From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Alleging blatant discrimination against students and youths from the Northeastern states in many parts of the country, Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Monday demanded a “stringent follow-up” to the case of his niece’s ‘suicide’ at a university in Gurgaon and sought a central legislation setting out guidelines for addressing the issue of safety and security of students.
Addressing a press conference here, he was at pains to explain that he was not raking up the issue just because she was his niece, saying he would have condemned and demanded stringent action against people if anyone from his state had been discriminated against.
“There have been a lot of cases of atrocities against people from the North-East. It goes against the spirit of the country. Stringent steps are needed to prevent recurrence of such incidents. These kind of cases should be disposed expeditiously,” he said.
He alleged that Dana was discriminated and the invigilator, who caught her copying, wrote some adverse remarks against her in the answer sheet. “This case has to be expedited. This case has to be followed up stringently. These tragic instances should not happen again. This (suicide) case has given us an opportunity to demand appropriate legislation,” he said.
He also refused to subscribe to the university’s version that Dana was not discriminated and that her suicide could be due to “personal reasons”. “This could be their version. This case should have to be followed up stringently. It should send a wrong message to the people that they cannot keep targeting. We have to ensure that it is taken to its logical conclusion,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that he never raised his voice against atrocities on people from the North-East, saying only because of the joint efforts Delhi has put in place some measures to prevent such incidents.
“I have even spoken on this issue at the last Chief Ministers’ conference following which some steps were also taken,” he said.
Dana was found dead in her hostel room on April 24 and she is said to have taken the extreme step after being allegedly humiliated by the invigilator, when she was purportedly caught cheating in her exams. Police have applied the SC/ST Act beside abetment of suicide charges (306 IPC) against the staff and management of Amity University, at Punchgaon campus in Gurgaon in the case.
The National Commission for Women has constituted a four-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the alleged suicide.
NCP supports Mukul: NCP leader Conrad K Sangma has supported Chief Minister Dr Sangma’s move to take up the issue of insecurity of the Northeastern students with New Delhi.