New Delhi: The youth from the northeastern parts of India often get discriminated for their distinct looks and are branded as chinkies, but help is round the corner in the form of Northeast Support Centre to be launched here on Saturday.

The support centre will help all victims of sexual and racial harassment in the capital through their group SMS and telephone help line initiatives.

All India Christian Council, All India Confederation of SC/ST, All India Catholic Union and the North East Students United Forum are the four organisations spearheading the centre.

Madhu Chandra, a core member of the centre, said that this initiative has been in the pipeline for some time but with the recent sexual harassment case of a girl in Delhi University's (DU) north campus area speeded up the entire process.

"We submitted a memorandum to Y. S. Dadwal, Delhi Police Commissioner, with regards to that just days before the case when a girl student was sexually harassed in DU. After that we realised that we had to do something fast," Chandra told IANS.

"Although the name of the centre is North East Support Centre, we will help anyone in need," he said.

A victim can access the authority in the centre, through SMS and phone lines, and get immediate help.

"For instance, in Gurgaon, we will station two members to begin with. Suppose a girl is harassed and she doesn't get help from the police, then we will intervene and do the needful," Chandra said.

The telephone help line, will function in a similar way. Although the permanent helpline number has not yet been registered, four temporary numbers that will be functional are- 9868184939, 9818314146, 9868157066 and 981055490.

"The last time I visited home in the northeast, some people from Nagaland and Mizoram told me that with the rising number of cases of racial and sexual harassment meted out to the young people of the northeast, I should do something for them as well," he said on the origin of the idea for such a help group.

Valsom Thampu, principal of Delhi University's St. Stephens College, John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council and Udit Raj, chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST will be a part of the launch function. IANS