Respecting and accepting people from other regions key to national integrity: Kiren Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Union minister Kiren Rijiju Wednesday underlined the importance of integration for empowerment of people from the northeast, and said respecting and accepting those from other regions are key to national integrity.
Addressing a National Commission for Women webinar on ‘Issues and Challenges faced by North-Eastern Women in Metropolitan Cities & Empowering Them', Rijiju said there is a need to look at ways to empower people from the region through NGOs.

"When the northeast region as a whole will do better, people from other parts of the country will come to northeast rather than the reverse," said Rijiju, an MP from Arunachal Pradesh.

"We, the northeastern people, will have to understand that unless we initiate and open our arms, unless we lay the red carpet for others to come, the government's help (and) the prime minister's extraordinary focus on the northeast will not lead to any extraordinary change on the ground. Respecting and accepting those from other regions is the key to national integrity," he said.

The Minister of State for Youth Affairs urged the NCW to fight more against the mindset of racial and social discrimination.

"Social & racial discrimination is a big issue. I appeal (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma and the NCW to fight more against the societal mindset of people," he was quoted as having said in a tweet by the NCW.

He also called upon state governments to play an important role in integration of the northeastern region with better coordination.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said domestic violence, lack of awareness and education in interior regions are some of the issues confronting the women from the region.

"We need to create more jobs in the northeast, especially in the tourism sector and we should use this period to train them. In the handicraft sector, we need to give them direction of expanding in metro cities," she said.