Guwahati: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Dehradun district magistrate and the senior superintendent of police over the alleged racially motivated killing of a student from Tripura in Uttarakhand’s capital, seeking an action taken report within seven days.
The commission also directed that copies of the case proceedings be sent to the Uttarakhand chief secretary and the director general of police, while asking the state authorities to ensure the safety of students from the North-Eastern region across Uttarakhand.
The victim, Anjel Chakma (24), a final-year MBA student at a private university in Dehradun, was allegedly assaulted by a group of youths on December 9. He succumbed to his injuries on December 26 after remaining hospitalised for 17 days. The attackers allegedly used knives and blunt objects.
According to the victim’s father, a Border Security Force jawan currently posted at Tangjeng in Manipur, the incident took place when Anjel intervened to protect his younger brother, who was allegedly abused with racial slurs. The assailants allegedly referred to the brothers as “Chinese” and “Chinese momo”. When Anjel asserted that he was an Indian citizen and not Chinese, the group attacked him, the father alleged.
Taking cognisance of the complaint under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, an NHRC bench headed by member Priyank Kanoongo observed that the matter involved allegations of a racially motivated attack on a student from the North-East studying outside his home state.
The commission noted that the victim was allegedly targeted with racial slurs and assaulted after asserting his Indian identity. The complaint further pointed to deep-rooted racial discrimination against people from the North-Eastern states and alleged lapses by local authorities in preventing the violence and ensuring adequate protection.
Terming the allegations a prima facie violation of the victim’s right to life, dignity and equality, the NHRC directed its registry to seek a detailed report from the Dehradun district administration and police within a week.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday spoke to the victim’s father and assured strict action against those responsible. Political leaders across party lines have also called for stronger and sustained measures to prevent hate crimes against people from the North-Eastern region.