Human rights organisations condemn ‘racist murder’ of Manipuri singer Chongtham Vikram in Delhi | India News
The groups called for support, protection and compensation for Vikram’s family and urged authorities to protect them from intimidation, harassment or further victimisation.
NEW DELHI: A group of civil society and human rights organisations has condemned the death of Manipuri music teacher and singer Chongtham Vikram, who was allegedly killed by a mob in Delhi on Monday. The group called for a thorough probe into the possible racial motive behind the attack.The joint statement was issued after a meeting of the Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC), People’s Progressive Alliance Manipur (PPAM), Karwan-e-Mohabbat (KeM), North East India Support Centre and Helpline (NEISCH) and Human Rights Alert (HRA) on September 8 at the Centre for Equity Studies in Sarvodaya Enclave, New Delhi.The groups said Vikram’s murder should not be treated as an isolated criminal incident. They said it must be examined in the wider context of racial prejudice and violence faced by people from Northeast India.The statement said an FIR, numbered 0296, has been registered at Sunlight Colony police station under Sections 103(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.Section 103(2) deals with murder committed by a group of five or more people acting together on grounds including race, caste, community, sex, place of birth, language or personal belief. Section 3(5) provides for joint liability when several people commit a criminal act in furtherance of a common intention.The organisations said the police investigation so far appeared inadequate to address what they described as a broader pattern of racist crimes against people from the Northeast.They also pointed to the recommendations of the MP Bezbaruah Committee, which was set up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and submitted its report in 2014. The committee had recommended measures to tackle discrimination, violence and the vulnerabilities faced by people from Northeast India.The groups said most of those recommendations, including a proposal to specifically criminalise racist acts, remain unimplemented.They also highlighted the absence of a comprehensive legal framework dealing specifically with racial discrimination. The statement noted that Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on several grounds but does not expressly list colour, descent, national origin or ethnic origin.The organisations further cited recommendations issued by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on August 25, 2026. They urged the Centre to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation with a clear definition of racial discrimination, covering both direct and intersecting forms of discrimination in public and private spheres.The groups demanded an impartial and transparent investigation into Vikram’s death, including an evidence-based examination of any racial motive.They also called for all those responsible to be identified and prosecuted, including anyone who may have participated in, facilitated or encouraged the attack.The organisations urged authorities to ensure that the case is not investigated merely as an ordinary criminal offence without considering its alleged racial dimensions.
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They also sought immediate measures to prevent further racist violence against people from Northeast India, along with institutional mechanisms to tackle racial discrimination and hate-based violence.The groups called for support, protection and compensation for Vikram’s family and urged authorities to protect them from intimidation, harassment or further victimisation.The statement said, “Justice for Chongtham Vikram is not merely a demand for accountability for one murder. It is a demand for dignity, equality, security, and the fundamental right to live free from racial violence for all people from Northeast India.”The meeting ended with a two-minute silence in memory of Vikram and in solidarity with his bereaved family.
