MPs cutting across party lines Friday spoke as one in support of people from the northeast with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declaring in both houses of parliament that everybody would together ensure that those from the region were safe in all parts of the country.
With thousands of students, professionals and others fleeing places like Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad after rumours that they would be attacked, members in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha discussed the issue at length. Question hour was adjourned in both houses.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, the prime minister said: ‘It is our obligation to protect the people of northeast. The government will discharge its duty to the best of its ability so that the feeling of insecurity among people of northeast is brought under control.’
‘Such acts are most reprehensible. The unity and integrity of India is being threatened by some elements,’ he said. Stating that the country belongs to them as much as to anybody else, he added in the Rajya Sabha: ‘As patriots we must send out the message to all those who want to disturb peace between any regions or communities that this house stands united that we will work together to give them security, to curb and effectively control all elements who are out to create trouble.’ The prime minister also said that ‘rumour mongers’ and ‘miscreants’ would be brought to book. The message was echoed by members of both houses.
‘The government should create a helpline for students; deploy police around hostels and shopping malls. The house should pass a resolution to assure the northeastern students that the government and parliament will protect them,’ BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha. Ninag Ering, Congress MP from Arunachal East constituency, said the government must punish culprits. ‘There is a fear factor among students from the northeast. The government must identify and punish the rumour mongers. It is sad that people from northeast with Mongoloid features are being targeted across India,’ Ering said. BJP leader Arun Jaitley added in the Rajya Sabha: ‘The onus and responsibility is on us to make sure this panic situation comes to an end this rumour mongering comes to an end’. Some members also urged the government to temporarily suspend the electronic messaging services through which threats and rumours were being spread.
DON’T PANIC, SAYS ANDHRA TOP COP
Denying that there was a mass exodus of people of Assam and other northeast states from Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh police chief Friday appealed to them not to panic.
Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy urged people from the northeast not to heed rumours and asserted that they faced no threat in the city. ‘I appeal to brothers and sisters from northeast not to believe rumours and speculations,’ he said.
The police chief said there was no mass exodus of people from Hyderabad or any other part of the state. ‘Some people might have gone yesterday or day before to spend time with their families back home, but there is no mass exodus,’ he said.
The DGP said for the last two days they were reviewing the situation at the highest level.
‘Hyderabad is famous for communal harmony and the people from northeast should have no fears,’ he added. Dinesh Reddy said the rumours originating from other states spread fear among people.
He said the SMSes did not originate in Andhra Pradesh. He added that the trains carrying northeast people from Bangalore and Chennai and passing through Andhra Pradesh would be given full security. The railway police were deploying armed guards on these trains.
Police in Hyderabad have set up helplines to assist the people from northeast living in the city and to allay fears of any threat to them amid reports that a large number of them have returned home in the last couple of days.
Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerates have set up the helpline numbers and were trying to instill confidence in the community. Senior police officers have appealed to people to approach police if they felt threatened. They also said that not a single incident of violence was reported so far.
Cyberabad police have deployed policemen at Nanakramguda and Gowlidoddi in addition to the pickets already set up in Siddiqnagar and Anjaiahnagar. Police have also intensified patrolling in the areas where most of the Assamese and notheastern people live.
CURFEW RELAXED IN ASSAM, 100 HELD
Curfew was partially lifted in Assam’s Rangiya sub-division of Kamrup (Rural) district on Friday even as 100 people have been picked up for violence, police said. There were no reports of fresh violence during the past 24 hours.
‘Curfew has been relaxed in Rangiya from 9 am to 3 pm. The situation is totally under control,’ said LR Bishnoi, inspector general of police (Law & Order).
He, however, said that night curfew would continue in the sub-division to prevent unwanted elements of taking advantage of the situation. ‘Security forces would continue to keep a strict vigil in Rangiya and other adjoining areas, as also in riot-hit areas of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Baksa districts,’ Bishnoi said.
He said 100-odd people have been picked up in connection with torching of seven vehicles, including a bus going to Guwahati at Bhatkuchi on National Highway No.31, and also burning of a wooden bridge under Kekahati police station, police said. Thursday’s violence in Rangiya was retaliatory for the Wednesday night incident when a car was set ablaze at Gandhibari in Baska district and its driver, Sahidul Hussain, reportedly went missing. On Thursday, police were forced to fire rubber bullets at Tamulpur area in Baksa district.
NORTHEAST ISSUE RATTLES CAPITAL
Following the exodus of people from the northeast from cities such as Pune, Bangalore and Chennai in the last two days, Delhi police has stepped-up security for them in the national capital. Senior police officials have been asked to increase vigil in their respective areas to look out for any threat to people from the northeastern states living the city. Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar assured people from the northeastern states that their security will be taken care of and said they need not panic or leave the city.
‘We wish to assure people from the northeast that (there is) no reason whatsoever to panic or leave Delhi. Please report any incident that you find disturbing to the police. We are here to help you,’ Kumar wrote on a social networking website.
The security of people from the northeastern states who are studying or working in Delhi has been reviewed to avaoid any untoward incident. Joint Commissioner of police Robin Hibu said meetings with student leaders have been held at the police headquarters and they were told not to panic.
A special committe of Delhi police officials that had been formed a few years back to look into the grievances of people from the northeastern states, held a special meeting on Thursday night after being informed of attacks on the people of northeastern states in several parts of the country. ‘We held a meeting with representatives of the northeastern community in the city on Thursday evening to discuss their security. We told them not to heed any rumours about possible attacks on them,’ said Sindhu Pillai, deputy commissioner of police (north).
Delhi is a preferred study and work destination for the migrant population of the northeastern states, with almost 48.21 per cent of them moving to the national capital.
DELHI UNIVERSITIES ASKED TO BE VIGILANT
All Delhi-based universities have been directed to ensure that discrimination and harassment against Northeast students are prevented in their campuses, the government said on Friday.
‘The HRD Ministry has also written to the universities in Delhi to ensure that discrimination and harassment is prevented,’ Minister of State in the Ministry D Purandeswari said, adding that the varsities have also been asked to provide a congenial atmosphere for these students. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, she said a proposal for stating a helpline number exclusively for students from Northeast region is under consideration of the UGC.
On 22 May this year, the Ministry had held a meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner along with other senior officials and representatives of the Northeast states to discuss initiatives to control harassment in higher educational institutes.
The Minister said following the meeting it was decided that the Police Commissioner or a senior officer nominated by him would meet members of the Northeast community once every three-month and nodal officers would interact with students and employees to resolve their problems.
The representatives of Northeast states will also form a body and convey names, addresses and telephone numbers of their members for facilitating interaction with police. Besides, junior police officers posted in localities having sizeable Northeast population will undergo a sensitisation programme with the help of members from Northeast community, the Minister said.
With thousands of students, professionals and others fleeing places like Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad after rumours that they would be attacked, members in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha discussed the issue at length. Question hour was adjourned in both houses.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, the prime minister said: ‘It is our obligation to protect the people of northeast. The government will discharge its duty to the best of its ability so that the feeling of insecurity among people of northeast is brought under control.’
‘Such acts are most reprehensible. The unity and integrity of India is being threatened by some elements,’ he said. Stating that the country belongs to them as much as to anybody else, he added in the Rajya Sabha: ‘As patriots we must send out the message to all those who want to disturb peace between any regions or communities that this house stands united that we will work together to give them security, to curb and effectively control all elements who are out to create trouble.’ The prime minister also said that ‘rumour mongers’ and ‘miscreants’ would be brought to book. The message was echoed by members of both houses.
‘The government should create a helpline for students; deploy police around hostels and shopping malls. The house should pass a resolution to assure the northeastern students that the government and parliament will protect them,’ BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha. Ninag Ering, Congress MP from Arunachal East constituency, said the government must punish culprits. ‘There is a fear factor among students from the northeast. The government must identify and punish the rumour mongers. It is sad that people from northeast with Mongoloid features are being targeted across India,’ Ering said. BJP leader Arun Jaitley added in the Rajya Sabha: ‘The onus and responsibility is on us to make sure this panic situation comes to an end this rumour mongering comes to an end’. Some members also urged the government to temporarily suspend the electronic messaging services through which threats and rumours were being spread.
DON’T PANIC, SAYS ANDHRA TOP COP
Denying that there was a mass exodus of people of Assam and other northeast states from Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh police chief Friday appealed to them not to panic.
Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy urged people from the northeast not to heed rumours and asserted that they faced no threat in the city. ‘I appeal to brothers and sisters from northeast not to believe rumours and speculations,’ he said.
The police chief said there was no mass exodus of people from Hyderabad or any other part of the state. ‘Some people might have gone yesterday or day before to spend time with their families back home, but there is no mass exodus,’ he said.
The DGP said for the last two days they were reviewing the situation at the highest level.
‘Hyderabad is famous for communal harmony and the people from northeast should have no fears,’ he added. Dinesh Reddy said the rumours originating from other states spread fear among people.
He said the SMSes did not originate in Andhra Pradesh. He added that the trains carrying northeast people from Bangalore and Chennai and passing through Andhra Pradesh would be given full security. The railway police were deploying armed guards on these trains.
Police in Hyderabad have set up helplines to assist the people from northeast living in the city and to allay fears of any threat to them amid reports that a large number of them have returned home in the last couple of days.
Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerates have set up the helpline numbers and were trying to instill confidence in the community. Senior police officers have appealed to people to approach police if they felt threatened. They also said that not a single incident of violence was reported so far.
Cyberabad police have deployed policemen at Nanakramguda and Gowlidoddi in addition to the pickets already set up in Siddiqnagar and Anjaiahnagar. Police have also intensified patrolling in the areas where most of the Assamese and notheastern people live.
CURFEW RELAXED IN ASSAM, 100 HELD
Curfew was partially lifted in Assam’s Rangiya sub-division of Kamrup (Rural) district on Friday even as 100 people have been picked up for violence, police said. There were no reports of fresh violence during the past 24 hours.
‘Curfew has been relaxed in Rangiya from 9 am to 3 pm. The situation is totally under control,’ said LR Bishnoi, inspector general of police (Law & Order).
He, however, said that night curfew would continue in the sub-division to prevent unwanted elements of taking advantage of the situation. ‘Security forces would continue to keep a strict vigil in Rangiya and other adjoining areas, as also in riot-hit areas of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Baksa districts,’ Bishnoi said.
He said 100-odd people have been picked up in connection with torching of seven vehicles, including a bus going to Guwahati at Bhatkuchi on National Highway No.31, and also burning of a wooden bridge under Kekahati police station, police said. Thursday’s violence in Rangiya was retaliatory for the Wednesday night incident when a car was set ablaze at Gandhibari in Baska district and its driver, Sahidul Hussain, reportedly went missing. On Thursday, police were forced to fire rubber bullets at Tamulpur area in Baksa district.
NORTHEAST ISSUE RATTLES CAPITAL
Following the exodus of people from the northeast from cities such as Pune, Bangalore and Chennai in the last two days, Delhi police has stepped-up security for them in the national capital. Senior police officials have been asked to increase vigil in their respective areas to look out for any threat to people from the northeastern states living the city. Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar assured people from the northeastern states that their security will be taken care of and said they need not panic or leave the city.
‘We wish to assure people from the northeast that (there is) no reason whatsoever to panic or leave Delhi. Please report any incident that you find disturbing to the police. We are here to help you,’ Kumar wrote on a social networking website.
The security of people from the northeastern states who are studying or working in Delhi has been reviewed to avaoid any untoward incident. Joint Commissioner of police Robin Hibu said meetings with student leaders have been held at the police headquarters and they were told not to panic.
A special committe of Delhi police officials that had been formed a few years back to look into the grievances of people from the northeastern states, held a special meeting on Thursday night after being informed of attacks on the people of northeastern states in several parts of the country. ‘We held a meeting with representatives of the northeastern community in the city on Thursday evening to discuss their security. We told them not to heed any rumours about possible attacks on them,’ said Sindhu Pillai, deputy commissioner of police (north).
Delhi is a preferred study and work destination for the migrant population of the northeastern states, with almost 48.21 per cent of them moving to the national capital.
DELHI UNIVERSITIES ASKED TO BE VIGILANT
All Delhi-based universities have been directed to ensure that discrimination and harassment against Northeast students are prevented in their campuses, the government said on Friday.
‘The HRD Ministry has also written to the universities in Delhi to ensure that discrimination and harassment is prevented,’ Minister of State in the Ministry D Purandeswari said, adding that the varsities have also been asked to provide a congenial atmosphere for these students. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, she said a proposal for stating a helpline number exclusively for students from Northeast region is under consideration of the UGC.
On 22 May this year, the Ministry had held a meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner along with other senior officials and representatives of the Northeast states to discuss initiatives to control harassment in higher educational institutes.
The Minister said following the meeting it was decided that the Police Commissioner or a senior officer nominated by him would meet members of the Northeast community once every three-month and nodal officers would interact with students and employees to resolve their problems.
The representatives of Northeast states will also form a body and convey names, addresses and telephone numbers of their members for facilitating interaction with police. Besides, junior police officers posted in localities having sizeable Northeast population will undergo a sensitisation programme with the help of members from Northeast community, the Minister said.