Northeast Press | June 24, 2025
A tragic murder in Meghalaya involving a newly-wed couple from Madhya Pradesh has not only shaken public sentiment but also exposed the deep-seated prejudices many in India hold toward the Northeast. As news broke about the death of Raja Raghuvanshi during what was meant to be a honeymoon trip, a barrage of misinformation and hate flooded social media — much of it aimed at the local community, long before the facts were known.
The incident, which initially appeared to be a possible case of kidnapping, rapidly devolved into a toxic online narrative. Social media users, without waiting for the outcome of police investigations, painted Meghalaya — and by extension, the entire Northeast — as unsafe and hostile. Baseless communal claims targeted the region’s Christian population, with certain handles spreading divisive rhetoric and inciting fear.
At the time, the police had not yet confirmed the motive, nor established key details about the crime. The role of Sonam, the victim’s wife, had not been clarified, and officials were still piecing together the sequence of events. However, in the absence of verified information, many social media users filled the void with hate speech, misinformation, and xenophobic comments against North-Easterners.
This pattern of digital othering is not new, say social scientists and regional scholars.
Speaking to The Quint, Gertrude Lamare, a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics, reflected on the broader implications of such reactions.
“I’m not sure if it was an organised campaign,” she said. “I think people have very deep-seated stereotypical ideas about other people and how they live their lives.”
She added that the racism directed at North-Easterners stems from a systemic, wilful ignorance about the region and its people.
“In India, we’ve always had to learn about the history and geography of the rest of the country, but the same curiosity or respect is rarely extended to us.”
Although universities have made progress in recent years by forming North-East Cells and promoting representation in student spaces, Lamare believes mainstream understanding of the region remains shallow. “Outside academia, representation is often tokenistic and borders on exoticisation. This doesn’t help when we’re trying to assert ourselves as equal citizens — different, yes, but equal in all respects.”
While media outlets like The Quint and independent journalist Abhishek Anand made efforts to verify facts and counter viral claims, the damage done by early misinformation was significant. This incident underscores the urgent need for responsible reporting and the importance of waiting for verified updates before amplifying polarising narratives.
As the police continue their investigation into the murder, questions linger not just about the crime itself, but about how India treats its Northeast — both online and offline.
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