Tripura student death over racial slur stains Uttarakhand’s image: Congress

The Congress on December 30 said the killing of Tripura student Anjel Chakma has severely damaged Uttarakhand’s image nationally and internationally, and called on the state government to take moral responsibility alongside legal action.

Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said that while Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke to the victim’s father and offered condolences, this was not enough. He said the chief minister should have issued a formal apology on behalf of the state and assured people from across the country that such incidents would not be repeated.

Anjel Chakma (24), a resident of Unakoti district in Tripura, was allegedly attacked by a group of six men on December 9 after he objected to racial slurs directed at him and his younger brother. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on December 26.

Dehradun Police have arrested five of the accused. The sixth, identified as Yagyaraj Awasthi, a resident of Kanchanpur district in Nepal, is absconding.

Dhasmana said the Congress extends its condolences to Chakma’s family and apologises for what he described as a death caused by racial violence in the state. He demanded a thorough investigation and the harshest possible punishment for those involved.

He also warned that incidents of this nature could have wider consequences. Thousands of students from across India come to Dehradun for education and contribute significantly to the local economy. Continued violence against students from other states, he said, could deter future enrolments and bring further disrepute to Uttarakhand.