NEW DELHI - Delhi University is a preferred destination for youngsters from the northeast for higher studies. But many find themselves singled out for their looks, attire and diction. For them, there is help at hand.
Student clubs, volunteers and colleges in the varsity are stepping in to ease their troubles.
“Students face problems of accommodation and discrimination. The first step - and most significant now - is to help them fill up forms and ease the admission process,” Rover, a member of the Naga Students Union, told IANS.
Many such student clubs, set up by students from the northeast who are already enrolled in Delhi University and those who have set up base here, are extending help to fresh entrants in whatever way they can .
The Manipur Students Union and the Arunachal Pradesh Students Union have also emerged as support groups for students from their respective states, helping youngsters fill up admission forms and get reliable paying guest accommodation.
“Discrimination is an issue. People think we are from some different world! A lot of people need to get their history and geography right. They think we are from oriental countries like China and Japan - but we belong to the same country,” said Thomas, a member of the Kuki Students Union.
The North East Support Centre helpline (9818314146/9868184939) has also been receiving a lot of complaints from female students facing eve-teasing, molestation, harassment by landlords and in some cases even sexual abuse and rape.
The helpline has been functioning since October 2007 and actively helping out students in case of discrimination. There are 49,000 seats in Delhi University.
“When students call our helpline, in some cases we help them get in touch with the police and provide them legal assistance,” said Lansinglu Rongmei, an active member of North East Support Centre and lawyer.
The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) as well as the varsity’s administrative office is trying to link new students and university aspirants to senior students and teachers from the northeast.
Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, deputy dean, students welfare, told IANS: “We have set up help desks where teacher counsellors who hail from the northeastern states help out students. Our student counsellors also pitch in.”
DUSU member Tejeswar Parida said, “DUSU introduces them to our members who are from the northeast so that there is no hesitation. We also keep in touch with individual organisations from these regions.”
Individual colleges are also pitching in.
Sri Venkateswara College, a college in the south campus, has taken steps to make students feel at home.
“The college plans to help students from the northeast take up houses on rent. Students will also be asked to submit a report on their stay in their rented houses so that we will know if they face any kind of harassment from landlords,” said Nirmal Kumar, the college’s admissions convener.
“In some cases, if required, a person from the administration would be appointed for the student concerned to help him or her interactwith police,” Kumar added.
Thumlity Monsang, who hails from Manipur and is a student of journalism at Kalindi College, said: “When there are attacks on Indian students in Australia, the whole country protests, but racial discrimination against us takes place within the boundaries of our country.
“We constantly have to prove that we are Indians. Why?”
Related News
Six students in Uttar Pradesh detained for raggingSeptember 10th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Six students of a private engineering college have been detained for allegedly ragging a student in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district, police said Thursday. Police detained the six students, who are in their second year at Ganeshi Lal Narayandas Institute of Technology, Wednesday night for ragging Vikas Parashar, a first year student.
Police face opposition from Allahabad University studentsSeptember 10th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Police had to face stiff opposition from students in Allahabad University Thursday when they tried to arrest the 12 students who Wednesday carried out violent protests on the campus while demanding restoration of students' union polls. Owing to the strong opposition of the varsity students, police managed to arrest only two of the 12 students who have been booked for Wednesday's vandalism on the campus.
16 students suspended for ragging in Madhya PradeshAugust 23rd, 2009 BHOPAL - Sixteen students of Dr. Harisingh Gour University in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar town have been suspended for 15 days after being accused of ragging their juniors, an official said Sunday.
Orissa university shuts campus following clashAugust 22nd, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Utkal University campus here was shut following clashes between two groups of students, police said Saturday. The clash was over students union elections, about a month away.
JNU rusticates nine students for raggingAugust 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here Wednesday rusticated nine students for two years and expelled 10 others from the hostel for a year for ragging their juniors. We have completed the investigation.
35,000 new seats in Delhi's primary schoolsJuly 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi government Monday announced creation of nearly 35,000 more seats in primary sections of Sarvodaya Vidyalayas in the national capital. "We have increased the intake of students from 40 to 50 in every class of the primary sections of the Sarvodaya schools of the Delhi government following good results of our schools," said Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely.
Attacks on Indian students will be prevented: Australian envoyJune 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy says every possible effort will be made to ensure that attacks on Indian students in Australia are not repeated, adding that the authorities will "pursue those responsible" for the assaults. In a letter to the Non-Aligned Students and Youth Movement (NASYM) that had staged a demonstration here June 18 against the attacks on Indian students in Australia, McCarthy said: "The Australian government will make every effort to ensure that attacks are not repeated and that Australia remains a preferred destination for students from around the world."
He said that the Australian government is working closely with the Indian government on the issue.
Protest held against racial attacks on Indian students in AustraliaJune 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The growing resentment against ongoing racial attacks on Indian students in Australia was witnessed on Thursday when a group of youngsters demonstrated near the Australian Embassy. The protest demonstration was organised by the youth wing of Congress party.
Punjab Govt. to create data bank of students studying in AustraliaJune 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Punjab government has asked parents of those studying in Australia to provide details of their children's whereabouts. The state government has directed the parents to provide details of students up to June 12 with their respective patwaries and tehsildars.
Now China wants Australia to ensure its students' safetyJune 4th, 2009 MELBOURNE - With China expressing concern for the safety of Chinese students studying in Australia, the embattled A$15.5 billion overseas student industry down under is bracing for rough times. The Australian government and university managements are already in damage control over a series of violent attacks on Indian students in various metropolitan centres.
Extra police deployed for Delhi University admissionsMay 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - As Delhi University Monday launches its admission process for the new academic session beginning in July, police have taken several measures to provide security to tens of thousands of students and their parents who will be thronging the north campus area. "A huge rush of students is expected during the admission process and to tackle this, along with huge traffic, nearly 300 personnel would be deployed at different locations in the north campus," said a senior police officer.
Delhi's suburban private schools drop fee hikes after protestsMarch 18th, 2009 NOIDA/GHAZIABAD - Private schools in the National Capital Region (NCR)- Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad - have withdrawn proposed fee hikes following protests by parents of the students. Schools, including Delhi Public School (DPS) Noida, Kothari International School, Marigold Public School and Rockwood International School, have decided not to hike fees to pay arrears to the teachers, Anup Khanna, the president of Gautam Buddh Nagar Guardians Association, told IANS.
12 blind students appear for class 10 exam in JharkhandFebruary 26th, 2009 RANCHI - Twelve blind students are appearing in the ongoing class 10 board examination, an official said here Wednesday. 'This year we have given permission to 12 blind students to appear in the class 10 examination.
Students injured as classroom wall collapses in Bihar schoolFebruary 18th, 2009 PATNA - At least 31 students were injured when the wall of their classroom at a government school in Konch in Bihar’s Gaya district collapsed Thursday, police said. Over three dozen students were studying in the classroom when the wall suddenly collapsed.
Chhattisgarh college students arrested for raggingJanuary 12th, 2009 RAIPUR - At least 14 students of a Chhattisgarh college were arrested here Tuesday for assaulting their juniors, the police said. The students of Government Science College were suspended Saturday by the college authorities, a day after the police registered a case against them for ragging their juniors at a hostel.
Loading ...