IMPHAL, January 1: The dead of 18 year old college student from Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday after being allegedly beaten up by locals at a market place in Delhi has triggered widespread anger and condemnation.
Nido Yaniam son of Arunachal Pradesh MLA Nido Pavitra died after a reported scuffle over the colour of his hair at a market place at Lajpat Nagar, Delhi on Thursday.
The incident happened barely three days after the chief coordinator for North East and joint commissioner of Police, Training, Delhi, Robin Hibu had on January 28 issued an official notification announcing a special self-defence training and Hindi speaking classes for the people of the North East in the national capital.
The All Manipur Students’ Union, today pledge full cooperation and support in all the movement taken out by the NE students against the “cold blooded” murder.
A statement of the union said the All Manipuri Students’ Union (AMSU) strongly condemn the alleged killing of Nido Taniam, son of an Arunachal Pradesh Congress legislator in south Delhi, pledge to extend full support in all the movement taken out by the NE students against the cold blooded murder.
Urging the Delhi Government to book and punish all the culprits who have perpetrated the crime at the earliest, it appealed to the authorities concerned to prevent such sort of crimes against NE students.
Meanwhile, condemning the incident, the All India Tribal Students’ Association, Delhi said, it strongly condemned “the racial chauvinism of some of the mainland people in Delhi and the apathetic attitude of the Delhi police” toward safeguarding the security of the ethnic mongoloid people in the national capital.
A statement of the association said that some mainland people including police officials, public servants, shop keepers, auto/taxi/rickshaw pullers often display their “racial chauvinism” by discriminating people from the northeastern region of the country in an extreme manner.
It has further smacked the Delhi Police for taking the boy and leaving him at the spot of the earlier scuffle and said it shows “how much the life of a citizen from the Northeast region is actually worth in Delhi.”
“Moreover, the alleged detention of only three attackers while sparing the shopkeepers, who extort Rs 7000 for accidentally breaking a glass cupboard in his shop, is a self-evidence of the connivance of the Delhi police with the local goons, who are likely to be police informers,” it further alleged.
The statement further demanded immediate suspension of the SHO of the police station and for the leaders and elected representatives from the northeastern region to wake up from their “narrow outlooks and find a lasting solution to the endless ordeals of the people of northeast in the mainland cities.”
Meanwhile, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has also strongly condemns the act.
A statement of the organisation said the NESO strongly condemns “the act of clubbing to death of a 19-year-old college student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, in Delhi on January 29 and failure of the Delhi police to protect the student.”
The attack was carried out in broad day light at a busy market place, which has a heavy presence of police personnel, it lamented and further added it takes serious note of the “Lajpat Nagar police station’s refusal to register a complaint against the group of persons led by Farhan, 25, a shop keeper and his brother Akram, 23, leading to the death of Nido Tania.”
“This very act of targeting Nido Tania is not an isolated case,” it said before adding that such cases have been happening in Delhi and other cities of the country.
“Such incidents have shown that people in mainland India have refused to integrate people of the North East as Indian citizens in their hearts and minds,”, it lamented.
“What is more shocking is the insensitivity of the Delhi police, which is a glaring example of racial discrimination. The Centre and Delhi government led by Aam Aadmi Party have also failed to live upto the expectations of the people of the Northeast, by not acting promptly against the culprits,” it said.
The student body has further urged the Prime Minister, Union home minister and Delhi chief minister to take adequate measures to prevent recurrence of targeting people from the North East, to ensure the safety of the North East students, studying in other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the NElim has also said “The North East India Image Managers (NEIim) is shocked at the tragic death of Nido Taniam from Arunachal Pradesh. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victim and demand swift legal action against those who are guilty of this heinous crime and bring them to book. We request the Delhi Government and Union Government to ensure steps to improve the law and order situation in Delhi.”