures,” union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the media Friday.
“The government is committed (to the) safety and security of the people from the northeast region living in Delhi and other metropolitan cities,” he said.
The committee headed by M.P. Bezbaruah, a member of the North Eastern Council, was set up in February 2014 after 19-year-old Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, died here after he was attacked.
The panel was formed to look into the concerns of the people of the northeast living in other parts of the country and suggest suitable remedial measures.
The minister said the Indian Penal Code (IPC) will also be amended as suggested by the committee.
“The IPC will be amended for insertion of new sections of 153C and 509A as recommended by the committee,” Rajnath Singh said, adding that the law and justice ministry has also agreed to the proposal in this regard.
“As part of legal assistance, a panel of seven lawyers, including five women lawyers, has been constituted by the Delhi State Legal Service Authority for providing legal assistance to the needy people from the northeast,” he said.
Rajnath Singh said the Delhi government would also provide monetary assistance to the victims of any violence in the city.
“The Delhi government will also be providing compensation and monetary assistance to the northeast people under Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme 2011.”
“Recommendations made by the committee regarding special police initiatives and additional steps to be taken by the various state police forces.

Abusive remarks against NE people may invite jail

Calling anyone ‘Chinki’, ‘Chinese’ or making any other derogatory remark relating to race, culture or physical appearance will land you in jail for up to five years, according to a proposal which the home ministry is considering.
Home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said his ministry is considering the proposal made by a high-level committee that looked into the attacks on people from North East in Delhi and some other parts of the country.
A bill may be brought for amending the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2014 for safety and security of the people of the Northeast in Delhi and others parts of the country, he said.
“We are examining the proposal and may add two provisions in the Indian Penal Code by amending the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2014,” he said at a press conference in New Delhi.
The Bezbaruah committee, in its report, has noted that there was the “most common demand” from people from North Eastern region was to make words like ‘Momos’, ‘Chinkis’, Chinese’, ‘Chichi Chu Chu’ or any other derogatory remarks relating to race, culture, identity or physical appearances to be made punisable.”
It has recommended a provision in Section 153 of IPC to provide for imprisonment up to five years with a fine to “whoever, by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise attempts or promote to attempt on the ground of race or place of origin or such other grounds relating to racial features or to racial behaviour and culture or to racial customs or participates in such activity intending to use criminal force or violence…”
The provision for imprisonment will be there even if any person is “likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst the members of that racial groups”.
(PTI)