The Supreme Court criticised the Centre for failing to hold regular meetings on issues faced by North East Indians and called its approach careless. The Court also raised concern over ongoing racial discrimination and lack of sensitivity, keeping the matter pending for strict compliance.
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday strongly criticised the Central government for not properly following its earlier directions regarding the welfare of people from North East India living in different parts of the country. The case, Alana Golmei v. Union of India, highlights serious concerns about discrimination and lack of administrative action.
A Bench of Justices Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K Vinod Chandran expressed clear dissatisfaction with the Union government’s approach. The Court noted that despite clear orders, the government failed to conduct regular meetings of a monitoring committee that was set up to address issues faced by people from the North East.
The Bench made its displeasure evident, stating,
“We are not going to close this. Despite us keeping this matter pending, you (Union) were taking things very lightly….There is no doubt about it. After 15 December, you didn’t hold a meeting till we asked you to hold one. You (Union) were supposed to hold it every three months,”
clearly pointing out the delay and lack of seriousness on the part of the authorities.
The Court also raised concern about ongoing racial discrimination faced by people from the North East. Justice Kumar referred to a viral video to underline the issue and said,
“A video is currently doing the rounds on WhatsApp. I was in Manipur and have many friends there…The song in the video says, ‘Call us Nepali, call us ‘chinkis’, but we are still Indians,’”
highlighting the insensitive treatment and stereotypes still faced by citizens from the region.
This observation reflected the Court’s concern about the need for greater awareness, sensitivity, and respect towards people from the North East across India.
The matter was being heard in relation to a plea focused on the protection and welfare of North East residents living outside their home states. Earlier, on February 17, the Court had directed that a monitoring committee must meet every three months and actively address complaints of racial discrimination.
During the latest hearing, the Court noted that although a meeting was eventually held on March 15, there was no clarity in the meeting records about when the next meeting would take place. To ensure accountability, the Court directed that future meeting minutes must clearly mention the next proposed meeting date.
It stated,
“It would be appropriate that the minutes of each meeting indicate the proposed next date, which would not be binding, as it would be open to the Committee to meet earlier if the situation so warrants,”
thereby emphasizing better planning and transparency.
The Bench also questioned the level of participation in the meeting, pointing out that key officials were missing. It specifically noted that a senior official from the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region did not attend.
The Court remarked,
“Look at the people who attended the meeting. In our order, we had also referred to Ms. Neha Dhiman, Under Secretary, Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region. This lady has not even attended the meeting,”
expressing concern over the lack of seriousness.
When the government’s counsel responded that a Director-level officer was present, the Court was not satisfied and stressed the importance of proper representation. It firmly stated,
“…this monitoring committee is in relation to the welfare of North East people. All persons involved with the North Eastern region should at least be there,”
reinforcing the need for responsible participation from relevant authorities.
Considering the lapses and pending issues, the Supreme Court decided not to close the matter and instead gave more time for corrective action. The case has now been adjourned, and the monitoring committee has been directed to take forward the discussions and concerns raised in the March 15 meeting.
The matter will next be heard on July 15, where the Court is expected to review whether the government has complied with its directions and taken meaningful steps to address the issues faced by people from the North East.
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