Agartala witnessed a protest on Friday as the Tripura Manipuri Student-Youth Coordination Committee, along with the Tripura Manipuri Women Council and Manipuri Council, Tripura, organized a dharna to condemn the killing of Angel Chakma in Dehradun. The demonstration was held to express outrage over the incident and to highlight growing concerns about the safety of people from the Northeast living in other parts of the country.
The protesting organizations strongly denounced what they described as rising discrimination and hostility faced by Northeastern communities outside their home region. Participants at the dharna raised slogans and displayed placards demanding justice for Angel Chakma and greater accountability from authorities to prevent such incidents in the future. The bodies also emphasized the need to resist what they termed as “Hindutva-driven racism” and to build collective resistance among the people of the Northeast against discrimination and violence.
Praveen Singha, one of the agitating members, voiced serious concern over an alleged pattern of targeted attacks against individuals from the Northeast. He claimed that people from the region are increasingly being singled out due to their physical appearance, cultural identity, and linguistic differences. According to him, the killing of Angel Chakma is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend of intolerance and racial prejudice faced by Northeastern citizens, particularly in metropolitan and northern Indian cities.
Singha further alleged that Hindi-speaking individuals often display discriminatory behavior towards people from the Northeast, leading to harassment, exclusion, and, in extreme cases, violent crimes. He stressed that such acts threaten the unity and diversity of the country and undermine the constitutional promise of equality and security for all citizens.
The protestors appealed to the central and state governments to take immediate and effective steps to ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of people from the Northeast across India. They demanded strict legal action against those responsible for crimes motivated by racial or ethnic bias and called for stronger awareness measures to promote social harmony and mutual respect.
The dharna concluded peacefully, with organizers reiterating their resolve to continue raising their voices until justice is delivered and meaningful safeguards are put in place.
