Shashi Tharoor condemns Angel Chakma killing, calls it national shame

New Delhi: Congress veteran leader and MP Shashi Tharoor has raised serious questions about the murder of a student from Tripura. Tharoor said that the brutal murder of Angel Chakma in Uttarakhand is not just a tragic incident. It is a national shame. A young man from Tripura, a proud Indian, became a victim of racial discrimination. He was called by derogatory terms like 'Chinese' and 'Momo' and ultimately murdered. This was not an isolated incident of violence. It was a consequence of ignorance, prejudice, and our society's failure to recognize and respect its own diversity.

He further added that it is shocking and deeply shameful that racism is on the rise in North India, often disguised as harmless jokes or overlooked by the system. The Northeast, with its rich heritage of cultures, languages, and traditions, is not some distant part of the Indian identity; it is central to it. Yet, people from this region face racial discrimination, exclusion, and abuse every day. This must end.

Justice must be demanded

The Congress leader said that we must demand justice for Angel. Not just in the courts, but in the conscience of the entire nation. His death should not remain just a statistic or a fleeting headline. It should be the beginning of a movement for education, empathy, and reform. Schools should teach about the history and culture of all Indian communities. The media should portray Indians from the Northeast with respect. And society must shed its prejudices.

Silence means complicity

He further said that political leaders must speak up. Religious leaders must also speak out. Silence means complicity. I appeal to those who claim to uphold religion to remember that Hinduism, in its trammest form, is a tradition of pluralism and inclusion. It is a civilization that has embraced differences for thousands of years and has incorporated tribes, castes, languages, and religions. To be a Hindu means to respect the sanctity of every human being, regardless of how they look or where they come from. Let us mourn Anil Chakwa not just with words, but with actions. Let us build a society where no Indian feels like a stranger in their own land.