Pala brings up Bezbaruah proposals in House

NEW DELHI: Shillong MP Vincent Pala on Monday demanded that amendments to laws to deal with discrimination against northeastern people as per the MP Bezbaruah Committee report should be brought up in the ongoing monsoon session.
Speaking during the zero hour, Pala said the Indian Penal Code should be suitably amended as per the committee recommendations.
The recent case of discrimination was against a woman from Meghalaya, Tailin Phanbuh, at Delhi Golf Club over Jainsem, Khasi traditional dress.
The committee, headed by then NEC member MP Bezbaruah who is also from the region, was set up in February 2014 after the brutal killing of Nido Tania, a youth from Arunachal Pradesh, in Delhi.
The Committee had suggested that either a new law should be promulgated as directed by the High Court of Delhi or the Indian Penal Code should be amended. The offence should be cognizable and non-bailable.
Earlier, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had even told the Rajya Sabha that a proposal has been made to include two new sections in the IPC, 153C and 509A, which will deal with any criminal act on the basis of religion, race and place of birth or language. This should be done forthwith, Pala said.
“In the absence of such laws people have started losing faith in the Government,” Pala added.