It has been a long wait for the people of the North East, particularly those living outside the region. A lot of hope has been hanging on a sheaf of papers put together under the title, The Bezbaruah Committee Report.
Expectations shot up particularly after a North Easterner — Kiren Rijiju — took over as the Minister of State for Home in the Narendra Modi Government. In July, 2014, retired bureaucrat M.P. Bezbaruah led the members of his Committee — formed by the former UPA Government to look into the concerns of north-eastern people living across the country after the sensational death of the youth Nido Tania in Delhi and to suggest remedial measures — to Rijiju’s office to submit the report.
Expectations peaked when on January 2, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced the Government’s decision to implement some recommendations of the Committee. Certainly a reason for the north-eastern community in the National Capital and elsewhere to feel happy, at last. But if you go by some of the popular voices from the community, the report is an anti climax.
One vital recommendation of the Committee was “a new law” equipped to handle not just racist comments and verbal abuse but violence committed with racist undertones too. But the government chose to go with the second alternative suggested by the Committee, that is, amendment to the existing section in the IPC — 153. The Government will now bring in new sections of 153c and 509A.
Topi Basar, associate professor in Delhi University’s Law faculty who drafted the framework for the “new anti-racist law”, says, “Before suggesting a new law, we examined the existing sections of IPC including the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. But we felt none of them are specific to the issues of discrimination faced by NE people. A new law was required to address the concerns. It is not just a matter of their physical look but also about their culture, their food habit, the political and historical background. After all, NE people have a strong sense of alienation and a new law could have addressed all these issues.” Since the Government has decided not to bring in a new law, Basar says, “I wish it had chosen the SC/ST Act rather than Section 153. In essence, the Act is closer to the NE issues than 153.”
North East India Forum Against Racism president David Boyes, a part of the Committee, feels “The announcement is more in keeping the coming Delhi elections in mind. After all, there are a lot of NE voters here.” According to Boyes, “The Government is in denial of racism prevalent in the country.” His complaint is that no time frame has been given for implementation of the recommendations. Also, no monitoring mechanism, despite the committee strongly recommending one.
“The Committee suggested linking Delhi Police with DONER (Development of North Eastern Region) Ministry for proper implementation of initiatives. Though it is a nodal ministry for the region with a huge budget, it has been kept out, apart from being asked to build a few hostels,” says Boyes.
Liyi Noshi, an advocate at Tis Hazari courts who has been offering legal help to NE victims, punches holes in the Government’s recommendations for legal assistance to the needy through Delhi State Legal Service Authority (DSLSA). “It doesn’t work that way. I am a part of DSLSA. The fee that the Government is talking about giving to DSLSA lawyers is too little. DSLSA pays a total of Rs.5000 per case; you may get it in 10 days or in 10 years as per the progress of the case. So as a lawyer, I need to give time to other cases too to make a living.”
The recommendations include setting up fast track courts. Liyi points out, “The Government has not said which court in Delhi will act as the fast track court for the NE cases.”
The Government also announced that the Delhi Government will be providing compensation and monetary assistance to NE people under the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme 2011. Interestingly, an RTI report in March last year mentioned that after DSLSA recommended compensation for assault victims, only Rs.2 crore of its 15 crore funds had been disbursed in the last three years. “So you can see how tardy the system can be,” says Liyi.
The Government also mentions redressal of rent overcharge by landlords and denial of dues to NE people by employers. T Romeo Hmar, president, North East Labour Forum, New Delhi, asks, “Who do we go to for redressal? Is it still the police? Till now, we have been dealing with such cases by first trying to negotiate with the other parties and then going to police as the last resort.” Though the Government says the State Bhavans will be advised to help distressed people from the region, Hmar, who has been a part of NE youth volunteers, states, “Without an official order, the Bhavans are not bound to help. We have seen State Bhavans closing doors on victims.”
A slew of special police initiatives has also been announced. But as Boyes points out, “There is only one Delhi-based nodal officer who is supposed to monitor crimes against North East people across India.” Hmar adds, “It says the NE Special Police Unit will be activated. I hope it gives it the power to investigate or arrest anyone. As of now, it doesn’t even have a vehicle of its own.” Adds H.T. Sangliana, former Bangalore Police Commissioner, also a Committee member, “The recommendation for police exchange between NE States and others can be useful, but to set it up as a permanent institution, there would be challenges. Instead, attention should be given to recruit more policemen and strengthen beat policing. In India, police presence has to be seen to curb crime.”
A long standing demand from the region — inclusion of NE history and culture in school and university books — has been addressed by the government. Rajnath Singh said the curriculum will be changed to accommodate it. Sanjoy Hazarika, director, Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, New Delhi, feels, “This is well overdue.” His Centre has been “working in this field through national seminars and workshops with support from ICHR since 2011” and has also published books on fighters from Assam and Meghalaya against the British Raj.
But not all have lost hope. Alemtemshi Jamir, former Nagaland Chief Secretary, also a Committee member, says “Things flow slowly in the Government.” What he means is, at least a beginning has been made.
