Hotmail founder writes to PM Modi raising concerns over racism, rise in violence against Muslims
New Delhi: Sabeer Bhatia, co-founder of Hotmail, has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing deep concern over what he described as the growing problem of racism and identity-based violence in India, including attacks on people from the North-East and minorities such as Muslims, Dalits and Christians.
The letter, addressed to the Prime Minister and shared by Bhatia on his X account, refers to the killing of 24-year-old MBA student Anjel Chakma from Tripura in Dehradun, which Bhatia said followed a racially motivated altercation. Calling the incident “a tragedy for India’s soul”, Bhatia said the young student lost his life “solely because he looked different”.
Writing as an Indian who has represented the country globally for over three decades, Bhatia said people from the North-East have long faced stereotyping and racism despite being “100% Indian in identity, history and sentiment”. He argued that Anjel Chakma’s death was not an isolated crime but a reflection of a deeper social problem that requires urgent national attention.
In the letter, Bhatia also flagged what he described as a sharp rise in violence against Dalits, Muslims and Christians in recent months. He said that hate-driven attacks on any community amount to an assault on the idea of India itself. “Whether the victim is from the North-East, a Dalit, a Muslim, a Christian, or any other community, the message must be loud and clear: communal hatred is wrong, racism is wrong, and targeting people because of their identity must stop,” he wrote.
Emphasising India’s diversity, Bhatia said the country’s strength lies in the fact that 1.4 billion people with different languages, cultures and faiths share a single national identity. He warned that if diversity becomes a trigger for violence, India risks losing its core values.
Bhatia urged the Prime Minister to take a series of steps, including making a clear national statement condemning racism and communal violence, ensuring a transparent and time-bound investigation into Anjel Chakma’s death, launching a nationwide sensitisation programme to address inter-community hatred, and strengthening legal protections against hate crimes.
“No parent in India, whether in Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala or Nagaland should fear for their child’s life because of their identity,” he wrote, adding that such fears have no place in a country aspiring to global leadership.
Concluding the letter, Bhatia said he could not remain silent as an Indian and a technologist who has spent his life building tools to connect people, while society risks drifting away from compassion and unity. He expressed hope that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the country would confront the issue with “honesty and courage” so that Anjel Chakma’s death becomes a turning point for justice and social reform.
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Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
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Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
