GUWAHATI: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, May 13, expressing serious concern over repeated incidents of racial harassment and violence against women and citizens from the North East in Delhi.
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In a letter, Gogoi urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to strengthen institutional mechanisms aimed at ensuring the safety and dignity of people from the North Eastern states residing in the national capital. The appeal comes in the wake of a recent assault on two women from Assam and Bihar in Delhi’s Nehru Place area.
The women were allegedly molested, assaulted, and subjected to racist abuse by a group of men in the early hours of May 10 while they were having tea outside a hotel. Gogoi stated that the incident reportedly began with catcalling and racial slurs before escalating into physical violence, with the victims alleging that their clothes were torn during the attack. Delhi Police, he noted, later confirmed that the women had been racially targeted.
The Congress MP also referred to other recent incidents involving racial abuse against people from the North East in Delhi. He cited a March 2026 case in which a lawyer from Manipur and her transwoman friend were allegedly attacked and racially abused inside a South Delhi park, as well as a February 2026 incident where three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly harassed in Malviya Nagar following a dispute with their neighbours.
Gogoi said these cases were not isolated incidents but reflected a “deeply troubling pattern” of prejudice, intimidation, and violence faced by North Eastern citizens in the national capital. He also referenced earlier incidents such as the killing of Nido Tania back in 2014 and the death of Anjel Chakma in 2025, stating that such episodes continue to highlight the insecurity experienced by many from the region.
The letter acknowledged that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police had introduced several initiatives over the years, including SPUNER, the 24×7 helpline 1093, the North East Assistance Team (NEAT), dedicated nodal officers, and sensitisation programmes. However, Gogoi argued that the recurrence of such incidents indicated serious gaps in implementation and public confidence.
Seeking urgent intervention, Gogoi called for a review of the effectiveness of existing support and grievance mechanisms for North East citizens in Delhi. He further recommended stricter accountability in cases involving racial harassment and crimes against women, wider awareness about helplines and legal protections, regular consultations with community organisations, and time-bound action in cases involving racial abuse and violence.
“As the national capital, Delhi must embody the constitutional values of equality, dignity, and security for every Indian citizen irrespective of region, ethnicity, language, or appearance,” the letter stated, adding that citizens from the North East deserve both legal protection and confidence in the institutions responsible for safeguarding them.