Shillong: Pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) groups in Meghalaya on Monday stepped up calls for a national anti-racism law and speedy justice in the wake of the killing of a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura in Dehradun, describing the incident as part of a continuing pattern of racial violence against people from the North East.
The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) expressed shock and grief over the death of Anjel Chakma, who succumbed to his injuries on December 26 after being assaulted earlier this month in Uttarakhand.
The organisation said the incident was not an isolated crime but reflected deep-rooted prejudice faced by people from the region in several Indian cities.
CoMSO chairman Roykupar Synrem said racial profiling and violence against North Easterners have repeatedly surfaced in places such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Dehradun, pointing to systemic failures in ensuring their safety and dignity.
He said Chakma’s reported last words — “We are not Chinese, we are Indians” — starkly exposed the discrimination that continues to shadow citizens from the region.
In a statement, the organisation demanded the immediate setting up of a fast-track court to try the accused and ensure swift punishment.
It also urged both the Centre and the states to enact a comprehensive anti-racism law to address crimes rooted in racial and ethnic hatred.
CoMSO further called for the establishment of round-the-clock “North East Helplines” and specialised police units in major cities to protect students and working professionals from the region.
It said educational institutions and local administrations must also be held accountable for failing to provide a safe and inclusive environment.
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“We cannot accept a situation where our youth are targeted and killed because of their appearance,” Synrem said, adding that repeated indifference would only deepen alienation among people from the North East.
He stressed that symbolic gestures and condolences were insufficient without meaningful legal and institutional reform.
Warning of broader mobilisation, CoMSO said it was prepared to coordinate with other organisations across the North East to launch a democratic agitation if decisive steps were not taken to curb what it described as the growing tide of racial hatred.
