By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 29: Tura MP Saleng Sangma has condemned the racial killing of a Tripura student in Uttarakhand and instances of hooliganism by right-wing groups against Christmas revellers reported from different states.
He called for stringent action against the killers of Anjel Chakma in Dehradun, pointing out that people from the Northeast have been attacked and killed in the mainland earlier.
Anjel, a 24-year-old final year MBA student at a private university in Uttarakhand, was seriously injured when some youngsters attacked him with a knife and a bracelet on December 9. He died on December 26 in a private hospital in Dehradun.
Sangma took strong note of the disruption of Christmas celebrations in different parts of the country, including Assam’s Nalbari.
“Everyone has the right to celebrate their festival. Stringent action must be taken against groups trying to plant the seeds of hatred in the country,” he said.
The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) also condemned Anjel’s killing and offered condolences to his family. It said that the killing was a part of a systematic and recurring pattern of violence faced by the people of the Northeast across metropolitan hubs in India, including Bengaluru and Delhi.
“This heinous crime is not an isolated incident. Whether in Bengaluru, Dehradun, or Delhi, students and professionals from the Northeast continue to be subjected to derogatory slurs, physical violence, and institutional neglect,” CoMSO said, while urging the Uttarakhand government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure a fast-track trial for the accused.
“While five suspects have been apprehended, as per reports, the prime suspect must be brought to justice immediately to deter such elements,” the group said, calling for an anti-racism law to address the specific nature of hate crimes based on racial and ethnic features.
“We call upon the central government to issue strict directives to all state governments to establish dedicated 24/7 Northeast Helplines and specialised police cells in every major city to ensure the safety of our students and working professionals,” the group said.
It further said that its constituents and members are ready to join forces with other regional bodies of the Northeast to launch a democratic agitation if concrete steps are not taken to address this rising tide of racial hatred against the people of the region in mainland India.
