Violence against North-Eastern students: MPs ask Centre to take action

New Delhi: Condemning violence against North-Eastern students in some parts of the country, several MPs from New Delhi on Tuesday asked the Centre to advise the concerned states to take firm and punitive action against the perpetrators.

In a joint letter to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, the MPs from several states and parties sought his immediate intervention in the matter, urging him to ascertain the amount of damage already done and "bringing this unnecessary backlash to a halt".

"With deep anguish, we, the MPs representing several North-Eastern states, wish to bring to your notice the horrific incidents of backlash against North-Eastern students in the cities of Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and other metropolitan cities," they said.

They urged Shinde to advise the state governments to "take firm and punitive action against the perpetrators of this violence".

The signatories included P D Rai (Sikkim), Thokchom Meinya and T Baite (Manipur), Dip Gogoi and Ranee Narah (Assam), C M Chang (Nagaland), C L Ruala (Mizoram) and Ninong Ering (Arunachal Pradesh).