SHILLONG: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has asserteda that people in North East must ensure that there is no discrimination for people from different communities in the North East region.
Addressing the Mega Arunachal Tribal Festival here in the city on Saturday, Kiren Rijiju said, “When North Eastern people talks about their rights, they should also ensure that people in North East must ensure that there is no discrimination and difference for different communities.”
“We will gain respect only if we give respect,” he said while adding that no case of racial discrimination against North Eastern people in New Delhi has gone unpunished even since he has become the Minister in MHA.
Stating that the racial discrimination is the worst form of crime, he said that the MHA will propose a new law to stop the menace of racial discrimination which will have provisions of Indian Penal Code.
According to Rijiju, North East has so many things but the region has not been able to present itself before the world even as he added that people from the region should not be saddened when they are not recognized since India is a huge country and it is not possible to know about everyone.
He further observed that people alone cannot be blamed for the division and that it is actually the system of education which needs to be blamed.
“If Delhi is the capital of India, it begins with the borders,” he said
The Union Minister also slammed the militant groups of the region saying that by taking up arms the militants are harming no one but only the people of their own region. For instance, he says, bandhs harm the people of the region and not the centre.
He said that the NDA Government has opened up new chapter for the region and added that Look East Policy has now been changed to Act East and pointed out that Government will spend money to showcase that “NE is not a place of bombs and AK47s.” From the next academic session, he assures that a chapter about North East will be added in the CBSE schools.
Earlier, Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek said, “Dress and dialect is a characteristic of a culture but another culture are our thoughts.”
Earlier, Arunachal Students Union, Shillong and Naga students Union, Shillong also submitted their memorandums to the Union Minister besides a host of colourful programmes all through the country exhibiting the rich culture and heritage of North East India.
