Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday joined the students from the Northeast protesting the death of Anjel Chakma and demanded a law like the
SC/ST Act to protect people from the region from racist slurs.
Hundreds of students from the Northeastern states gathered at Jantar Mantar with banners and the national flag, demanding to be treated as Indians and seeking justice for Tripura student Chakma. Chakma was attacked by a group of six people when he objected to racial slurs hurled at him and his younger brother in Dehradun on December 9. He succumbed to his injuries at a Dehradun hospital on December 26.
The refrain among the protesters was “we are not Chinese, we are Indians. Stop making racist slurs against us”. They alleged that people of the Northeast were treated differently because of their looks and language.
Addressing the gathering, Assam Congress president Gogoi paid condolences
to the deceased and called the incident deeply disturbing. Gogoi, who has been vocal against the crime since it
came to light, reiterated that there was a need for accountability.
Pointing out that the country has a provision for crimes against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, he said if casteist slurs are made against those from these communities, the strictest punishment is given.
“I demand that in the same manner, if a person from the Northeast is ever called Chinese, the perpetrator should get the same punishment,” Gogoi said.