N-E people will be safe in city, says Kejriwal as N-E fest begins

Calling the North-East “the most beautiful” place in the country, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday assured the people from the region living in the national Capital that they are “safe” and pledged that his government will do all needful to ensure their safety.

“I just want to assure you that all of you are safe. And please feel safe... Please don’t have any fear in your hearts.

“All of us are safe and I can assure you that whatever needs to be done from the Delhi government’s side, we’ll all do,” he said at the inauguration of the third edition of the North-East festival being held at IGNCA here. Highlighting the instances of discrimination that people from the <g data-gr-id="40">north east</g> face in the Capital, Kejriwal emphasised that it is possible to change the outlook of those people who harbour such an attitude.

“Let me admit, I think the North-East is the most beautiful place in the country and I think North-East people are the most beautiful and nice people in the country. I want to say one thing that Delhi people are also very nice.

“Some incidents have happened which are unfortunate and shouldn’t have happened. Some wrong people did them, we have to change the point of view of those people. We all have to work together to change their outlook. I’m very confident that we can change their point of view. When we can change the politics of this country, we can definitely change the outlook of a few people,” he added.

He also added: “This festival is ours, I feel this should be promoted a little more. Next year just inform me 10-15 days in advance, we are going to promote is all over Delhi. The whole of Delhi should come here, eat northeastern delicacies. We’re going to make the people familiar with the North-Eastern culture and with their music. And I’m sure together we’ll march forward.” This year’s edition of North-East Festival is focused on promoting and boosting tourism in the region.

Around 60 tribal artisans and textile entrepreneurs will showcase some of the best handloom and handicrafts from the region, that comprises eight states known for their pristine natural beauty. The carnival on day one started with some scintillating performances by some of the biggest music bands of the North-East, including <g data-gr-id="41">Midmen</g>, <g data-gr-id="43">Straight Outs</g> and <g data-gr-id="42">Dreamscaped</g>. The attraction of the evening was a performance by rock legend Lou Majaw, who is completing 50 years of his musical journey this year.