New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday described the killing of Chongtham Vikram Singh as a "multi-layered tragedy", while warning that violence has become a "fashion" for those wielding power.
"It's a tragedy that a man has been murdered. It's also a tragedy that he was attacked because of where he was from," Gandhi said, highlighting how the incident represents a broader pattern affecting Northeast communities.
Addressing a memorial gathering for Singh at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, Gandhi described Singh as "a symbol of a life well-lived".
Gandhi emphasised the personal dimensions of loss; a son who will never see his father again, parents who will never see their son again. He attributed the killing to an underlying culture where the powerful believe they can exercise violence and arrogance with impunity.
"If you are powerful, you can be violent. If you're powerful, you can be arrogant, you can do whatever you feel like," Gandhi said, cautioning against responding to such violence with retaliation.
Instead, Gandhi called for a response rooted in collective assertion: defending shared values, demonstrating talent, and standing collectively against intimidation. "We are not going to accept this nonsense, we are not going to be pushed aside by this violence, we are not going to be frightened," he said.
The Congress leader underscored that Singh's case was symptomatic of endemic violence facing Northeast communities and other marginalised groups. "This happens now all the time... to our brothers and sisters from the Northeast, to many different communities," he said, pledging to fight such incidents.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.