Humanitarian Activist Binalakshmi Nepram met Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla; appeal to develop a State Diversity Policy and to ensure Implementation of Bezbaruah Committee Recommendations

Aizawl– Ms Binalakshmi Nepram Founder Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, Secretary General Control Arms Foundation of India and Convener of Northeast India Women Initiative for Peace met with Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla in Aizawl today 18 November 2016. Ms Nepram urged upon the Mizoram Chief Minister to ensure that he lead effort with other Chief Ministers in Northeast Region to ensure that Govt of India implements the landmark Bezbaruah Committee to ensure that people of Northeast do not face racial discrimination and violence and that Govt of Mizoram and India start process to develop a Diversity Policy to ensure that all indigenous groups and communities living in Mizoram and Northeast Region live together in peace, harmony and dignity.

Ms Nepram also called upon the Mizoram Chief Minister to look into the rising issue of sexual violence and trafficking of women and girls from Mizoram to other parts of India and world as this phenomenon is on the rise and while applauding the good initiative taken by Mizoram Government to address gender justice called upon Govt of Mizoram to ensure safety and security of women and girls.

“The situation of women is deteriorating”, Binalakshmi Nepram said while asserting that there is urgent need to develop a Diversity policy in India.

Crime against women has been on the rise with 167 cases in 2011 to 258 in 2014 and 192 cases in 2015.The cases of rape in the State is above the National rate by 5.10 percent.

A study by India’s premier National Human Rights Commission revealed that 54 percent of people from Northeast states of India living, working in capital felt that New Delhi is the most “unsafe place” in terms of ethnic intolerance while 67 percent feel that they were victims of racial discrimination. Also the violence against Northeast people in the city, as per data provided by Union Home Ministry, Also the violence against Northeast people in the city, as per data provided by Union Home Ministry, in the past three years, crimes in which people from the Northeastern states are victims have gone up by 270%.