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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No 'VIP' involved in Ankita Bhandari murder case: Haridwar SP
Dehradun (PTI): Amid demands for a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Haridwar SP (Rural) Shekhar Suyal on Saturday said that no "VIP" was found involved during the investigation.
Suyal told reporters here that the person whose name came up in the chats and during questioning, was a friend of Ankita, Dharmendra Kumar alias Pradhan, a resident of Noida. He was not a VIP, the officer said.
"During the investigation, police questioning revealed that he had come to the area for some work two days before Ankita's murder and had stopped at the Vanantra Resort for a short time to have a meal," he said.
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Suyal said that this was confirmed by the resort's records and questioning of the staff.
Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, recently released videos and audio recordings of her alleged conversations with Rathore, alleging that the 'VIP' in the Ankita Bhandari murder case is a person named 'Gattu'.
In another video, she identified Gattu as a top BJP leader in Uttarakhand.
Rathore, who was expelled from the BJP, said that his voice was generated using AI, and the audios have been widely shared with the intention of tarnishing his political image.
The Uttarakhand government on Friday said it was ready for any investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case "if credible evidence is presented".
Opposition leaders have demanded a CBI probe into the new allegations and the murder case, in which three people were sentenced to life imprisonment following an SIT investigation.
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at a resort in Pauri district, was allegedly murdered on September 18, 2022. The state government had constituted an SIT to investigate the case.
The court sentenced Pulkit Arya, the owner of the resort and son of a BJP leader, and two others to life imprisonment in the case.
