- The attack on Tripura student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun was not a racial one, said a senior cop
- The cop said the remarks were made in jest, giving the impression that the student was targeted
- Anjel Chakma was allegedly racially abused and attacked on December 9. He died at a hospital 17 days later.
The attack on Tripura student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun was not a racial one, a senior police official told NDTV. According to the police, derogatory remarks made "in jest" created the false impression that the student was being targeted.
"It doesn't fall into the category of a racist comment because a young man involved in the incident is also a resident of the same state," Ajay Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dehradun, said.
"Some derogatory remarks were being exchanged among themselves by a group of people sitting together, and somehow the impression was created that the comments were being directed at them. It was in this confusion that the clash occurred, and this entire incident resulted from that clash," the cop said in Hindi.
Anjel Chakma and his brother, Michel, got into an argument on December 9 with some local men and another man from the northeast, who allegedly used racial slurs. When the brothers objected, a fight broke out between them, during which it is reported that they were attacked with knives and other blunt objects.
Michael was allegedly struck on the head, while Anjel was stabbed in the neck and abdomen. Anjel Chakma died on December 26. He was 24.
"They didn't know each other beforehand, they had no such intention, nor had there ever been any fight or argument between them. The fight broke out between strangers, and one of the boys from the northeast himself admitted during interrogation that the comments were not directed at anyone else; they were simply making those remarks among themselves in jest," the officer added, rejecting that the attack was racially motivated.
Police have arrested five people in connection with the murder, while one accused, a Nepali national, managed to cross the border.
According to the police case filed on the complaint of Chakma's brother, Michel, they had gone to market on the evening of December 9. While the two were buying some household items, a few drunk men started using caste-based slurs against the victim.
"When my brother objected to their caste-based slurs, the accused persons attacked him with a knife and a rod," the FIR filed on December 12 read.
North East Students Association leader Rishikesh Baruah spotlighted the diversity of the country and how the student from Tripura was asked to show "he can speak Hindi".
"They shouldn't have made those remarks. We are a diverse country. There are multiple languages and tribes. When they went out to the market, the Hindi they were speaking wasn't accurate, so the people they encountered commented, "These people aren't from India, show us you can speak Hindi." So my two brothers went to support them, saying that they were indeed from India. During this exchange, an argument broke out between them, which escalated so much that someone took a knife and stabbed him three times," Rishikesh Baruah, North East Students Association, Dehradun, said.
Baruah, who has been in Dehradun for the last six years, said most students from the northeast have faced racism at some point or another.
"This is due to a lack of education. When you see the world outside, you'll realise how diverse India is. A law should be passed against those who make such comments, so that no student who comes here to study has to face this," Baruah said.
Tarun Prasad Chakma, father of Anjel Chakma, said that people from the northeast are Indians too and urged the government to ensure equal treatment.
"Our children from the Northeast go to various places like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru to work or study, they should not be treated so adversely. We are all Indians as well. I request the government to ensure equal treatment to all," said the victim's father, a BSF Jawan.
Earlier today, Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, expressed deep anguish over the brutal attack on Anjel Chakma, calling the incident a "profound blow to humanity and sensitivity".
"The inhuman incident involving Anjel Chakma and Michel from Tripura in Dehradun has deeply distressed and shocked me. This is not merely a criminal incident, but a profound blow to humanity and sensitivity. I understand the unbearable grief of the victims' family and stand with them in this difficult time," Scindia posted on X.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke to the student's father on the phone and has assured him of strict punishment for the accused, officials said.
The Chief Minister said that children from India and abroad come to Uttarakhand to study, and such an environment has never existed here before.
The Chief Minister also said that he has spoken to Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha as well as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the incident.
Dhami stressed that the state government completely stands with the victim's family.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the student's death a "national disgrace" and a failure of society to respect its own diversity.
"This is not just a tragedy, it is a national disgrace," he said, urging citizens to build a society where "no Indian is made to feel foreign in their own land."
"A young man from Tripura, a proud Indian, was racially abused, dehumanised with slurs like 'Chinese' and 'momo,' and ultimately murdered," Tharoor stated. He argued that the killing was not an isolated act of violence but the "culmination of ignorance, prejudice, and a failure of our society to recognise and respect its own diversity."
Arvind Kerjiwal, former Delhi chief minister, termed the incident "heartbreaking".
"Shocking and heartbreaking. A young MBA student from Tripura is stabbed to death in Dehradun because of his identity. This is not just a crime, it is a shame on the system. The country needs strict action and a national law against racism and hate crimes. Justice must be swift and exemplary," Kejriwal said.
Condemning the attack on the student, Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along asserted that the Northeastern states are an inseparable and integral part of India.
"First of all, we should think before speaking. I cannot condemn the entire community, but the people who did it are not intellectuals and don't know anything about the people of the North East. In any way, we don't consider ourselves Chinese, and in any form, we are not 'momo'. Momo is a dish; it's very good, and they should also eat it. But this attitude towards us is wrong," he said.
The final year MBA student died on December 26, after being hospitalised for 17 days.
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