Rahul Gandhi Pays Tribute to Manipuri Musician Vikram Singh

New Delhi, September 10, 2026: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid tribute to Manipuri youth and musician Chongtham Vikram Singh, describing his killing as a “tragedy on many accounts” and asserting that people would not be cowed down by violence.

Speaking at a memorial gathering held in Singh’s memory at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, Gandhi said the musician was “murdered” and attacked because of where he came from. He described the incident as a tragedy not only for Singh’s family but also for the people of Manipur.

Gandhi said Singh’s death was particularly tragic because an exceptionally talented person had been taken away. “It is a tragedy that an amazing talent has been taken away from us,” he said, stressing that the death would have a lasting impact on Singh’s family.

He pointed out that Singh’s son would never see his father again and that his parents would never see their son again. Gandhi said the personal loss suffered by the family should not, however, obscure the larger issue of violence, hatred and arrogance reflected in the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“It really doesn’t matter whether it is a mistake or not a mistake, whether he was killed or not killed. There was violence, there was hatred and there was arrogance,” Gandhi said.

The senior Congress leader said a culture appeared to be developing in which people who wielded power felt entitled to act violently or arrogantly. He expressed concern that those who considered themselves powerful increasingly believed they could act as they pleased without fear of consequences.

“This is something that has become fashion. If you are powerful, you can be violent. If you are powerful, somehow you can be arrogant, somehow you can do whatever you feel like doing,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi, however, cautioned against responding to violence with more violence or anger. He said that although responding to violence with violence might appear to be the easier option, people should instead remain committed to their principles and refuse to be intimidated.

“Of course, we don’t believe in fighting violence with violence, although that is the easy thing to do. Don’t respond with anger or with hatred,” he said.

Instead, Gandhi urged people to respond by expressing themselves, defending the ideas they believe in and demonstrating their talent. He said that intimidation and violence should not be allowed to silence people or push them aside.

“We are not going to be pushed aside by this violence or frightened by this violence. You are going to stand against this violence. That, to me, is the best answer,” Gandhi said.

Describing Singh as a great symbol, Gandhi said the deceased musician represented a life well-lived, as well as love, affection and talent. He said Singh’s life embodied qualities that should be remembered and celebrated despite the tragic circumstances of his death.

“In politics and in life, symbols are very important. He is a symbol of life that was well-lived; a symbol of love, affection… a talented person, a gentle person, a father, a son… and we are extremely proud of him,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi also asserted that justice would be pursued and said those seeking justice would not be intimidated or frightened by violence.

“We expect justice and we will get justice. And we will not be cowed down or scared of violence,” he said.

He said the memorial gathering was significant because Singh’s death should not be seen as an isolated incident. Gandhi argued that violence, threats and intimidation had become increasingly common in the country and that the issue needed to be confronted rather than treated as a one-off incident.

“We did this function today because this is not a single incident. This happens now all the time,” Gandhi said, adding that such incidents were occurring frequently.

“Sometimes it doesn’t end in murder. Sometimes it is just an insult, a threat. Sometimes it is just violence. But it is happening too much in our country, to our brothers and sisters from our Northeast, to many-many communities of this country,” he said.

Gandhi said people from the Northeast and members of many other communities were facing such incidents and that the response should be to continue opposing violence, hatred, threats and intimidation.

He said people should not be frightened or pushed aside by such acts and vowed that the fight against violence and hatred would continue.

“We stand against it, we will fight it and we will defeat it,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi offered his condolences and expressed his solidarity with Singh’s family and all those affected by the incident.

“I offer my condolences and love to everybody who has been hurt by this,” he said.

Throughout his remarks, Gandhi stressed that Singh’s death should be remembered not only as the loss of a young musician and a talented individual, but also as a reminder of the need to confront violence, hatred and arrogance in society. He reiterated that the response should not be driven by anger or hatred, but by standing firmly for justice, defending one’s principles and refusing to be intimidated.

Gandhi's message was that violence should not silence people, and that those seeking justice would continue to stand against it rather than be cowed down by fear or intimidation.