MP Er Rashid to Observe Hunger Strike on Dec 31 Over Racial Attacks on North East Students

Srinagar: Awami Ittehad Party leader and jailed Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Engineer Rashid, will observe a day long hunger strike inside Tihar Jail on December 31 in solidarity with students from the North East who are protesting recent incidents of alleged racial violence.

In a statement issued here through his legal team, Er Rashid said the hunger strike was also intended to express solidarity with the family of Angel Chakma, an MBA student who died following an alleged racially motivated assault in Dehradun.

Er Rashid described the incident as deeply disturbing and said it raised serious questions about the response of the authorities. He claimed the victim repeatedly asserted his Indian identity during the assault but was still targeted. He also questioned the delay in the response of the Uttarakhand government and asked why the victim was not shifted to Delhi for advanced medical treatment.

The AIP supremo said attacks on minorities, whether in neighbouring countries or within India, should be condemned without distinction. He alleged that similar incidents in several Indian states were often downplayed by describing the accused as miscreants, which he said diluted the gravity of such crimes.

The MP further stated that mere condemnations do not ensure justice and that the loss of human life cannot be compensated. He said people from the North East and Jammu and Kashmir face shared challenges related to identity, culture, language, employment and land, and alleged that peaceful protests by students are frequently met with suppression.

Er Rashid said the hunger strike was aimed at seeking urgent action against those involved in attacks on Kashmiris and people from the North East in different parts of the country. He added that the protest was his only available means to register dissent while in custody.