From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, April 8: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the central government for not taking the incidents of racial attacks as well as the grievances of the people from the Northeast seriously, and for “failing” to even call meetings of the “monitoring committee” set up for this purpose.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran expressed clear dissatisfaction over the government’s approach. The court noted that despite clear orders, the government failed to conduct regular meetings of the monitoring committee. The court had set up this committee to address issues faced by people from the Northeast.
The Bench made its displeasure evident, stating, “We are not going to close this. Despite us keeping this matter pending, you (Union) were taking things very lightly…There is no doubt about it. After 15 December, you didn’t hold a meeting till we asked you to hold one. You were supposed to hold it every three months.”
A case – Dr. Alana Golmei vs Union of India – highlighted serious concerns about discrimination and lack of administrative action. She is a prominent lawyer and social activist from Manipur and founder of the North East Support Centre & Helpline (launched in 2007) and the Pann Nu Foundation (founded in 2013), both of which focus on preventing harassment, discrimination, and violence against women and minority communities.
During the latest hearing, the court noted that although a meeting was eventually held on March 15, there was no clarity in the meeting records about when the next meeting would take place.
“It would be appropriate that the minutes of each meeting indicate the proposed next date, which would not be binding, as it would be open to the Committee to meet earlier if the situation warrants,” the Bench said.
It questioned the level of participation in the meeting, pointing out that key officials were missing.
When the government’s counsel responded that a director-level officer was present, the court was not satisfied and stressed the importance of proper representation.
It firmly stated, “…this monitoring committee is in relation to the welfare of North East people. All persons involved with the northeastern region should at least be there.”
Considering the lapses and pending issues, the court decided not to close the matter and instead, gave more time for corrective action. The case has been adjourned, and the monitoring committee has been directed to take forward the discussions and concerns raised in the March 15 meeting.
The matter will next be heard on July 15, where the court is expected to review whether the government has complied with its directions and taken meaningful steps to address the issues.
In the past few months, there have been many incidents of racial attacks on people from the Northeast, including the killing of a student from Tripura in Dehradun.
