Manipur musician killed in Indian capital, reviving racism concerns

The guitarist’s killing leads to an outcry, again exposing the decades of racial discrimination faced by people from India’s northeastern states.

New Delhi, India — Late on Sunday night, Chongtham Vikram Singh was troubled by loud noises outside his home in the Indian capital, where he lived with his son and wife. He climbed down the stairs, but an argument ensued with nearly a dozen men, who chased him back to the third floor of his apartment.

The chase ended with 54-year-old Singh, a renowned guitarist from India’s northeastern state of Manipur, left unconscious on the stairs by the mob. Within hours, he had died from his wounds at a nearby hospital.

 Singh’s killing led to a wider outcry against years of marginalisation of people from the northeast in mainland India, where casual racism has become commonplace.

In 2014, the killing of Nido Taniam, a 19-year-old from India’s far northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, triggered by racial slurs over his appearance, led to protests in the capital. It also pushed the government, then led by the Congress party, which is now in opposition, to set up an independent committee to examine the larger concerns among the communities.

The committee found that about 86 percent of more than 200,000 northeastern migrants had experienced some form of racial discrimination in New Delhi, followed by metros including Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.

The committee recommended an antiracism law, with non-bailable charges and investigation within 60 days, followed by fast-tracked trials. The new incoming government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, did not adopt the suggestions.

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