Meeting of Justice for Loitam Richard campaign facebook group and MSAD with the Prime Minister of India

New Delhi, 10 May 2012

Justice for Richard Loitam :: Memorandum submitted to Prime Minister of India on 10 May 2012

Office Of the
Justice for Richard

A delegation comprising Dr. Th. Meinya (MP Manipur Inner) and representatives of Justice for Richard, and Manipur Students’ Association Delhi today met the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh at his office in the Parliament and submitted a memorandum entitled Justice for Richard and Other Victims from the Northeast Region of India Vis-à-vis Racial Profiling and Discrimination in Other Parts of India, undersigned by 25,398 signatories across the world.

The memorandum demanded fast track initiatives to deliver justice to
(a) Loitam Richard (19) from Manipur who was murdered on 17th April at Bangalore in Karnataka and
(b) Dana Silva M Sangma (21) from Meghalaya who committed suicide on 24th April 2012 in Delhi due to the reported humiliation by exam invigilators.

The delegate demanded the Government of India to recognise multi racial composition of India and the phenomenon of institutionalised racial discrimination as it exists distinctively amidst the myriads of socio-cultural discriminations prevalent in India. The delegate expressed their concern over targeted violence and discrimination on the students, migrant workers (employees), job seekers, and tourists from the Northeast in other parts of India.

26,000 signatories for Justice for Richard on 10 May 2012

Dr. Singh being aware of the tense situation centred on Richard and Dana Sangma admitted that there had been several instances of crimes against humanity and that the government had been taking up measures to control it. He assured for maximum efforts to deliver justice and measures to prevent from reoccurring the incidences of Richard and Dana. He promised to recommend the MHA to expedite the cases. Dr. Singh however denied racism in India and instutionalised discrimination on the peoples hailing from the Northeast. He appealed the members of the Justice for Richard to have faith in the initiatives taken up by the government.

In the afternoon representatives of JFR, MSAD, and Change.org submitted copies of memorandum respectively to the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Manipur through the concern officials attached to Karnataka Bhavan and Manipur Bhavan. The delegate further submitted a copy of the memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs Ms. B. Bhamathi informed that the ministry has been expecting for more and speedy reports from the Karnataka Government.

She instructed her office to contact the Karnataka Government to enquire about the report and to recommend for fast tract proceeding towards delivering justice to the family of Richard. Although she could not promise a time bound justice as demanded by the delegate, she called upon victims of social discrimination to come up with specific suggestions to be observed by the law enforcing agencies so that those suggestions may be considered in policy framing and strategic planning.

Browse/Download the Memorandum submitted to PM here (PDF - 25 KB)