Agartala, December 30:
The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), an apex body representing eight major students’ organisations of the northeastern states, on Tuesday demanded capital punishment for those responsible for the killing of Tripura student Angel Chakma, who was brutally assaulted in Dehradun and later died of his injuries on December 26.
NESO Chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and Secretary General Mutsikhoyo Yhobu, in a letter addressed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, placed three key demands, foremost among them being the award of death penalty to the perpetrators of what they described as a heinous and racially motivated crime.
The organisation also demanded the establishment of at least one special police station to deal exclusively with cases of racial discrimination and atrocities against people from the northeastern states, along with the enactment of a stringent Anti-Racism Act to prevent such incidents.
Seeking urgent intervention from the Uttarakhand government, NESO stressed the need for effective measures to ensure the mental, social and physical security of students and residents from the Northeast studying and living in Dehradun and other parts of the state. The body noted that people from the region have repeatedly faced racial abuse and violence in different parts of the country, often with fatal consequences.
According to officials and family members, Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old final-year MBA student and son of a Border Security Force (BSF) constable, was attacked by a group of miscreants on December 9, allegedly accompanied by racial slurs. He battled for life for 18 days before succumbing to his injuries. His brother Micheal Chakma was also assaulted during the incident.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha held discussions twice with his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami following the incident. Dhami informed Saha that five accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, while further investigation is underway. The main accused reportedly fled to Nepal after the incident.
The Uttarakhand government has sanctioned Rs 4,12,500 as the first instalment of financial assistance to Angel’s father, Tarun Prasad Chakma. Dhami also assured the family that all those involved would be brought to justice.
The killing has triggered widespread outrage across the Northeast, with political leaders, students’ bodies and civil society organisations strongly condemning the incident. Candlelight vigils and protest marches were held in Agartala, while Angel Chakma’s last rites were performed at his ancestral village in Unokoti district on Sunday.
