Nido`s death: NE MPs urge PM to set up inquiry panel

Guwahati: The North East MPs Forum has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to appoint an Inquiry Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge from the North East to inquire into the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam and other cases of racial discrimination. "An inquiry commission should be set up immediately with a Supreme Court Judge from the North East who will inquire into all aspects into Nido Tania`s death, role of police, incidents of violence and assault against people from the North East," said a letter signed by 19 MPs of the region. The MPs have also demanded that the Commission should suggest guidelines and measures to improve security, safety and other confidence-building measures among North Eastern people living in various parts of India, including in Delhi. The Delhi High Court in a judgement on February 12 last had observed that hate crimes against people from the North East was on the rise and directed immediate recruitment of sufficient personnel from the eight different states of the region into Delhi Police. The MPs urged the Prime Minister to take immediate steps in this direction. The High Court`s directive to rectify the Special Police unit`s role as a mere coordinating/redressal unit with no effective powers of a police station to cater to crime against people of North East should be adhered to immediately. The unit should be given all powers and jurisdiction of a police station, like the Women`s Cell in Delhi Police, the letter said. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the North East MPs Forum met the Bezbaruah Committee constituted by the Home Ministry to look into the issues pertaining to persons of the North Eastern states living in different parts of the country, especially the metropolitan areas. The MPs were led by their Forum chairman Mukut Mithi, MP Rajya Sabha and included Ninong Ering (Union Minister of State), Sanjoy Takam, PD Rai, Thangso Baite, Dr Thokchum Meiyna and Biswajit Daimary. The Forum and the Committee exchanged views on a variety of issues that plague the people of the North East living in other parts of the country, according to Takam and Rai. The Forum will provide more data and reports and other petitions it has given to the Prime Minister and others. The Bezbaruah Committee was constituted on February 5 and will present its report in three months time, they added.