Union Home Ministry on Monday asked Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi to submit their action taken reports by November 10 on the recommendations of Bezbaruah Committee report on measures to safeguard the people from the North-East against alleged discrimination. The directive came at a high-level meeting chaired by Home Secretary Anil Goswami with the representatives of all the States. MHA has to submit an affidavit before Delhi High Court on November 12 on the implementation of the report.
The MP Bezbaruah committee, which was set up in the wake of the killing of Arunachal Pradesh youth Nido Tania in Delhi in February 2014, submitted a 82-page report to the Home Ministry which gave a grim picture of the nature and extent of discrimination and attacks against the North-East community in other parts of the country. It provides a comprehensive list of short-term and long-term measures that must be taken by the Government to counter discrimination against the community.
It also finds that Delhi was the worst offender among the metro cities when it comes to racial discrimination against people from the North-East. The Committee suggested that either a new law should be promulgated as directed by the Delhi High Court or the Indian Penal Code should be amended, fast-track courts and special police squads should be constituted besides others.
The Ministry had in September written to all states asking them to implement the recommendations of Bezbaruah Committee report that also said immediate measures should be implemented between six months and one year; short-term measures within one or two years; and long-term measures in two years.