Er Rashid to Observe Hunger Strike in Tihar Jail Over Attacks on North East, Kashmiri People | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jailed Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Engineer Rashid, has announced a day-long hunger strike on December 31 inside Tihar Jail, expressing solidarity with protesting students from the North East and condemning what he described as unchecked racist attacks on minorities from the region and Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued through his legal team, Er Rashid said the hunger strike was aimed at drawing attention to the killing of Angle Chakma, an MBA student, and what he termed the continued targeting of people from the North East and Jammu and Kashmir across several parts of the country. He alleged that racist elements were being allowed to operate with impunity, while peaceful voices were being suppressed.

Referring to the Chakma case, Er Rashid said it was “unfortunate and shameful” that the victim’s repeated assertion of being an Indian citizen failed to deter his attackers. He questioned the delay in the response of the Uttarakhand government, alleging that action was taken only after the student succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Dehradun. He also raised concerns over the medical handling of the case, asking why the victim was not shifted to Delhi for advanced treatment in time.

While condemning attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, Er Rashid said similar incidents in India, particularly in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, were being downplayed by describing perpetrators as mere miscreants. He argued that such characterisation masked the seriousness of the crimes and denied justice to victims. “Condemnations alone do not bring back precious human lives,” he said, adding that even the harshest punishment could not compensate for the loss of life.

Er Rashid further stated that people of the North East and Jammu and Kashmir face common challenges, including threats to their identity, culture, land, language and employment. He alleged that peaceful student movements highlighting these concerns were being met with suppression rather than dialogue.

The jailed MP questioned what he called the selective approach of authorities towards attacks on Kashmiris and people from the North East, asking how long they would continue to be treated as “outsiders” or “enemies” within the country.

Announcing his decision, Er Rashid said the hunger strike on December 31 was his only remaining legitimate means to protest against what he described as the brutality of racist fringe groups and to seek urgent action against those involved in attacks on minorities. He said the strike would be observed in solidarity with students in Tripura and other North-Eastern states who are currently protesting similar issues.