people-across-the-country-should-be-educated-about-ne-himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said people in other parts of the country must be educated about the Northeast and its people to prevent incidents such as the killing of Tripura student Angel Chakma in Dehradun.

Interacting with the media here, Sarma said those responsible for the crime should be brought to book and punished severely to ensure such incidents do not recur.

“If the accused are given harsh punishment, it will send a strong signal to the entire nation, and such incidents will hopefully not recur,” the Chief Minister said.

Describing the people of the region as an integral part of the country, Sarma said the people of North East India “are proud Indians and the people in the rest of the country should be educated about the region and its people”.

He stressed the need for greater engagement and understanding between the Northeast and other parts of India. “There should be more communication between the people from the region and the rest of India,” he said.

Also read: Anjel Chakma’s killing: Northeast students hold candlelight march

Terming the death of the young student “really sad and unfortunate”, Sarma said, “We condemn the incident and offered our condolences to the bereaved family”.

 

The Chief Minister said there had been no such incident involving students from the region in the last five years and expressed hope that it would not be repeated. “We hope that it does not happen again,” he added.

Asked whether the Assam government maintains data on students from the state studying outside, Sarma said there was no such database at present, but added that it could be created if required. “At present, there is no such data but if necessary, it can be collected and maintained,” he said.

Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old student from Tripura, was pursuing an MBA in Dehradun when he was attacked by a group of intoxicated individuals who allegedly hurled racial abuses at him. He succumbed to his injuries 16 days later.

The incident triggered widespread protests by students across the Northeastern states as well as in Delhi, with several organisations demanding justice for Chakma and stronger safeguards for students from the region studying outside their home states.