New Delhi: Even as Northeast people continued to leave from cities across the country in hordes, Parliament on Friday vowed to protect them and bring the culprits behind the attacks and the threatening SMSs and doctored MMSs to book.
Describing the growing fear amongst the Northeast people as reprehensible, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that his government was committed to take all steps to control the situation. Singh condemned all such incidents during the debate in the Lok Sabha on the violence in Kokrajhar, Mumbai and other parts of the country against people from the Northeast.
"The growing sense of insecurity among the people from the North East fleeing different part of the country is something most reprehensible," he said.
Singh promised that he commits his government to work with all "like-minded" people to work together to bring the situation under control without any loss of time. He emphasised that people from the North East had "as much right" as anybody else to study and work in any part of the country. Singh urged the people to maintain unity and integrity of the country. The people are one and "we will do everything to provide them security," he said.
The Prime Minister said security was an obligation for his government and it will provide this to the best of its ability. "We should send a clear message that we will do everything to provide security to people from North East living in various parts of the country," he said.
Reoti Raman Singh (SP) said the creation of fear psychosis among the people from North East was a pre-planned conspiracy against the nation. He said those spreading rumours should be arrested under the National Security Act. "Government must act immediately to create an atmosphere where no one believes in rumours," Singh said.
Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) said that Parliament has stood as one whenever it was faced with sensitive issues. "Today also we should speak as one and set an example while dealing with this sensitive issue," he said.
Chauhan said the Constitutional rights of the people of North East were being violated by denying them freedom of access to other parts of the country. "The kind of rumours that are being spread is part of a conspiracy. There is a need to expose those spreading these rumours," he said.
Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said there was a need to identify the rumour mongers and strict action should be taken against them.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) suggested that the Speaker can "if necessary" form a Parliamentary delegation which can visit the "panic-stricken" people of Assam. He warned that if appropriate action is not taken on time then the "agent provocateurs" may again provoke the people.
TKS Elangovan (DMK) said the people from south India were shamed due to these incidents of violence in Bangalore and other parts of the country. "I am sorry and all political leaders of the South should take this as a shame. We should host the people from the North East properly," he said.
Basudeb Acharia (CPM) said it is a matter of great concern that people from the North East region are feeling insecure. "It is a fundamental right of residents of the country to live anywhere in the country. What is happening is against the Constitutional right of the people," he said.
He pointed out that people from one state are being attacked in other states. He demanded that the situation should not be communalised and said the reasons behind these incidents is local. "It is the handiwork of a militant section of Bodo as well as minority," he said. Acharia said doubts and fear in the minds of the people from the North East should be removed.
Baijyayant Panda (BJD) said this was not an occasion for finger-pointing at the Centre or the states and said his state Odisha has faced similar problems in the past. Panda suggested that the provocation being done through the internet should be stopped immediately.
Sanjiv Naik (NCP) said "wrong information" is being spread that a large number of people from the North East are moving out from Mumbai and this should be stopped. He demanded removal of a film clip being shown on You Tube about violence by the North East people.
Similarly, on social media site Facebook a lot of wrong information is being spread, he said. "90 per cent of such messages are wrong," he added.
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