A 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura was murdered in Dehradun, which was characterized as a hate crime, leading to public wrath across the nation and fresh calls for the removal of discriminatory practices against people from the Northeast.
Anjel Chakma, who was in his last year of MBA studies and the child of a BSF head constable, fell victim to the attack on December 9 while he was in the company of his little brother, Michael. What began as an argument reportedly escalated when a group of six men allegedly hurled racist slurs, calling the brothers “Chinese” and “momo,” despite Anjel repeatedly stating that they were from Tripura and Indian citizens.
The police report indicates that while the brothers were making their way out, Michael received a blow to the head. When Anjel came to his aid, one of the assailants stabbed him. Anjel was taken to the hospital and at first, he was responsive to the treatment but then his health deteriorated. He was on a ventilator for a few days before he passed away on December 26th, 17 days after the assault.
Five suspects have been detained by the police, who have also moved them to jail custody, while one of the accused is still at large. The law enforcement agency has set up a task force especially for the purpose of getting hold of the last suspect and simultaneously declared a monetary reward for any kind of information leading to his arrest. The family on the other hand has disclosed their fears regarding the delay in the filing of the FIR which was done days after the incident.
Anjel was a bright and energetic boy who was a sports lover, especially a football player. He was one of the first in his class, who got the offer from a French multinational company. He belonged to a modest family in Tripura which had taken loans for his higher studies in Uttarakhand. His teachers described him as disciplined, ambitious, and very determined to get his degree.
In Agartala, the protests turned out to be quite a spectacle with people demanding nothing short of the death penalty for the atrocities. The deceased student’s family elaborated that the loss has been very painful and their fears about the students from the Northeast taking education in the country being safe have multiplied.
Tripura’s Chief Minister, Manik Saha, stated that he has had a conversation with the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, who promised quick justice and very severe punishment for the criminals. Dhami called the incident “unacceptable” and indicated that the state would be merciless in dealing with such crimes.
Conrad Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, fumed over the murder, calling the case “devastating and unacceptable” and stating that it would not be an error to regard racism against the Northeastern community as a “norm”.” “Northeast people are every bit as Indians as any other citizen,” he stated, and, thus, demanded the most severe punishment possible for the culprits.
The institution in which Anjel was enrolled stated that it would assist in the process of letting students and staff become more aware of the issue and thus, creating a more welcoming atmosphere. Meanwhile, across academics and student groups, the shocking incident has been labelled as a wake-up call, thus, they are asking stronger policy measures and raising social awareness to deal with racial bias and to ensure that all students are safe in India.
