List of Demands Submitted to Delhi Police, Chief Minister, Women Commission and Minority Commission

New Delhi Nov 26: A delegation from North East Support Centre & Helpline met Delhi Police and submitted list of demands to ensure safety for working women in Delhi particularly for the vulnerable people from North East India living in Delhi and NCR. In spite of the fact that pressure mounted, Delhi police failed to nap the gang rapists of 30 years old Mizo girl at midnight on November 23, 2010 in moving vehicle at South Delhi. Panic continues to spread among the people from North East India.

The delegation includes Dr. John Dayal – Member of National Integration Council, Madhu Chandra – Spokesperson, Rev. Ambika Hongsha – Secretary and Dr. Alana Golmei – Member of North East Support Centre & Helpline. Delegation had long hour of discussion with joint Commissioner Police of Delhi, Southern Range Mr. Amulya Patnaik at his office this morning. North East Support Centre & Helpline demanded Delhi police to book BPO Call Centre for failing to follow the safety guidelines for working women in night shift and the culprits should be book under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act 1995.

North East Support Centre & Helpline has offered Mr. Amulya Patnaik to extend helping hand to work together in ensuring safety for women in general and particularly for North East India communities living in Delhi and NCR.

Memorandums were also submitted to Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Girja Vyas – Chairperson of National Commission for Women and Dr. H T Sangliana – Deputy Chairman of National Commission for Minorities. Text of memorandum is attached below.
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November 26, 2010
We are writing to you with deep distress about the plight of tribal women, especially those from the North Eastern States who are living and working in National Capital Region and Delhi. Thousands of educated girls from Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh who had come to work in Call Centers and IT sectors in these cities are facing racial discrimination and sexual assault. They live in small groups, and are often alone, which becomes a soft target for harassment in their residence and workplace. The North East Support Centre & Helpline was founded in New Delhi four years ago by concerned groups to assist such girls who are in distress and in danger of physical and psychological harm.

We seek your urgent attention on the recent shocking incident of a Gurgaon based BPO employee Ms. P. C. Hmingchhuang 30 years old from Mizoram state. She was kidnapped and gang raped in a moving vehicle at Motibagh ring road on midnight of November 23, 2010. The incident has shocked the nation and panic has spread among working women, particularly young girls from North East India who used to return back home late night from work. This is not the first incident nor will be last when such incidents are continuously ignored and left without proper investigation.

Considering this recent incident and same incident happened in the same locality in 2005, and the unprecedented racial/gender-based violence meted to the people of North East India living in Delhi, North East Support Centre & Helpline sees the need that serious and concrete steps should be taken up by the law enforcing agencies. Therefore, North East Support Centre & Helpline demands the following from your good office:
1. Special Helpline for North East communities should be set up immediately, headed by not lower than a range of Deputy Commissioner Police, preferably from North East region.

2. There should be special Night Police Patrolling in all the prone areas of racial/sexual-based violence. The areas identified by North East Support Centre & Helpline are Murnika, Mahipalpur, Nanakpura, Motibagh, Mohamadpur, Khanpur, Sarojini Nagar, New Friends colony, Defense Colony in South Delhi, North Delhi Campus, Nehru Vihar, Gandhi Vihar in North Delhi and Sikhanderpur in Gurgaon. Setting up of special night police patrolling in these areas will not only prevent racial/gender-based violence face by people from North East India, but will also ensure safety to all the working women who are returning late at night from workplace.

3. CCTV cameras must be installed in the above mentioned prone areas to nab the culprits.

4. A white paper on actions taken by Delhi police on crimes committed against people from North East India in Delhi and NCR which were registered in various police stations should be produced.

5. The BPO Company at Gurgaon where Ms P. C. Hmingchhuang was working must be booked for failing to provide safety measurement to night working woman.

6. Hostel for North East working women in Delhi and NCR

7. Ms P. C. Hmingchhuang belongs to a tribal community of Mizoram and therefore, the culprits should be booked under suitable sections of IPC and SC/ST Atrocity Prevention Act 1995.

North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is a joint initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to North East People and tribal communities of other states.

Sincerely,

Dr John Dayal
Member National Integration Council,
Government of India
Founding Patron – NE Helpline Madhu Chandra
Spokes Person – NE Helpline

Rev. Ambika Hongsha
Secretary – NE Helpline

Dr. Alana Golmei
Founding Member – NE Helpine