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Nido’s death: Govt ready to discuss anti-racism law New Delhi, February 5 While Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Union Minister of State and Arunachal East MP Ninong Erring raised concerns over Nido’s death, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to meet stakeholders tomorrow to discuss the proposed legislation. “The PM has scheduled a meeting with the MPs of the North-East. We will deliberate on the structure of the anti-racism law, a major demand of the north eastern community,” Erring told The Tribune. India is under obligation to enact the law as it is signatory to the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which is in force since 1969. The proposed law, Erring said, must define racial discrimination and prescribe punishment for guilty. North-East MPs are pressing for introduction of the law in the current session itself especially after a spate of attacks on students from the community. Shinde has promised that the process of drafting the law has begun, Erring said. Most European Union countries, including the UK have anti-racism laws. Even Australia, where Indians, especially Sikhs, have recently been targeted due to their appearance, has a law against racism. The Australian Human Rights Commission accepts complaints to this effect. The worldwide accepted definition of racial discrimination is when a person is treated less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status.Once the legislation is passed, routine instances of landlords denying accommodation to N-E students would also fall under the purview of racial discrimination, said Erring. After a spurt in number of racial attacks on northeastern students, the ministry has issued an advisory saying anyone found guilty of such act should be slapped with a fine of Rs 5,000. The advisory can’t have the power of a law which is a must to reassure our students,Erring said. Earlier in the day, Erring gave a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to suspend the Question Hour for a discussion on Nido’s death. He, however, withdrew it when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told him that such a move was unprecedented as he was a minister in the government. When the House reconvened for Zero Hour post the first adjournment at noon, Swaraj lamented Nido’s death and slammed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for protesting at Jantar Mantar without doing anything on ground. Hate files
Jan 2014: Arunachal MLA’s son Nido dies after being ‘beaten up’ by shopkeepers in Delhi May 2012: Manipuri student Richard Loitam found dead in his hostel room in Bangalore after being ‘assaulted’ by seniors 2011: Attacks on N-E community in Bangalore and Hyderabad led to mass exodus of students Dec 2010:
Call centre employee from Manipur gang-raped on a moving vehicle Oct 2009:
A Manipuri girl sexually assaulted
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