“I am Indian”: Why racism against Northeast Indians refuses to fade
- Team TOI Plus
- Dec 30, 2025, 13:03 IST IST
When 24-year-old Anjel Chakma travelled to Dehradun to pursue an MBA, his family hoped higher education would offer him better career prospects and a more secure future. Instead, his death has once again brought into focus a question that has repeatedly surfaced across Indian cities: why do students and workers from the Northeast continue to face racial hostility outside their home states?
Anjel, a native of Tripura and a final-year MBA student, was allegedly attacked on December 9 near a liquor shop in Dehradun after objecting to racial slurs. He suffered severe head and spinal injuries and remained hospitalised for 17 days before he died on December 26. The incident triggered protests across Tripura and other northeastern states, with student organisations saying it reinforced long-standing fears about safety and racial targeting.
Anjel, a native of Tripura and a final-year MBA student, was allegedly attacked on December 9 near a liquor shop in Dehradun after objecting to racial slurs. He suffered severe head and spinal injuries and remained hospitalised for 17 days before he died on December 26. The incident triggered protests across Tripura and other northeastern states, with student organisations saying it reinforced long-standing fears about safety and racial targeting.
