About Northeast Support Centre & Helpline (NESCH)

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Northeast Support Centre & Helpline (NESCH) was founded in 2007 with the aim to prevent gender-based violence and racial-based discrimination generally faced by women and particularly by people from Northeast India who are working and studying in Delhi, National Capital Regions (NCR) and other metro cities of India. It is a combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, professionals, journalists and lawyers. The Helpline is being run on purely voluntary basis by members using their personal mobile numbers. 

Since it’s inception, the Northeast Support Centre & Helpline (NESCH) has been in the forefront in tackling the rampant problems faced by people from North East India in Delhi and NCR through advocacy, legal assistance, trauma-counseling, briefings and sensitisation seminars. 

The population of North East people in Delhi and other metro cities of India have increased in the last fifteen years. Lack of educational opportunities, employment and economic crisis in the North Eastern region have compelled the people to come to cities like Delhi in search of better career, better living and job opportunities.

In spite of being the citizens of India, youth from the North East that move to Delhi and other metro cities face discrimination especially at their work place, rented accommodation and public places. Conditions of employment are often irregular, without a contract or set conditions of employment, leading to regular cases of non-payment of salary and illegal terminations. In addition, people from the North East that move to metro cities stay in rented accommodation, however, they are not given a proper rent agreement by the house owners. This often becomes an issue, as people have no means to give proof of residence. There are abuses in the amount charged for electricity services, water and unreasonable rent increments and forceful eviction. 

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 not addressed effectively and justice are denied or delayed. Women are mostly faced with sexual harassment and sexual assault at their work place and other public spaces.

On the other hand, the issue of human trafficking targeting young girls and boys from North East Indian states through unauthorized recruiting agencies is a huge challenge. Children and youth are often lured by the promise of better employment and a more prosperous life far from their homes. This vulnerability is further attributed to lack of job opportunities and poor education facilities in the North eastern states leading to unemployability among youths. As a result they are forced to work in an unorganized sector wherein a lot of the young boys and girls ended in a bonded labor situation without availing any employment facilities available under the law. 

India being a diverse country, it is populated by people belonging to different races having different cultures and traditions. Due to these differences conflicts and strained relationships have prevailed between people coming from the Northeast India and other parts of the country. Considering this situation, NESCH has also made initiatives for dialogue and interaction to bring about better understanding and peaceful co-existence. 

NESCH continues to help and intervene to the problems faced by Northeast community in metros without receiving any financial support from Government, individuals and organizations till today.

• To prevent crimes against women in Delhi and NCR and other metro cities of India. 

• To prevent racial discrimination faced by the people of North East India residing in metro cities of India.

• To prevent, rescue and provide shelter for victims of human trafficking.

• To provide legal aid to the victims of human trafficking, gender-based violence, sexual assault and racially discriminated people of North East India in Delhi and NCR.

• To document through study and research on gender-based violence, racial discrimination and human-trafficking for policy makers and concerned authorities.

• NESCH successfully advocated in campaigning against gender-based violence, racial discrimination faced by the people from North East India and human trafficking targeted in the same region.

• Sexual violence and racial discrimination faced by people of North East India have been sensitized to concerned groups, media etc through the initiatives of North East Helpline. Therefore, the service of NESCH has been recognised by Government, NGOs, civil societies and general public. It has been widely covered in national and local news papers and televisions.

• Delhi Government and Police have accepted the racial discrimination faced by the people from North East India in Delhi and NCR through advocacy and sensitisation programs by NESCH. 

• NESCH in collaboration with other concerned authorities and agencies rescued five North East girls from Malaysia in 2008.

• NESCH lobbied with Government officials and Delhi Police through memorandums, documentation and advocacy on how to prevent the rampant problems faced by Northeast people. Since then, Delhi Police have issued zero tolerance to all police stations to address the racial based problems faced by North East people. 

• NESCH has maintained data of racial discrimination in Delhi and NCR which was reported to media and memorandums submitted to concern government authorities. 

• NESCH has also successfully conducted a pilot research on racial attack and discrimination in Delhi and NCR, in which 86% of north east people living in Delhi have said that they are discriminated. This report was circulated widely and we got a good feedback from people that the information is very useful.

• The members of NESCH have been invited to address in various symposiums/talks/seminars on the issue of gender-based violence, racial discrimination and human trafficking. 

• NESCH is now involving few survivors as part of the team and making a difference by empowering them to not only fight for themselves but also helping others in the process of fighting for justice.