New law for protection of N-E women, children soon

Concerned with the increasing crimes against North-Eastern women, the Delhi government is considering introduction of a law on racial and private discrimination in the city with suitable provisions for deterrent punishment.

Continuing its process of consultation with various stakeholders regarding lowering the age of juvenile and issues of women safety in the national Capital, the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had a long discussion with the representatives of Delhi’s North-Eastern community on Thursday. 

According to the information, several major issues being faced by North-Eastern women and children were brought up before the Delhi government’s newly formed GoM.

According to the Union Home ministry, in the past three years, crimes against women of North-Eastern origin are on a rise.

The data gives credence to the observations by the government-appointed MP Bezbaruah Committee that people from the North-Eastern states are racially discriminated in the national Capital. 

The member committee, formed after the fatal attack on the student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, earlier in 2013, submitted to the Union government and held that 86 per cent North-Easterns living in Delhi had faced some sort of racial discrimination.

Negligent approaches by the Delhi Police on crime, non-registration of FIRs, lack of fair investigation and poor attitude and treatment of N-E women were the key issues in the discussion.

“The consultation led to several suggestions related to the housing of North-Eastern girls like — lack of clarity and implementation of the existing CrPC and IPC rules related to crimes against women, lack of one-stop crisis centres in Delhi, large-scale acquittals in the POCSO courts, low number of female Investigative Officers and no concrete law against racial and private discrimination,” said an official.

As per the plan, over the next two weeks, the GoMs will meet with different stakeholders on the 7-point mandate on women and child safety.