NE organisations reject Centre's committee

Representatives of several Northeastern organizations today rejected the committee formed by the Centre to suggest remedial measures to address their concerns and also criticized the Delhi government for not following up the promise made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this regard.

"The committee formed by the government of India was done without consultation of any civil society group, it consists of only retired bureaucrats, with no women member and hence we reject that committee and call upon its rectification," D Apao from the Naga students Association told reporters here today.

They also flayed the Delhi Government which had put the onus on them to form such a committee at the state level for not following up the announcement made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"I would like to ask AAP people that why you put the onus on us. You always say that we will ask 'Janta' before doing this, doing that. Please take some decisions yourself as well," said Pradyot Manikya Debbarma, Chairman of Royal Tripura foundation

While visiting the protesters at Jantar Mantar on February 4, Kejriwal had asked them to make a committee themselves and said that the government will endorse it.

Batting for the enactment of a strong and comprehensive anti-racial law, Alana Golmei, Founding member of North East Support Centre said, "People argue that there is already the SC/ST Act to safeguard the rights of the people but let me tell you that there are a lot of people who don't come under SC or ST in the Northeastern states."

"Also there are people from the South who get discriminated, what about them. We really need a strong anti-racism law to protect all these people and punish the perpetrators," she said.