Northeast students hold candlelight march in Dehradun seeking justice for Anjel Chakma

Students from the Northeast on December 31 held a candlelight march in Dehradun to protest the murder of 24-year-old Anjel Chakma, a resident of Tripura, and to demand justice, raising concerns over alleged racial discrimination. 

The demonstration was organised under the banner of the Unified Tripura Students Association (UTSA) and saw participation from students of various educational institutions in the city.

The march began outside Gandhi Park, from where protesters carrying candles walked to Ghantaghar, the city’s central clock tower. Several students from other states also joined the protest in a show of solidarity. Holding banners bearing Chakma’s photograph, the demonstrators raised slogans such as “Stop Racism,” “We Are Indians,” and “We Want Justice,” highlighting what they described as a pattern of discrimination faced by students from the Northeast.

Churanta Tripura, general secretary of UTSA Dehradun, alleged that the police were attempting to downplay the case by refusing to recognise it as an incident of racism. He further claimed that the police had asked the students to stop the protest march, citing traffic congestion due to New Year celebrations, which he said added to their sense of grievance.

Anjel Chakma, a final-year MBA student at a private university in Dehradun, was allegedly attacked on December 9 by a group of youths using a knife and a brass knuckle, leaving him critically injured. After battling for his life for 17 days in hospital, he succumbed to his injuries on December 26.

While Chakma’s family members and friends have maintained that the attack followed racist remarks, the Dehradun police have denied any racial motive. Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh stated that the investigation so far has not found evidence of racial discrimination. 

He noted that Dehradun hosts students from across the country, including over 2,000 students from the Northeast, with around 250 students from Tripura currently studying in the city.