New Delhi: The Delhi police has set up a helpline for northeasterners following the death of a Arunachal student in Delhi in a racist clash and the subsequent protests by people from the northeast in the Capital and elsewhere.The five-line, 24-hour telephone helpline, 1093, operating from the police control room in the police headquarters, will receive complaints of harasssment and racial intimidation from the people of the northeast States, said Police Commissioner BS Bassi.
The northeasterners in the city police force will be deputed to the helpline centre so as to facilitate easy rapport with the complainants in view of the linguistic problem some of them may face in communicating with
the helpline. Deputy commissioners in each district will also act as nodal officers in dealing with the problems
of the people from the northeast.
A special cell has also been constituted to deal with such complaints. It will be supervised by Kime Kaming, deputy commissioner of police hailing from the northeast, and Robin Hiboo, joint commissioner.
The police will also launch Facebook and Twitter accounts where people from the northeast can post
complaints.
Nido Tania, of Arunachal Pradesh, was beaten to death in a Delhi market by shopkeepers when he protested against racist ramarks about him. There were also a series of other similar incidents of attacks on
northeasterners recently in the Capital.
Northeast students and others who come to Delhi and other places looking for better prospects have been facing widespread racial and regional discrimination for quite long resulting in their humiliation and physical harm.
Meanwhile, two helpline numbers - 1098 and 08750871111 - have also been set up by the police to register complaints of foreigners.
