Kohima: The Nagaland Assembly on Tuesday strongly denounced incidents of racial discrimination faced by people from the Northeastern region in metropolitan cities across the country, with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio terming such acts “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
The issue was raised during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address by NPF MLA Achumbemo Kikon, who highlighted recent cases involving individuals from the region.
He referred to an incident in Delhi where three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racial slurs and intimidation by neighbours following a dispute over repair work at their rented accommodation in February.
Kikon also cited the case of a third-year resident doctor from Nagaland posted at AIIMS Gorakhpur who was reportedly targeted with racial abuse, stalking and physical assault near the institute last month.
Responding to the concerns, Rio said such behaviour runs contrary to the principles of unity, equality and dignity guaranteed under the Constitution.
He stressed that citizens from Nagaland and the wider Northeast must be accorded respect and security in every part of the country.
The State government, he said, stands firmly with victims of racial discrimination and will continue to press for stronger awareness and enforcement measures to prevent recurrence.
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During his intervention, Kikon also touched upon the need for sensitivity and constitutional balance in addressing debates surrounding the singing of Vande Mataram, as mentioned in a report.
In addition to raising concerns over racial attacks, Kikon proposed large-scale cultivation of jatropha in his Bhandari constituency in Wokha district as a long-term strategy to mitigate human-elephant conflict.
He noted that elephants tend to avoid jatropha plants and seeds, making the crop a potential natural deterrent.
According to him, repeated elephant incursions have forced several farmers to abandon paddy fields and other agricultural land due to crop losses.
Kikon suggested that jatropha cultivation could serve the dual purpose of protecting farmlands and generating revenue through biofuel production.
As Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environment and Climate Change, he said the proposal aligns with India’s National Policy on Biofuels and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals promoting affordable and clean energy.
