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Assam Congress President and MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday extended support to the students protesting peacefully in the capital city after the death of 24-year-old Angel Chakma, who was brutally attacked by a group of miscreants with knives and other blunt objects in Dehradun.
Speaking to the reporters, Gogoi demanded justice for Chakma's family and strict punishment for anyone who uses derogatory remarks against any community. "Today, many students in Delhi, especially those coming from Uttar Pradesh, want to hold a peaceful demonstration. We stand with them. We have made an appeal for them from this platform... Our demand is that Angel Chakma and his family receive justice. In India, if someone uses derogatory words against any caste, they receive the strictest legal punishment... Similarly, if racial misconduct is directed at a person from the Northeast region, they should receive the strictest punishment... This is our demand," he said. Earlier, on Tuesday, Gogoi condemned the police for taking 12 days to register the case and accused the administration of trying to brush the matter under the carpet. "It took 12 days to register the case in the first place, and now with such a statement from the SSP again, it feels like there is an attempt to bury the matter somewhere under the directions of the administration there and the CM...." Gogoi told ANI. He further levelled accusations against the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, for talking to Chakma's father over a loudspeaker, calling it a "publicity stunt." The brutal killing of Angel Chakma, a student from Tripura, in Dehradun has sparked widespread outrage across the political fraternity, with leaders condemning the incident and demanding swift justice. Following the death of Chakma, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court, flagging lacunae in our criminal laws to recognise racially charged violence against Indians from north-eastern states. The PIL has been filed by Advocate Anoop Kumar Awasthi seeking issuance of binding guidelines in the light of such racially charged, violent attacks. The plea underscores that the said murder was reportedly preceded by taunts and racial slurs questioning the victim's nationality and identity. Further, it states that the attack was triggered by the persistent social trope that individuals with East or South-East Asian features are "outsiders" or "foreigners" within their own country, rather than any serious provocation. "This (social) trope, repeated casually in public discourse, acquires lethal force when normalised by silence and institutional indifference", the plea states. Five of the accused have already been arrested, including two minors sent to a juvenile reform home, while the sixth accused, a Nepalese national, remains at large with a reward of Rs 25,000 announced for his capture. (ANI)
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