Over the past many years, the organization have been undertaking free legal aid trainings and carrying out fact findings, engaging in advocacy, appearing for victims before various Courts and Commissions, providing counseling and legal aid in response to the various socio-legal issues prevailing and rapidly emerging in the States of the North East India.
As human rights advocate, I have also been representing the marginalized people, who come to metro cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc., in search of better education and better employment opportunities, but are faced with various problems as they come into a social atmosphere which is different from their culture back home and face the challenge of adjusting to the totally changed situation.
Lack of employment and economic crisis in the North East states has resulted in bonded labor and human trafficking where young tribal girls, women and even boys are being exploited on the pretext of providing jobs by fake agencies/ private organizations offering placement at attractive packages of high pay jobs opportunities. In spite of being citizens of India, people from Northeast India face problems of social profiling in the National Capital and other metro cities. Race profiling has caused violence in various forms such as social discrimination, economic exploitation, verbal abuses, molestation, physical attack, sexual abuse, rape and murder. In many cases, the victims become helpless when their complaints are denied and delayed by law enforcement agencies and the government authorities. Inspite of the efforts of the concerned authorities, problems faced by Northeast people remains worrisome. And hence roles of the afflicted community and civil society is crucial so as to work closely with government functionaries to resolve such issues. Also there is a need to reinforce existing social support systems and create new ones to respond to these challenges and reduce their occurrence.