Shah urged to set up 'Special Helpline' for NE people in Noida

Guwahati, Aug 22 (IANS) Three tribal organisations have urged Home Minister Amit Shah to establish a "Special Helpline Number for North East people" in Noida to address "discrimination and acts of violence against the people of the region" residing there.

The Chakma Welfare and Cultural Society, Noida; Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students Union, and Arunachal Pradesh Chakma and Hajong Students Association in their joint memorandum to the Union Home Minister said that the population of the Chakma community in Noida alone is about 1,000 people, and they face acute discrimination and acts of violence regularly.

They said that a substantial number of the population from the northeast region is working in Noida which is one of the areas under the National Capital Region where such a special helpline for the northeastern people has not been established.

The organisations claimed that on August 13, two persons -- Gyana Ranjan Chakma and Nivaran Chakma from the northeastern region working in Noida were brutally beaten up by their landlord and others with iron rod and bricks.

"The duo suffered grievous injuries including in their heads. They went to the hospital but they were told to go to the police station first before treatment. Accordingly, they went to the local police station to file an FIR but as they are from the northeast, the Noida Police also did not take them seriously and kept them waiting despite the victims requiring immediate medical treatment. Finally, the FIR was registered but no action has been taken so far. The accused are roaming around freely," said Santosh Baburah Chakma, President of the CWCSN.

The memorandum said that the people from the northeast are different and they are often not accepted by the local populations. The northeastern people feel insecure and often are vulnerable because of their Mongolian features they frequently suffer discrimination in their daily lives, it said.

According to the memorandum, most common forms of discrimination include passing lewd comments and abusive words, teasing, taunting, molestation, sexual harassment, physical assaults.

People of the northeastern region also face discrimination, harassment, denial of wages at work places, which are mostly in unorganised sectors. In most cases, they do not report the cases due to behaviour and attitude of the police, it added.