SHILLONG: The Khasi Students Union (KSU), has issued a blistering critique of the Indian government.
Following the tragic death of a Northeast student in Uttarakhand, KSU President Lambokstarwell Marngar suggested that if the Centre cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens from the region, the Northeast should seek its own independent path.
The KSU leader’s comments come in the wake of the demise of Anjel Chakma, an MBA student from Tripura. Chakma reportedly lost his life in Dehradun after a brutal assault fueled by racial discrimination.
“Where is the safety for the people of the Northeast in their own country?” Marngar questioned, his words dripping with indignation. He highlighted the irony of students traveling to Indian metros—not for trouble, but for education—only to be treated like foreigners, oppressed, and even murdered.
Marngar didn’t mince words, accusing the Indian government of “stepmotherly treatment.” He drew a direct line from the 2014 killing of Nido Tania (who was targeted for his hairstyle) to the present day, arguing that despite decades of promises, nothing has changed.
“The Indian Government claims to offer special protection, yet our youth continue to face the same brutality. This proves the Centre does not consider the minorities of the Northeast as full Indian citizens,” Marngar stated.
NESO Demands Justice
The Northeast Students’ Organisation (NESO) has already mobilized, firing off a formal demand to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. The Student Body has demanded absolute justice and the harshest possible punishment for those responsible for Chakma’s death.
Meanwhile, the KSU President questioned the very value of the national identity under current conditions.
“What is the point of being Indian if our lives are worthless in their eyes?” he asked. Marngar warned that if the majority in mainland India continues to target Northeast youth while the government remains silent, the region may be forced to demand its own sovereign statehood.
