Special unit of Delhi Police take initiative to help, protect North-Eastern citizens

By Arim Sky Zimik
New Delhi [India], Dec 6 (ANI): Often regarded as one of the most unsafe cities for women, New Delhi has been repeatedly stepping up its efforts to make the city safe for women, especially from the north-eastern states.
The Special Police Unit for North-Eastern Region (SPUNER) team is one such attempt, which has taken up the daunting challenge of providing safety and security to the citizens of North-East India in Delhi-NCR.
The unit works around the clock for the safety and security of the North-Eastern people, including accident cases, helping conduct the post-mortem exam at hospitals, free medical check-ups and more.
Hibu Tamang, Additional Commissioner of Police, SPUNER, said, "Most of the northeast people do not understand the Hindi language and often land up in some sort of trouble. However, after the introduction of the SPUNER unit, things are improving and awareness is being created among people."
A constable from Manipur, Usha Meinali, stated that they get an unlimited number of calls regarding fraud cases, but most cases are related to tenants.
"We come from far-off places, so we feel isolated in the capital as our language and lifestyle are very different from the people who have been living here," said Kamminilen Neihsial, Sub-Inspector.
In 2014, a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of shopkeepers in a Delhi market, which sparked protests from the northeastern states and activists and prompted the government to establish some corrective measures.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2014 constituted a committee under the chairmanship of MP Bezbaruah, a member of the North-Eastern Council, which led to the establishment of the SPUNER unit of Delhi Police.
Earlier this year, a patrolling vehicle called North East Assistance Team (NEAT) was also launched to help distress callers.
"1093 is the distress call helpline for those who have come from the North-East region to Delhi as tourists. If they face any issue, we offer them help," said Dibya Rai, a constable from Sikkim. (ANI)