Guwahati: Members of the Rajya Sabha, led by Vice-President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan, raised concern over the increasing cases of racial discrimination faced by students from the Northeast.
The issue was brought up during Zero Hour on Monday, 24 March, by BJP MP Nabam Rebia, who referred to an incident last month in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, where three female students were subjected to racial remarks.
Radhakrishnan said the House shared concern over such incidents and expressed support on the matter.
Rebia also mentioned earlier cases, including the death of Nido Tania in 2014 after an assault in Delhi, and the killing of Anjel Chakma in Dehradun.
Referring to the recent case, he said the three students from Arunachal Pradesh were preparing for UPSC exams and were targeted with racial comments. They were also accused of working in a beauty parlour. He questioned such remarks, saying there is nothing wrong with that profession.
Rebia called for stricter laws to deal with racial discrimination and said such cases should be handled within a fixed time.
He also proposed adding chapters about the region in school curricula under NCERT and CBSE, along with introducing dedicated hiring initiatives to create more job opportunities for young people.