BJP Engages North East Helpline to Address Community Concerns

New Delhi, Nov 20, 2013 – In a historic first, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), amid the political fervour leading up to the Delhi elections, extended an invitation to the North East Support Centre & Helpline (NESCH) to discuss the challenges faced by people from the Northeast residing in the capital.

Responding to the invitation, a delegation led by Dr Alana Golmei, General Secretary of NESCH, and Bruce K. Thangkhal, Media Incharge, met with P.B. Acharya, BJP Delhi’s in-charge for Northeast affairs, at his office on Wednesday. Dr Golmei highlighted the persistent issues confronting the Northeast community in Delhi, particularly the negligence exhibited by certain sections of the Delhi Police.

She cited the case of Ms Reingamphy, a young woman found murdered in her rented accommodation in Malviya Nagar earlier this year, as a stark example of the discriminatory treatment often meted out by both law enforcement agencies and government hospitals towards Northeast victims.

Beyond security concerns, the discussion also addressed issues such as arbitrary rent hikes, inflated electricity bills, and the lack of proper rent agreements—problems that disproportionately affect Northeast migrants in the city. Shri Acharya assured the NESCH team that their concerns would be taken seriously, stating, “We will work towards addressing these issues.”

Expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling Congress government in Delhi, the NESCH team remarked, “Despite being in power for years, the Congress has failed to address the safety and security concerns of Northeast residents. No substantial efforts have been made in this regard.” They emphasised that this was the first time a political party had reached out to discuss the hardships faced by the Northeast community.

Additionally, the NESCH reported an alarming number of complaints related to salary disputes, particularly from Northeast youth employed in the BPO sector. One such case involved a young woman from Manipur working in Gurgaon, who alleged that her managers had sexually harassed her and withheld her salary for the past two months. The Helpline confirmed plans to file a sexual harassment case in Gurgaon on Thursday.

~ Bruce K. Thangkhal

Special Correspondent

The Mizoram Post | Manipur Chronicle | Zogam Today

 

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