GUWAHATI, Feb 7 � Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has written to the North East Students� Organisation (NESO) stating that he had directed the authorities concerned to take special measures for the physical security of the North East students studying in New Delhi and take stern action against the culprits.
�I am also directing the local authorities to increase their outreach to community organisations so that the police and other authorities deal with the problems, particularly of the students of the North East region, with due sensitivity and concern,� the letter dispatched to the students� organisation stated.
Informing this to mediapersons today, NESO adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the assurance came in response to a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister recently by the NESO demanding safety and security of the NE students studying in Delhi and surrounding areas.
Dr Singh, in his letter also stated that the North East community in Delhi is a peace loving community who are making valuable contributions to the academic and economic life of the capital city and he himself felt anguished when violent incidents targeting people from the region, particularly women, took place.
�The Prime Minister who represents Assam has a moral responsibility to safeguard the interest of the NE students and we are happy that he has taken cognizance of the spurt in the incidents of crime against students from the NE,� Dr Bhattacharya said.
However, he maintained that the assurance would hold its gravity only if some concrete and immediate steps were taken to avert any such incidents in the future.
�We want the PM to ensure that appropriate action is taken to ensure that the students are able to pursue studies without any fear and tension,� the NESO adviser added.
On the disturbing scenario in the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) in Sikkim, AASU president Sankar Prasad Rai urged the Assam Government to device a fool-proof mechanism in association with the Sikkim Government and the SMIT authorities.
