Anjel Chakma’s father makes a heart-wrenching plea to the nation to protect Northeast students after his son’s racial murder in Dehradun.
The victim was taunted with slurs like “Chinese momo” before being stabbed and beaten; he died after 17 days in hospital.
Nationwide outrage grows with protests in Tripura, Northeast capitals and Delhi; politicians from BJP, Congress, CPI(M), AAP and TMC condemn the crime and demand justice.
The savage murder of 21-year-old Anjel Chakma, an MBA student from Tripura, in Dehradun has unleashed a wave of grief, rage and nationwide protests demanding an end to racial violence against people from Northeast India. Anjel died on December 26, 2025, after 17 days in coma following a vicious attack on December 9 in which he was stabbed in the neck and abdomen, suffered severe spinal damage, brain haemorrhage and multiple lacerations.
Anjel’s father, Tarun Prasad Chakma — a serving BSF jawan posted in Manipur — gave a heartbreaking interview to NDTV, pleading for change: “No one should lose their child the way I did. I would like to tell the country that no child who has gone outside to study should face this. I want the entire government of Uttarakhand and the entire government of India to stop this. I want that no child from the Northeast should be treated like this in Bangalore, Dehradun, Delhi.”
According to police and family accounts, Anjel and his brother Michael were taunted with racial slurs — including “Chinese momo” and “Chinki” — during an argument. When they objected, the confrontation turned deadly. The family has demanded a CBI probe, alleging initial police reluctance to register an FIR (filed only after pressure from student unions and senior officers).
The killing has triggered massive protests in Agartala, Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal and Delhi, with thousands of students, civil society groups and citizens blocking roads and demanding swift justice and nationwide protection for Northeast students. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha condemned the attack and assured full cooperation with Uttarakhand authorities.
The tragedy has once again exposed the deep-rooted racism many from the Northeast face — the slurs, housing discrimination, physical assaults — and renewed calls for a dedicated hate-crime law and better integration measures.
Political leaders from across the spectrum reacted strongly to the killing. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha described the incident as heinous and promised complete support to the family while coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities for justice. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the murder an attack on every Indian and urged the Centre to enact strong laws against racial discrimination. CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat condemned the long-standing unchecked racism and pressed for this case to be prosecuted as a hate crime with immediate safeguards for Northeast students.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal expressed heartbreak and demanded strict action against racial violence. TMC MP Derek O’Brien said India has repeatedly failed its brothers and sisters from the Northeast and stressed the urgent need for real accountability instead of mere words
