A Boy and Girl Looted and Attacked at Delhi
- North East Support Centre & Helpline -

New Delhi, November 17, 2011,

North East Support Centre & Helpline
RZ 61, 4th Floor,
Palam Vihar, Sector 6,
Dwarka, New Delhi 110075
Tel. 011-25084561,
Email [email protected], www.nehelpline.net

Memorandum Submitted to Delhi Police Commissioner
A Boy and Girl Looted and Attacked
North East Communities Continues to be Soft Target in Delhi and NCR

North East Support Centre & Helpline (NESC&H) submits a memorandum to ensure safety to North East Communities in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). The North East community continues to face soft target for racial attack and sexual assault. A boy and a girl from Manipur looted and assaulted last night.

According to the source reaching to NESC&H, a boy and girl from Manipur, while returning from withdrawing money from ATM, was looted and attacked last night at Safdarjung Enclave by two unknown youths. The purse belonging to the girl was snatched and the boy was beaten when he attempted to catch them. The matter was reported to police and FIR is not yet registered until the filing of this story.

While appreciating the reassurance to ensure safety to North East community in national capital and NCR, given by Delhi Commissioner Police, Mr. B K Gupta during his speech at North East Conclave on November 13, 2011, NESC&H appeals Delhi Police to arrange night patrolling to the areas where the community mostly lives.

The most unsafe places are Safdarjung Enclave, Murnika, Mahipalpur, Nanakpura, Motibagh, Mohamadpur, Khanpur, Sarojini Nagar, New Friends colony, Defense Colony in South Delhi, North Delhi Campus, Nehru Vihar, Gandhi Vihar in North Delhi and Sikhanderpur in Gurgaon. The copy of the memorandum is attached below.

Memorandum

Demand for Ensuring the Safety of North East Indian Communities

November 17, 2011

Mr. B K Gupta
Commissioner Police Delhi
Delhi Police Head Quarter
ITO, New Delhi 110 001

Respected sir,

We are writing to you with deep distress about the plight of tribal women, especially those from the North Eastern States who are living and working in National Capital Region and Delhi. Thousands of educated girls from Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh who had come to work in Call Centers and IT sectors in these cities are facing racial discrimination and sexual assault. They live in small groups, and are often alone, which becomes a soft target for harassment in their residence and workplace. The North East Support Centre & Helpline was founded in New Delhi four years ago by concerned groups to assist such girls who are in distress and in danger of physical and psychological harm.

We appreciate your reassurance, expressed during North East Conclave held on November 13 to look into the matter of grievances faced by people from North East India in Delhi and NCR.

The racial attack and sexual assault on North East communities and women remain continuous challenge in the city. Addition to the places mentioned to our earlier memorandum to you dated November 26, 2010, Safdarjung Enclave has become a place of soft target to North East Women, where a boy and girl from Manipur was looted and beaten last night after returning from withdrawing money from ATM.

North East Support Centre & Helpline demands the followings from your good office:

1. Special Helpline for North East communities should be set up immediately, headed by not lower than a range of Deputy Commissioner Police, preferably from North East region.

2. There should be special Night Police Patrolling in all the prone areas of racial/sexual-based violence. The areas identified by North East Support Centre & Helpline are Safdarjung Enclave, Murnika, Mahipalpur, Nanakpura, Motibagh, Mohamadpur, Khanpur, Sarojini Nagar, New Friends colony, Defense Colony in South Delhi, North Delhi Campus, Nehru Vihar, Gandhi Vihar in North Delhi and Sikhanderpur in Gurgaon. Setting up of special night police patrolling in these areas will not only prevent racial/gender-based violence faced by people from North East India, but will also ensure safety to all the working women who are returning late at night from workplace.

3. There has been still struggle in filing complaint in police station. Our people had to wait until pressure is mounted upon police officers on duty from higher police official and media. Please issue directive to your police department that the law of the land should be given equally irrespective race, caste, creed, religion and place of birth, as guaranteed by our Indian Constitution.

Sincerely,

Madhu Chandra
Director/Spokesperson

North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is a joint initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to North East People and tribal communities of other states.

Released by
Gen Samte
Media in-charge