'The worst part is that after the attack on December 9, the Dehradun police refused to register an FIR for the murder.'
'I am not Chinese. I am an Indian.'
This was what 24-year-old Anjel Chakma, a student from Tripura who was violently attacked by a racist mob on December 9, 2025 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, told his killers.
When Anjel and his brother Michael went to buy household items in Dehradun's Selakui locality, a group of intoxicated men began using racial slurs against them.
When Anjel objected to their remarks, the men turned violent and attacked him with rods and knives, according to the first information report. After fighting for his life for 16 days at a hospital in Dehradun, Anjel died.
The Dehradun police now claims no racial slurs were used against Anjel that led to his fight with the goons and eventually his death.
In the opinion of Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh, Anjel's death does not fall in the racist category.
This has created a furore among Indian students from the north east across India. They demand that strict action be taken against all the accused responsible for Anjel Chakma's death.
"Our opinion is that these murder accused were locals with good political connections, therefore the Dehradun police wanted to protect the killers," Drishya M Chakma, President, All India Chakma Students Union, tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh says the attack on Anjel Chakma was not provoked by a racist comment.
I don't know what type of definition he is talking of. Someone is calling you 'Chinki' 'Chinese', 'Momos' when you are an Indian citizen to which Anjel Chakma protested. He was kicked and beaten up by goons in Dehradun which led to his death.
If this is not racial comments, then I don't know what kind of comments this comes under according to the Dehradun police.
Are you sure Anjel was called 'Chinki', 'Chinese', 'Momos'?
Yes, because Anjel's younger brother Michael was present when the attack took place. The Dehradun police refuses to believe Michael, but believes the accused who murdered Anjel.
The worst part is that after the attack on December 9, the Dehradun police refused to register an FIR for the murder.
Our student leader Vipul Chakma along with Deepa Chakma, who is from Tripura and works for the Delhi police, had to go to Dehradun and put pressure on the Dehradun police to register an FIR.
We had to put pressure on the police through some people whom we knew in Dehradun to register the case.
After 3 days, on December 12, the Dehradun police finally registered the case.
This happened even though Anjel's father is a soldier with the Border Security Force guarding India's borders. Yet no case was registered for his son's death.
That is what happened. His father wanted to retire early as Anjel told him to do so. Anjel got a job in a German multinational company from the college campus.
But he has been killed now. The dream of his family is shattered forever.
What happened according to you?
Anjel and Michael were going on a motorbike to a market in Dehradun on December 9 around 6 to 7 pm. Anjel was driving and Michael was sitting behind him.
Some goons made a comment, 'Aey chicken momo, aey Chinese kahan ja raha hai (You chicken momos, you Chinese, where are you going?)'. Anjel then stopped the motorbike and told the goons that they were from Tripura and not Chinese.
This led to an argument in which the goons started beating Michael.
When Anjel intervened to protect his brother they took out a knife and rods and killed him.
Anjel was rushed to hospital and his friends went to file an FIR, but the police did not register the case.
The doctors too did not inform the police about this case. It was their duty to do so, but they did not do. (Anjel died 16 days later on December 25.)
Were these killers acquainted with Anjel before this incident?
No, they never met him earlier. They commented 'Momos' and 'Chinese' to Anjel and his brother which resulted in his death. The attackers also threatened Michael that if he informed the police he too would meet the same fate as Anjel.
Why was the Dehradun police trying to dismiss the case?
Our opinion is that these murder accused were locals with good political connections, therefore the Dehradun police wanted to protect the killers.
One accused has run away (to Nepal) and is absconding.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called Angel Chakma's father after Anjel's death and assured Mr. Chakma that strict action would be taken against the murderers.
This is reassuring for sure, but we are not satisfied with the way the Dehradun police is giving contradicting statements daily.
They have sidelined the statement of the victim's family member, Anjel's brother Michael Chakma.
The police claimed earlier that Michael and Anjel were drinking after which the argument broke out. We reject such statements.
The racial slurs the murderers used against Anjel and Michael -- do students from the north east face these slurs in other parts of India?
I too faced these kind of slurs in Delhi. I studied in north India for 12 years.
You go to a market as a north east Indian student, even hawkers will call you, 'Aey Momo kya lena hai? (Aey, Momo, what do you want to buy?) 'Chinki kya lena hai? (You Chinki, what do you want?)'
In cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru these kinds of statements against north east Indian students are found on a lesser scale.
Are we failing as a society that we have not been able to sensitise people about Indians from the north east?
Society and governments have to take responsibility.
In 2014, a young student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, was murdered in Lajpat Nagar, Delhi.
He was insulted racially which led to a fight with locals which led to his murder. Later, all the accused were sentenced to jail.
After that, the Bezbaruah Committee was formed and it recommended what should be done across metro cities, what the government should do for students or migrants from north east India.
Unfortunately, it remained only on paper and implementation was not done on the ground.
In north east India we know where Mumbai is, who are the people who live in Mumbai, for that matter even Chennai or Delhi.
But in north India in particular, if you ask them where Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur or Nagaland is, they will not know.
They will not know how many tribes exist in the north east. They do not have basic awareness. I believe there has to be a change in the school syllabus which has to include these things.
The rest of India at the school level must be taught the culture and tribes of north east India.
Anjel Chakma's death has shocked the nation. Do you think this will lead to some change on the ground?
People have suddenly become more aware of the racial slurs that north east students face in other parts of the country.
People who want to change these things will ensure they change it, but those who do not want it to change they will be the way they are.
The ruling party, Opposition parties need to speak about these issues in Parliament.
What can we do online to change this mentality?
One thing that is happening is that people from the rest of India have started coming to the north east.
Last week I saw people from north India visiting Kohima. He was saying (on social media) that he always thought that north east Indians eat all kind of vague things, but that is not the case. Such things change people's attitudes.
Eat all kind of things? Do you mean the belief that north east Indians eat dogs?
Yes, it is true. When I was in boarding school I was asked do I eat dogs? I used to feel bad, but later I realised that they were ignorant due to lack of awareness.
Now, they know more about north east Indians, therefore things are changing.
Do you feel we need to have a law like the Atrocities Act which we have to protect Dalits where one cannot make racial slurs against north east Indians?
There is already a law protecting scheduled tribes. Anjel Chakma belonged to a scheduled tribe. The SC/ST Act has not been added even now in the Dehradun police'S FIR against Anjel's killers.
There is negligence from the police as they do not want this case to be taken seriously.
Once they impose this ST Act against Anjel's killers the case will have to be taken very seriously as they will be responsible to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
We have written to the police that they must add the ST Act against Anjel's killers.
We are also stating that the Bezbaruah Committee's recommendations must be implemented.
Helpline numbers for north east students must be available in all major cities.
Right now only Delhi has a special cell and a helpline phone number (1093) dedicated for north east Indians (external link).
We are supposed to know each other as Indians.
We celebrate Bhrigu Phukan's victory against foreign invaders, then what is the point if someone from north east India gets killed just because of his looks?
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