New Delhi: Over 50 students from the Northeast, protesting the violence on people from the region in the capital, sought to march towards Parliament House on Friday but were dispersed by the police.
Six students were injured in the baton charge, police said.
They were taken to hospital and were discharged after the first aid.
“The students staged protest around 4.15 p.m. and were marching towards Parliament House,” said a police officer.
“As the students were just a few metres away from Parliament House and North and South Blocks (which house key ministries), police had to use batons,” said the officer.
The officer said that police tried to stop them but they continued marching while forming a human chain in the area.
A protester said, “We have been targeted since long. We are protesting to give the message that this is enough now. Treat us equal. In India there is the right to protest so why are they arresting us?” The police, however, said that no one was arrested.
NESO memo: Meanwhile, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has submitted a memorandum  to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, through the governors of the seven states, urging them to intervene to ensure proper and effective investigation into the assaults and atrocities on the students of Northeastern region staying in Delhi.
“Incidents of assaults, molestations on NE students and people are happening on a frequent basis resulting in the feeling of insecurity especially to the women despite the prime minister’s directive to the concerned authorities to take stern action against the culprits and to take special measures for the physical security of the northeastern students,” said NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa.
The memorandum, narrating the attacks on north easterners said that on January 29, a student from Arunachal Pradesh Nido Taniam was beaten to death. (Agencies and Our staff reporter)

SC notice to Centre, states on guidelines to protect NE people

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and all states on a PIL seeking its direction to them to frame guideline to protect the people from Northeastern states in various parts of the country against alleged racial discrimination.
A bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi sought response from the authorities within four weeks on the issue.
The apex court initially expressed reluctance to entertain the plea on the ground that the Delhi High Court is hearing a similar petition but it agreed to examine the issue after the petitioners pleaded that racial discrimination is prevalent across the country and the matter can be addressed by the highest court.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the proceedings in the high court were confined to the national capital and appealed to the apex court to examine the issue.  The petition filed by seven advocates, some of them belonging to north east, highlighted the recent attacks on Northeastern people, including the death of Arunachal Pradesh youth Nido Taniam who was beaten by shopkeepers in south Delhi.
They submitted that there was no system in place by the Ministry of Home Affairs to protect these people. The petition alleged the people from north eastern region of the country, who move out of their states in search of better opportunities for studies and jobs, were subjected to racial taunts and violence on a daily basis due to their physical appearance at the hands of people of their own country. “Most of the people from the region, who return to their states, have one or two tales of horrid, unspeakable and unimaginable proportions where they have been discriminated, taunted, molested, raped….and all because of their outward appearances,” it said.
The petition said the crime of racial discrimination is a “menace to the society” and violates the human rights of every person irrespective of his caste, creed, religion, domicile and the right to live with human dignity.
The PIL urged the court to ensure that the culprits of such racial discrimination are punished and to lay down guidelines to protect citizens against it. (PTI)