Itanagar: Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along Monday strongly reacted to the alleged racial attack on a Tripura student in Dehradun, asserting that the North Eastern states are an inseparable and integral part of India.
The victim, 24-year-old Angel Chakma, a resident of Unakoti district in Tripura, had an argument along with his younger brother Michael with Suraj Khawas (22), a resident of Manipur currently living in Dehradun, and five of his friends at Selakui market December 9.
The accused allegedly attacked Angel with knives and brass knuckles, following which he was rushed to the hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries December 26.
Angel’s father, Tarun Chakma, who is currently posted in Manipur with the Border Security Force (BSF), alleged that “racial slurs” were hurled at his son during the assault.
According to him, the attackers called Angel “Chinese” before attacking him.
Condemning the incident, Minister Temjen Imna Along told reporters in Itanagar, “First of all, we should think before speaking. I cannot condemn the entire community, but the people who did it are not intellectuals and don’t know anything about the people of the North East. In any way, we don’t consider ourselves Chinese, and in any form, we are not ‘momo’. Momo is a dish; it’s very good, and they should also eat it. But this attitude towards us is wrong.”
He said that the North-Eastern states are an integral part of India and that such incidents reflect ignorance and prejudice.
“I have heard that the people who committed this crime are in jail. We want to bring them here, and we will show them how sweet the people of Arunachal, Nagaland or any other state are. They will get to know that we are not Chinese or ‘ching pong ching’, we are also Indians. Yes, our characters are different — we are from Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura — but we are an integral part of India,” he added.
Meanwhile, police announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for the lone absconding accused, a resident of Nepal, and said a team has been sent to the neighbouring country. Five others, including two juveniles, have already been apprehended.
According to the victim’s father, Tarun Chakma, the attackers used other racial slurs for Angel.
Police said that five of the six people allegedly involved in the December 9 incident have been arrested, while Yagyaraj Awasthi, a resident of Nepal’s Kanchanpur district, remains at large.
According to the police, based on the complaint filed by Michael Chakma December 12, a case was registered under sections 115(2), 118 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing bodily harm and criminal intimidation, and an investigation was initiated.
Later, based on Angel’s medical report, Section 109 of the BNS, relating to attempt to murder, was added to the case, and five accused were arrested the same day, including two minors.
Following Angel’s death, police said sections 103(1), relating to murder, and 3(5), relating to joint liability, of the BNS were added to the charges.
Apart from Suraj Khawas, the arrested accused have been identified as Avinash Negi (25) and Sumit (25).
Angel Chakma was a final-year MBA student at a university in Dehradun.
