Government forms group to protect people from northeast

The government Thursday constituted a six-member group to look into various kinds of concerns of people from the northeastern states living in different parts of India.

The move by the home ministry follows the death of Nido Tania, a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh. He was beaten to death here allegedly by two shopkeepers.

The group will be chaired by retired IAS officer M.P. Bezbaruah, an official release said.

Former IAS officers H.W.T. Syeim, Allen Temshi Jamir, Tape Bagra and P. Bharat Singh will be members of the group that will have home ministry Deputy Secretary S. Saha as member secretary.

The group will examine various concerns, including those regarding security of people from the northeastern states.

It will also examine the causes behind attacks or violence and discrimination against those people and suggest measures to be taken by the government to address those concerns.

"The committee has been established to ensure that rights of the people from the northeast are ensured and such incidents do not happen in future," MP from Manipur Thangso Baite told the media.

"The chairman of the committee has been given the power to appoint additional people from NGOs and suggest remedial measures," the Lok Sabha member said after he alongwith other Congress leaders from the region met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The announcement to form the panel was made soon after the meeting.

Tania, son of Arunachal Pradesh Congress legislator Nido Pavitra, died Jan 30 after being attacked following a row over his appearance.