Northeastern community holds prayer meet for Nido, demands strict anti-racism law

The Northeastern community on Saturday held a special prayer service for Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam here today and demanded an anti-racism law to ensure the safety of Northeastern people.

Students from northeast also joined the prayer meet and raised slogans demanding a speedy probe into the death of the 19-year-old Taniam following an attack by some shopkeepers in the Lajpat Nagar market.

Taniam, son of a Congress legislator from Arunachal Pradesh, was allegedly beaten to death on January 29 as he got into a brawl with shopkeepers while reacting to a verbal racial slur and taunts on his hair colour.

The postmortem report of the victim was released on February 10, which stated that Taniam died of injuries inflicted upon the head and face by a blunt object.

Earlier, Taniam's family met Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and submitted a 10-point memorandum as they demanded justice over the racial attack.

Mourners were sitting with placards demanding justice for the deceased and end racial discrimination against the community.

Taniam's mother, Marina Nido said that she would continue her fight against racial discrimination and hate crimes due to which many students from the region like her son are victimised.

"After being hospitalised and unconscious for many days, I really want to fight and seek justice for Nido Taniam and I want to end this racial discrimination." she said.

Earlier, the Delhi police had arrested three people in connection with the alleged murder of the student following a brawl and this came after the Delhi High Court asked the federal and Delhi government and the Delhi police to file a report on the said incident.

The development came soon after ruling Congress party's Vice-President Rahul Gandhi assured strict action against the guilty.