Centre Forms Panel To Address Northeast Concerns

New Delhi: As protests continued to rage over attacks on people from the northeast, the union government has announced the formation of a committee that will examine reasons behind such attacks and suggest remedial measures.

The announcement to form the six-member committee came soon after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi held consultations with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and parliamentarians from the northeast to discuss steps to end discrimination against people from the region.

In the wake of an attack on Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam that has outraged the nation, Rahul discussed the issue of security and safety of people from the northeast living in different parts of India.

"He (Rahul) also reiterated that the hostile discrimination and violence against people from the northeast, especially women, is unacceptable and the government must take stringent measures to ensure that police and administration take quick action against those who are responsible," party sources said.

Several parliamentarians, cutting across party lines, also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to take steps to stop discrimination against people from the region.

Manmohan Singh said the leaders should give their views to the committee, which will look into various kinds of concerns of people from the northeast.

"I share your concerns. Indians have the right to live with dignity anywhere in India," the prime minister told the members of the Northeast Forum of Parliament.

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