Tipra Motha urges Centre to enact anti-racial law after Tripura student’s killing
Guwahati: The Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the BJP-led government in Tripura, on Wednesday called on the Centre to urgently bring in a comprehensive anti-racial discrimination law to protect people from the Northeast living in other parts of the country.
Addressing a press conference, TMP spokespersons Rajeshwar Debbarma, C K Jamatia and Anthony Debbarma said the lack of a dedicated legal framework against racism had allowed incidents of discrimination and racially motivated violence to persist. They argued that a specific law would enable effective action against such offences and help deter crimes targeting people from the region.
The demand follows the killing of Tripura native Anjel Chakma, who died after a brutal assault in Dehradun. Chakma, a 24-year-old final-year MBA student belonging to the Chakma tribal community, was attacked on December 9 and succumbed to his injuries on December 26 after undergoing treatment for 18 days at a hospital in Dehradun. He was the son of a Border Security Force jawan.
TMP leaders said the attackers allegedly hurled racial slurs at Chakma before assaulting him. Rajeshwar Debbarma demanded exemplary punishment for those involved and sought invocation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 in the case.
Anthony Debbarma criticised the Uttarakhand government and police for what he described as a delay in initiating action. He alleged that police registered the case only after Tripura Lok Sabha MP Kriti Devi Debbarman intervened by speaking to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, and after Chakma’s father, Tarun Prasad Chakma, reached Dehradun and approached the authorities.
TMP founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma accused the Uttarakhand government and police of attempting to dilute the case by downplaying its racial dimension. In a video message, he alleged that the attackers used slurs such as “Chinki,” “Chinese” and “Momo” while assaulting Chakma, even as his father was serving the nation as a BSF personnel.
Referring to claims that one of the arrested accused is from Manipur, Pradyot Debbarma said people across the country must recognise that individuals from diverse communities also live and work in the northeastern states. He urged people of the Northeast to stand united against racism and discrimination.
Reiterating his demand for swift and exemplary punishment, the TMP chief further announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone providing information that leads to the arrest of the prime accused, who authorities believe has fled to Nepal.
The killing has triggered widespread outrage across the Northeast. Leaders including Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma have condemned the incident, describing it as a “horrific hate crime.”
Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, Tripura Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, the National People’s Party led by Sangma, and several student and civil society organisations—including the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), the All India Chakma Students’ Union, the Manipuri Students’ Federation and the Tripura Tribal Students’ Union—have also denounced the killing and demanded strict action against those responsible.