Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Manikya Debbarma has strongly condemned a recent alleged racial attack on two individuals from the Northeast in New Delhi, raising concerns about the safety of people from the region living in metropolitan cities. The incident reportedly took place in Malviya Nagar near the Saket Court Complex and has triggered widespread reaction on social media.
Reacting to the incident, Debbarma described the attack as “disheartening and sickening” for people from the Northeast. In a post on social media, he questioned the implementation of the Bezbaruah Committee report, which was prepared more than a decade ago to address racial discrimination faced by Northeastern residents in different parts of the country.
“Another day, another incident where someone from the Northeast is bullied and racially targeted in Delhi. I wonder what happened to the Bezbaruah Committee report which had been formed after the death of Nido Tania,” Debbarma wrote.
The Bezbaruah Committee was set up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2014 under the chairmanship of M.P. Bezbaruah, a member of the North Eastern Council. The committee was formed following the death of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh who died after an alleged racially motivated assault in Delhi in January 2014. The incident had sparked national outrage and brought attention to the problems faced by people from the Northeast living in major cities.
According to reports, the recent incident in Delhi involved two individuals from the Northeast — a transgender woman from Assam and another person from Manipur. They were allegedly attacked by a group of youths in a park near the Saket court area. Family members of the victims claimed that the attackers used a knife and a belt during the assault after the victims objected to remarks made against them.
Debbarma said that such incidents show that people from the Northeast continue to face discrimination and harassment outside the region. He added that the latest case has once again raised serious questions about the safety and dignity of Northeastern citizens in the national capital.
