Jailed Er Rashid to stage hunger strike against attacks on Kashmiris, minorities in India
New Delhi: Jailed Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Engineer Abdul Rashid, will observe a day-long hunger strike tomorrow (December 31) inside Tihar Jail to condemn attacks on Kashmiris and express solidarity with minorities facing violence across India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Er Rashid said the strike aims to draw attention to the continued targeting of people from occupied Jammu and Kashmir in various Indian states and to the killing of Angel Chakma, an MBA student from Tripura, who was brutally attacked in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on December 9, 2025. Angel Chakma and his brother Michael were subjected to racial slurs and physically assaulted by a group of Hindutva men. Chakma suffered severe head and back injuries and died 17 days later, on December 26, 2025. The MP said that racist groups are operating with impunity while peaceful voices are being suppressed.
Describing the handling of the Chakma case as “unfortunate and shameful,” Er Rashid questioned the Uttarakhand government’s delayed response and the lack of timely medical care for the victim. He criticized authorities for failing to ensure justice and adequate protection.
The jailed MP further condemned attacks on minorities in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttarakhand, which are being downplayed as acts of “miscreants,” masking the severity of the crimes. “Condemnations alone do not bring back precious human lives,” he said.
Er Rashid highlighted the common challenges faced by people from occupied Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states, including threats to their identity, culture, land, language, and employment. He added that student movements raising these concerns are met with repression instead of dialogue.
Questioning the selective approach of authorities, Er Rashid asked how long Kashmiris and North-Eastern communities would be treated as “outsiders” or “enemies” by India.
Announcing his decision, he said the hunger strike on December 31 is his last legitimate means to protest the brutality of racist fringe groups and demand urgent action against perpetrators.
