Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam's death after being beaten at a south Delhi market last week raised tempers in every Indian. National Secretary BJP Kisan Morcha and prabhari Himachal Pradesh Advocate Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal condemned the bad accident and made an impassioned appeal for protection of citizens from the northeast. In a press statement here today Grewal said that a child came from Arunachal Pradesh and they made fun of his hairstyle. We need to understand the persity of this country, that a teekhi naakwala and chapti naakwala, those with sharp noses and flat noses all belong to India. He said that they all are Indian's and the remark, said critics, ended up reinforcing stereotypes about people from the region and would not go down well with Northeast protestors in Delhi who say racial discrimination is rampant in the national capital.
Grewal also urged the government to set up hostels for students from the northeast, to be shared by those from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to help bridge pides. It's well known to everybody that Nido 20, died on Thursday, hours after he was beaten by a group of shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar who had jeered at his hairstyle and made allegedly racist comments. His family alleges that he died of severe injuries from the beating. The police have booked six men for assault and alleged race attack. Grewal said that children and people of the northeast should be protected. He demanded from the Congress led UPA Centre Government to include chapters on the northeast in schoolbooks to help sensitize people and improve awareness on the region.