A national disgrace: Shashi Tharoor on Tripura student’s racial killing in Dehradun

Shashi Tharoor

• Congress leader Tharoor calls Tripura student's death a national disgrace
• Student faced racial abuse and slurs before fatal stabbing in Dehradun
• Leaders call to end racial profiling and discrimination against Northeast Indians

Did our AI summary help?

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday termed the tragic death of a 24-year-old postgraduate student from Tripura as "national disgrace".

The student's death due to stab injuries in Dehradun on Friday has triggered sharp political reactions which led to a nationwide debate on the often ignored instances of racial profiling and the usage of 'racially-loaded words' against residents from the northeast on a regular basis.

The victim, identified as Angel Chakma (referred to as Aniel by Tharoor), was an MBA student at a private university in Dehradun. He was attacked on December 9 in the Selaqui area and had been undergoing treatment for serious stab wounds. He succumbed to his injuries on December 26.

The Congress leader said that a young man from Tripura, a proud Indian, was “racially abused”, “dehumanized with slurs” like ‘Chinese’ and ‘momo,’ and ultimately murdered. “This was not an isolated act of violence; it was the culmination of ignorance, prejudice, and a failure of our society to recognize and respect its own diversity,” Tharoor remarked.

He went on to flag what he described as a worrying trend, saying, “It is shocking, and deeply shameful, that racism is rising in North India, often cloaked in casual mockery or systemic neglect.”

Tharoor underlined that discrimination against people from the Northeast strikes at the idea of India itself. “The Northeast, with its rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and traditions, is not a distant appendage to the Indian identity; it is central to it. Yet, people from the region are routinely subjected to racial profiling, exclusion, and abuse. This must end,” he said.

Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi noted that India is built on respect and unity and not on fear and abuse. “We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted,” his post read. Further, he wrote that his thoughts are with the people of Tripura, “ We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters,” he said.