Imphal, Jan 5: The Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) on January 5 expressed strong anguish and outrage over the alleged racist killing of Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old student from Tripura, who died on December 25, 2025, after battling for life for 16 days in a hospital in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
In a statement, DESAM said the incident was not an isolated crime but a grim reflection of systemic racism, social exclusion and the continued neglect faced by people from Northeast India in other parts of the country.
According to the FIR, the incident took place on December 9, 2025, when Anjel Chakma and his brother were buying household items in the Selakui area of Dehradun. A group of intoxicated men allegedly abused them with racial and caste-based slurs. When Anjel objected, the attackers reportedly assaulted him with rods and knives, leaving him critically injured.
DESAM said the brutal attack underscored the deep-rooted prejudice faced by people from the Northeast, who are frequently subjected to racial profiling, verbal abuse, physical violence and social alienation despite being citizens of India.
“The questioning of our ‘Indianness’ and the normalisation of racial slurs against Northeastern people is deeply disturbing,” the organisation said, adding that such incidents highlight the failure of society and institutions to ensure safety, dignity and equality for all.
The student body strongly condemned the killing and demanded immediate, transparent and time-bound justice. It called for the arrest and prosecution of all the accused under the strictest provisions of law and urged the Uttarakhand government and central authorities to ensure accountability in the investigation. DESAM also sought adequate support and compensation for the victim’s family.
Further, the organisation urged the Government of India to recognise racism against people from the Northeast as a serious national issue. It called for sustained awareness campaigns, inclusion of anti-racism education in academic curricula, sensitisation of law enforcement agencies, and the creation of robust institutional mechanisms to address discrimination and hate crimes.
“Racist naming is not freedom of speech; it is a failure of ethical and civic responsibility,” DESAM said, stressing that Anjel Chakma’s death must not be reduced to another statistic.
Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family and the people of the Northeast, DESAM said justice for Anjel Chakma would be justice for the entire region, reiterating that racism has no place in India.
