Cops meet NE people to talk ‘discrimination’

After a spate of attacks on people from northeastern states, Delhi Police convened a meeting with their representatives on Tuesday, reports Vijaita Singh.

After a spate of attacks on people from northeastern states, Delhi Police convened a meeting with their representatives on Tuesday.

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Falling in line with a recent order of the police chief, the south district police met students from these states, who live in Delhi.

“The main issue discussed was racial discrimination and the way our women are treated. They live in fear even at homes. They are humiliated and live in a sense of insecurity,” said Sirra Kharay, vice-president, Northeastern Students’ Union.

Autorickshaw drivers overcharge them and the law enforcing authorities question their “character” whenever they approach them to lodge a complaint, he added.

About 25 students from the community attended the meeting. Landlords, who rent out their premises to these students, also attended.

“Most of their grievances were area-specific. They told us that neighbours had problems with their food habits. We are conducting meetings at different levels like landlords to change certain perceptions,” said H.G.S. Dhaliwal, deputy commissioner of police (south).

The meeting went on for an hour.

“Women have always been a soft target. We have demanded a separate helpline for people from our community,” Kharay said.

Police said they were going to start a training programme where beat constables of areas where there was a large concentration of northeast people would be “sensitized”.

“We would take serious action against policemen who discriminate and do not take immediate action on the complaints,” said the officer.

On October 23, HT had reported that police chief Y.S. Dadwal had asked his staff to adopt a “zero-tolerance policy” for crime against women from northeastern states.

Even police control room (PCR) staff who answer the helpline numbers (100, 1090) are being trained how to answer their grievance calls. Three district deputy commissioners of police have been appointed as nodal officers to deal with issues of the community.