Replying to a question raised by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi about the lack of centralised data on incidents of "hate speech, racial slurs, harassment, and discrimination" against people from Northeast India.
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Replying to a question raised by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi about the lack of centralised data on incidents of "hate speech, racial slurs, harassment, and discrimination" against people from Northeast India, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday stated that the centre doesn’t maintain such data specific to the region, while the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) periodically publishes details on crimes based on information provided by States and Union Territories. Reminding that 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects, he said, “State governments are responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and for prosecuting the criminals through their law enforcement agencies.” Rai went on to highlight the existing legal provisions against hate comments and racism, as well as various steps taken to ensure safety and security of people from the region, including advisories to States for prompt action, institution of Special Police Unit for North-Eastern Region (SPUNER) in Delhi, launch of special helpline numbers, etc. to address grievances and racial discrimination faced by people from the region. It is true that there are laws in place to address racial discrimination. The central government has also introduced measures to tackle it, yet racism continues to persist. The pattern of disturbing incidents involving racial slurs, discrimination and attacks, including fatal ones, is a matter of concern that requires immediate attention.
Racism and discrimination against people from the Northeast became a topic of discussion last month after three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racial slurs in the national capital city over a minor disagreement, while a resident doctor from Nagaland posted at the AIIMS Gorakhpur was stalked and physically assaulted in another incident that took place in Uttar Pradesh just two days apart. Exactly three months ago, Anjel Chakma, an MBA student from Tripura, succumbed to his injuries after being brutally attacked by a group of youths in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, who had hurled racial insults at him. Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, met with a similar tragic fate in 2014 when he was beaten to death in broad daylight on a street of Delhi. There are many such cases, both reported and unreported, where individuals have faced attacks due to their appearance. Unfortunately, the existing laws have failed to stop racial profiling, stereotyping and discrimination against north-eastern people living in mainland India. This suggests potential loopholes in the enforcement of the laws. The Centre should play a more proactive role in addressing the issues. There is a need to strengthen the legal framework with a more comprehensive and stringent penalties for racism.