Panel looking into attacks on North-Eastern people expanded

The committee, set up in the aftermath of a spate of attacks against the North-Eastern people in Delhi, to suggest measures to address their concerns has been expanded with the inclusion of four members. The four members drafted in the committee, headed by former IAS officer MP Bezbaruah, are Marina Nido, mother of the student Nido Taniam who died allegedly after being beaten in south Delhi, former IPS officer ST Sangliana and students' leaders J Mavio and JT Tagam from Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh respectively. Former IAS officers HWT Syeim, Allen Temshi Jamir, Tape Bagra and P Bharat Singh will be members of the committee which will have deputy secretary in the union home ministry S Saha as Member-Secretary.

The terms of reference of the Committee include examining various concerns, including security, causes behind the attacks/violence and discrimination against the people from North-Eastern states; suggest measures to be taken by the government to address these concerns and suggest legal remedies to address these concerns.

Meanwhile, The North-East MPs Forum has urged prime minister Manmohan Singh to appoint an Inquiry Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge from the North-East to inquire into the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania and other cases of racial discrimination

The MPs have also demanded that the Commission should suggest guidelines and measures to improve security, safety and other confidence-building measures among North Eastern people living in various parts of India, including in Delhi.