PRESS CONFERENCE: CALL TO END VIOLENCE AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE OF THE NORTHEAST REGION

PRESS CONFERENCE: CALL TO END VIOLENCE AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE OF THE NORTHEAST REGION.

Monday,10th Feb 2014, 1-3pm, Press Club of India, Raisina Road, Windsor Palace, New Delhi.

New Delhi, 9th Feb: The death of Nido Tania who was brutally beaten up in the streets of Delhi in broad daylight on 29th Jan and the rape of a 14 year old girl from Manipur who was draggedthrough the bustling streets of Munrika in south Delhi on 8th Feb has ignited the uncomfortable question of racism in India. Racial discrimination takes place across the country’s metropolitan cities especially in New Delhi which sees the largest inflow of people from the northeast who are largely students to the tune of 200,000. There has been an alarming rate of violence perpetrated on the people of the north east solely targeted for their race and there has been a string of dangerous deaths which are not isolated occurrences but pattern that is emerging in an increasingly intolerant India. The names of Richard Loitam, Dana Sangma, Ramchanphy Hongray and Reingamphi are all too familiar as these are various instances of death which haven’t received justice yet. There is an increasing level of intolerance that this nation is witnessing. In Delhi 87% of women have faced sexual harassment at least once or more than once during their stay in new Delhi which is exponentially high when compared to just 45% of women from Delhi who have faced sexual harassment more than once. Various crime against youth and especially women include sexual assault, rape, molestation, murder and so on have been taken place for many years without any serious measure being placed to mitigate these crimes. Thus only a miniscule 5% of the students stay back in the New Delhi after the education. We strongly blame our Central Govt., Delhi Govt., Delhi police and all the respective North East states elected representatives equally for not adequately looking into the problem. We have been protesting since Jan 30th and we will continue to do so as long as justice is not meted out to the people of the north east.

To address these issues we are convening a press conference on the 10th of Feb from 1-3 pm at the at Press Club of India, Raisina Road, Windsor Palace, New Delhi.

Our list of speakers include Bhaichung Bhutia former captain of the Indian football team , Pradyot Manikya Debbarrma who is the editor of the TNT – north east today and the chairman of the royal Tripura foundation, Binalakshmi Nepram who is the founder of Manipur Women’s Guns Survivors Network, Dr. Alana Golmei, Founding member of North East Support Centre and Helpline and many other student leaders from the Northeast who have been spearheading the campaigns.

We will be sharing at the press conference the latest developments on the minor girl from Manipur rape case as well as the Nido Tania’s case as well as the list of demands we have put forward to Government of India, Government of Delhi, DONER ministry, Northeast Council and to all the members of Parliament representing the eight states of the northeast and to the respective chief ministers of the eight states.

We look forward to having you at the press conference. For more details contact on the behalf core committee, Phurpa Tsering 9818244926. phurpa91@gmail.com and Krishna Dubey 9654012549. krishnadubeycafi@gmail.com

Core committee members: Arunachal Students’ Union Delhi(ASUD), Naga Students’ Union Delhi(NSUD), Tripura Students’ Union Delhi(TSUD), Manipur Students’ Association Delhi ,All Assamese Student Association Delhi, Delhi Mizo Zirlai Pawl (DMZP), Arunachal Legal Form, All Bodo Students union, Kuki Students’ Organisation Delhi(KSOD),Manipur Women Gun Survivor Network, Khasi Students’ Union, Sikkim Students Union Delhi, Hmar students Union, Delhi, North East Students Society, Delhi University, Tanghkhul Women’s league and many other concerned citizens.