Shillong, March 30: The Jaintia Student Union of the Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) Shillong Circle and Central body led by JSU Adviser A. Suchiang, have formally submitted a memorandum to His Excellency the Governor of Meghalaya, which was received by the Principal Secretary to the Governor.
Through this memorandum, we have earnestly appealed to His Excellency to take up this pressing matter with the Government of India. We have requested that immediate steps be taken to address the growing incidents of discrimination faced by the people of Northeast India across the country, and to enact a comprehensive National Anti-Discrimination Law to ensure their safety, dignity, and protection.
It is deeply concerning that, even today, citizens from the Northeast continue to face racial discrimination, harassment, and violence in different parts of the nation. We have highlighted several disturbing incidents in our memorandum, including the tragic case of Nido Tania, the injustice faced by Angel Chakma, and the racial abuse endured by three women from Arunachal Pradesh. These are not isolated incidents, but reflections of a larger, systemic issue that demands urgent national attention.
Their appeal is firmly rooted in the spirit of the Indian Constitution. Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, while Article 15 explicitly prohibits discrimination on grounds of race, religion, caste, sex, or place of birth. Despite these constitutional safeguards, the reality on the ground continues to fall short of these ideals.
In light of this, they have respectfully proposed that a National Anti-Discrimination Law should include strong and specific provisions to deter such acts and deliver justice effectively. These include:
Verbal racial abuse or the use of racial slurs should be punishable with imprisonment of up to 6 months along with a fine. Physical assault motivated by racial hatred should be punishable with imprisonment of up to 3 years along with a fine.
Murder or fatal attacks driven by racial hatred should attract the gravest penalties, including life imprisonment or even the death penalty, depending on the severity of the offence.
We firmly believe that such a law will not only act as a deterrent but will also send a strong message that discrimination and racism have no place in our diverse and democratic nation.
We urge the Government of India to act decisively and uphold the constitutional promise of equality, dignity, and justice for all citizens, including those from the Northeast. “Equality is not a privilege — it is a constitutional right. Justice delayed is justice denied.”
