'I'm Indian': Tripura student's last words before he was killed in a racial attack
A 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura tragically died after confronting men who hurled racial slurs at him and his brother in Dehradun. The brutal stabbing occurred when the victim asserted his Indian identity. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for justice, with protests erupting across the northeast and student organizations demanding a national law against racial hate crimes.
Family and friends pay tribute to Anjel Chakma at his home in Tripura
DEHRADUN: A 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, who confronted a group of men hurling racial slurs at him and his younger brother, died in a Dehradun hospital on Friday after fighting for his life for over 14 days.
The stabbing happened on Dec 9, minutes after Anjel Chakma said, "We are not Chinese... We are Indians. What certificate should we show to prove that?" The six men allegedly responded with brutal violence.What began as a regular grocery run to the local market in the Selaqui area of Uttarakhand's capital city turned into a fatal confrontation that evening. Anjel and his brother Michael, both students in Dehradun for over a year, were stopped and taunted by a group of men who allegedly referred to them in derogatory terms.
When Anjel calmly stood his ground, the situation turned uglier.
'Tragic that patriotic people of northeast are referred to as Chinese and attacked'Michael would later tell police and friends how his brother calmly but firmly corrected them. That assertion, of identity and dignity, was met with knives. "Soon after Anjel replied, they attacked him and his brother while hurling abuses," said a friend of Anjel's, who remained at the hospital through the two weeks that followed.
"Anjel suffered serious injuries to his neck and spine. Michael is also injured and still in a serious condition.
"The friend requested anonymity, but his voice carried anger and disbelief. "He was one of the calmest, friendliest people. We're all broken by what happened." Anjel's body was flown to Agartala on Saturday, as Tripura erupted in anger. His family was assisted by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, chairman of Tipra Motha Party and a member of the erstwhile Tripura royal family, who had been in touch with the family since the day of the incident and had supported his medical treatment.Speaking to TOI, Debbarma said on Saturday, "It's tragic that the patriotic people of the northeast are called Chinese and attacked. Those who hurl racist slurs forget that it is because of the brave people of the northeast that China cannot enter the country. These incidents don't just hurt families. They divide our people. And when we are divided, we are vulnerable. We don't want that. We want justice."Suraj Debbarma, state president of Youth Tipra Federation, the youth wing of Tipra Motha, who helped coordinate Anjel's last rites, said: "People from the northeast face racial slurs and xenophobic attacks in the north regularly.