In a heartbreaking incident that has reignited national conversations on racial prejudice, Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, was fatally stabbed in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, after confronting a group of men who hurled racial slurs at him and his younger brother.
The attack, which occurred on December 26, 2025, stemmed from derogatory remarks like “Chinki” and “Chinese,” terms commonly used to demean individuals from India’s northeastern states due to their Mongoloid features.
Chakma succumbed to his injuries, including stab wounds to the neck and abdomen, while his brother Michael survived a head injury.
Five suspects have been arrested, but the tragedy has sparked widespread protests in Tripura and demands for a dedicated anti-racial violence law.
This murder is not an isolated event but a stark manifestation of the pervasive racial discrimination faced by people from northeastern India when they venture into the mainland.
Northeasterners, comprising diverse ethnic groups from states like Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh, are often treated as “outsiders” in their own country. Their distinct physical appearances—epicanthic folds, fair skin, and straight hair—lead to stereotypes associating them with East Asian countries, resulting in exclusion, harassment, and violence.
Such biases are deeply embedded in India’s social fabric, where “mainland” Indians frequently view northeasterners as alien, perpetuating a cycle of othering that affects education, employment, and daily life.
Historical Context of Racism in Northeastern India
The social environment of northeastern India is shaped by a complex history of geographic isolation, colonial legacies, and internal conflicts, but the racism experienced by its people is largely external, inflicted by mainland attitudes.
Connected to the rest of India by the narrow Siliguri Corridor, the region has long been marginalized, with limited infrastructure development and economic opportunities pushing many youth to migrate to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Dehradun for studies and jobs. However, this migration often exposes them to hostility.Notable past incidents underscore this pattern. In 2014, Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, was beaten to death in Delhi after objecting to racial taunts about his hairstyle.
The case led to massive protests and the formation of the Bezbaruah Committee, which recommended measures to combat racism, including amendments to the Indian Penal Code. Yet, a decade later, little has changed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, northeasterners were scapegoated as “corona carriers” due to their perceived resemblance to Chinese people, leading to evictions, assaults, and spit attacks in various cities.
Food habits also become a flashpoint for discrimination. Northeastern cuisine, which includes fermented foods and non-vegetarian dishes uncommon in other parts of India, is often labeled “dirty” or “smelly,” reinforcing casteist and racist undertones.
Women from the region face additional gendered racism, including sexual harassment and assumptions of promiscuity based on stereotypes.
These experiences contribute to a sense of alienation, with many northeasterners feeling like second-class citizens in India.
Impact on Northeastern Society
Back in the northeast, such incidents exacerbate feelings of resentment and disconnection from the national mainstream. Tripura, home to indigenous tribes like the Chakmas, has a history of ethnic tensions, including insurgencies and displacement, but external racism adds another layer of trauma.
Families like the Chakmas send their children away for better prospects, only to face the horror of losing them to prejudice. Protests in Agartala following Anjel’s death reflect this anguish, with demonstrators calling for justice and systemic reforms.
The broader social environment in the northeast is one of resilience amid adversity. The region boasts rich cultural diversity, with over 200 ethnic groups speaking numerous languages, yet it grapples with underrepresentation in national narratives. Media often portrays the northeast through lenses of conflict or exoticism, ignoring everyday struggles and contributions. This invisibility fuels ignorance in the mainland, where school curricula rarely cover northeastern history or geography in depth, perpetuating stereotypes.
Economically, discrimination hinders integration. Northeastern migrants in urban centers face higher rents, job rejections, and social isolation, leading some to return home or form insular communities.
This brain drain reversal stifles regional development, as talented individuals opt for opportunities abroad or within the northeast, where initiatives like the Act East Policy aim to boost connectivity but fall short in addressing cultural divides.
Calls for Change and a Path Forward
The murder of Anjel Chakma has amplified demands for an anti-racism law, similar to those protecting Scheduled Castes and Tribes, to criminalize racial slurs and violence explicitly.
Activists argue that existing laws, like Section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between groups), are insufficient, as they rarely lead to convictions in racism cases.
Education campaigns, sensitivity training for police, and inclusive media representation are also proposed to bridge the gap.While racism against northeasterners is a national shame, it mirrors broader prejudices in India, including those against southern Indians, tribals, and minorities.
Addressing it requires acknowledging India’s diversity beyond tokenism. As protests continue and Anjel’s body is laid to rest in Tripura, his story serves as a poignant reminder: true unity demands dismantling the barriers of ignorance and bias that divide us.
Neha Desai, Tripura
Wednesday, January 7, 2026