Delhi cops' social message

Let's put a "complete stop" to discrimination towards people from the Northeast – that is the motto of a new initiative of Delhi Police, which has come out with a short film that talks of embracing them and assuaging their feelings of insecurity.

The 15-minute film was aired on DD Assam on Thursday and will soon be released on the YouTube channel of Delhi Police and its other social media platforms. The film, scripted by Delhi-based Madhumita Chakraborty, a journalist from Tripura, features several celebrated personalities from the Northeast like Olympians Mary Kom, MirabaiChanu and Lovlina Borgohain and also mentions about the various initiatives of Delhi Police for people of the Northeast.

"The nation applauds when Indian citizens hailing from Northeastern region win medals at Olympics and other prestigious tournaments. We enjoy their services every day. And yet, many of us do not stand up to object when a few misinformed, misguided among us call them derogatory names... Chinky, Momo, Nepali, Bahadur, Corona...," the script of the film says.

"Many Indian citizens hailing from the Northeastern states, Ladakh and Darjeeling residing in metropolitan cities and towns across the country for purpose of education and employment, have been addressed with such derogatory remarks and subjected to racial discrimination, adversely affecting the process of national integration," the script mentions. Chakraborty says people with mongoloid features face more discrimination. "I too come from the Northeast but I do not have mongoloid features. People with such features face much more discrimination," she said. She says people close to her faced discrimination and were hurled derogatory remarks. This she attributes to "ignorance" and "unawareness" of people. But now things have changed slightly, she adds.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Security) Hibu Tamang, "The objective is to create awareness about the initiatives taken by Delhi Police for the northeastern people. We have a special unit – Special Police Unit for North-Eastern Region (SPUNER) and we are working day and night to assist our people in Delhi. Whenever they come to Delhi, they can take the assistance of our unit especially for students. We have a dedicated team and helpline 1093 to assist them." On an average, the Delhi Police's helpline number for Northeast gets at least five calls daily related to matters ranging from stabbing, murder, accident, non-payment of salary, rent issues, discrimination to usage of derogatory words.

According to police, at present, the force has about 1,100 personnel from the eight northeastern states, who are rendering service at different districts and units of the national capital. The strength increased after special recruitment drives were conducted for constables in Northeast states in 2016 and 2018. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Delhi Police PRO) Suman Nalwa says the force wants to assure people from other regions that it is a very cosmopolitan force having members from across the country. "If people from any section or any particular region feel insecure, they can always reach out to us and we will do our best to make sure that we are able to assuage their insecurity as well as take corrective measures to ensure their safety and security," she says.

Delhi Police is also planning a special screening of the film for people from the Northeast living in Delhi. "We have aired the film on DD Assam. We want to tell the people of the northeast that Delhi is absolutely safe for them and if they are ever visiting Delhi or staying in Delhi or their relatives are in Delhi, we are just a phone call away," says Nalwa. The SPUNER Unit has empanelled around 35 youth volunteers from eight states of northeast to work as Delhi Police North-East Representatives (DPNERs) to support SPUNER in helping people from their respective communities and act as bridge between police and people of the North East, a police official said.