IMPHAL, February 9: A day after BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi told a rally at Imphal that the death of Nido Taniam in Delhi is a “national shame,” volunteers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Manipur today protested the recent crimes on North East students in the national capital.
A group of volunteers of the state unit converged for a flash protest at the Nagamapal Traffic point this noon holding placards that read “We are also Indians Stop discrimination”, “Stop crime against NE students” etc.
Speaking to media persons on the sideline of the protest demonstration, state unit secretary of the ABVP, Narendra Sapam said Delhi has always been the capital of crimes against the North Eastern people especially students.
Recent incidents like the assault on Arunachal student Nido Taniam leading to his subsequent death, assault of two Manipuri women at Kotla and the alleged rape of another Manipuri minor by her landlord’s son at Munirka have once again brought the issue of racial discrimination to the forefront, he lamented.
Such incidents only force the people of the region to question whether they are really Indians, he said before adding that such incidents not only make the people of the region angry but also alienated.
He further alleged that both the state and central governments are not doing enough to book the culprit behind such crimes.
The politicians are busy making statement to score political mileage out of the situation, he said.
He also alleged that the state government is equally to be blamed for the unfortunate incidents, as it has failed to pressure the centre to take immediate actions.
The ABVP Imphal Unit strongly condemn the unfortunate incidents and further urged the Delhi government to take up necessary actions, he said.
Meanwhile, in a press release the North East Forum for International Solidarity, NEFIS has strongly condemned the brutal and gruesome rape of a 14-year-old girl by her landlord’s son in Munirka.
The victim has suffered fatal injuries and is now admitted in Safdarjung hospital, it said.
“Furthermore the police refused to file the FIR of the victim which led to a huge protest outside the Vasant Vihar police station. Due to pressure from NEFIS along with many other women’s’ and progressive student organizations the police had to relent finally and file the FIR.”
“The incidents of violence towards the people from the North East have increased rapidly over the past few years and it is high time that police and the administration takes cognizance of this growing menace and becomes proactive in the protection of the vulnerable sections of the society,” it said.
“Otherwise these issues will snowball into nationwide protests and agitation.”