Tripura student’s killing sparks outrage; NEYCCC holds torch rally in Agartala, seeks justice for Angel Chakma

Guwahati: The North-East Youth Congress Coordination Committee (NEYCCC), on Saturday, organised a torch rally in Agaratala to protest the killing of Tripura student Angel Chakma. Chakma was brutally assaulted in Dehradun and later succumbed to his injuries in December last year.

Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA final-year student from Machmara in Tripura's Unakoti district and the son of a Border Security Force (BSF) constable, was allegedly attacked by a racist mob in Uttarakhand's state capital Dehradun on December 9. The attackers reportedly hurled racial slurs at him during the assault.

NEYCCC leaders, including Tripura State Youth Congress President Neel Kamal Saha, demanded the strictest punishment for those responsible for Chakma's killing. Earlier on Saturday, a NEYCCC delegation comprising Youth Congress leaders from various Northeastern states visited Chakma's residence in Unakoti district and met his family members.


Saha said that, following instructions of the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, the NEYCCC delegation visited the bereaved family. "We have assured the family that we will stand by them during this difficult time.

During our meeting, Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib also spoke to Angel Chakma's parents through a video call and assured them that the organisation would remain with the family," Saha told the media. He alleged that the attackers branded Angel as "Chinese" and brutally assaulted him, even as his father, a BSF jawan, was guarding the country's borders.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Uttarakhand and former Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay, after meeting Chakma's family members in Unakoti district on Friday, also demanded the strictest punishment for those responsible for the killing. Vijay said that exemplary punishment must be awarded to the culprits to deter such crimes in the future.

He added that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has held several discussions with the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the case. Vijay also proposed that Angel Chakma's younger brother, Michael Chakma, be provided a government job in Tripura to ensure financial stability for the family.