As more details emerge about the shocking mob violence against Tripura resident Angel Chakma in Dehradun, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has called for a Delhi-like model to address the safety concerns of people from the Northeast.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, the Union Minister for Minority and Parliamentary Affairs said the Delhi model has proved to be a success. “I feel in Delhi, it is better now… When we came to Delhi University 20 years ago, North East students in medical and engineering colleges faced so many incidents. But it has come down now because Delhi Police has set up a special unit for people from the North East. It made it easy for people from the NE to file a complaint or seek help. But it is not available everywhere. So
the Delhi model can be replicated and practised by other states,” Rijiju said.
In 2014, the Delhi Police created a special unit to cater to people from the North East. The Special Police Unit for the North East Region, or SPUNER, was set up by the Home Ministry in response to the brutal killing of a student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market. Rijiju said that a SPUNER-like unit in all metros might be the need of the hour.
The minister expressed shock over the Dehradun incident but said it should not be viewed only through a law-and-order prism. “It is an extremely tragic incident. I am deeply hurt. But it is not an isolated incident or confined to the North East alone. In any part of this country, all Indians should feel safe. Why should a North Indian feel unsafe in the South? Central Indians should feel safe in the North East; North East people should feel safe in any part of the country. After all, this is one country. So, it is not merely a law-and-order-related incident. It is connected to mentality and lack of awareness,” he said.
He added: “We have seen this kind of racial slur or abuse on the basis of someone’s religion or region or background or caste… We have to come together against such things. It is not to be treated as a matter only for the North East; it affects all Indians and all Indians should feel concerned about this. It is the mentality of society. Why should you try to look down upon someone from another background or region?”
Drawing a parallel with the spike in mob violence in recent years, the Union Minister said the tendency to record such attacks and post videos on social media was also contributing to the problem. “Earlier also incidents happened, but they were dealt with at the local level. Now everything gets amplified since the videos are posted,” he said.
Rejecting Rahul Gandhi’s charge of hate politics, the minister said, “This is not a time to do politics. It is a disease when you call someone a Chinese or chinky. As a society, we have to come together.”
The minister expressed hope that swift action in this case would act as a deterrent.
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176699126474857653.webp)
