Some deaths show us more than violence. They show us the things that a country like the United States has not yet dealt with. These deaths can be very sad. They make people think about what is really going on in the United States. The deaths expose the fact that the United States has not yet figured out how to make things better for everyone. Some deaths are like that. They expose a nation's conscience, the things that the nation of the United States has not yet made right.
Anjel Chakma's death is really sad. It is not just that a young person died. It also shows us that it is very easy for people to be treated unfairly in a country that says it values having different kinds of people. The country of Anjel Chakma says it is proud of its diversity. Anjel Chakma's death shows that this diversity is not always accepted. Anjel Chakma's death is a reminder that people are often denied the feeling of belonging in the country where Anjel Chakma lived.
Anjel was 24 years old. He was doing the things that a lot of young Indians do every day. He was. Shopping and thinking about his future. He believed that if he worked hard and did things, he would have a good life. When he was about to die, he had to do something that no Indian should ever have to do. He had to prove that he is really Indian.
This article is about what happened to Anjel Chakma. It is not about a crime. It shows us how India is failing to protect its people from hate because of their race. India says it is a country where many different kinds of people can live together. The truth is, there are limits to this. Especially for people from the Northeast. Even though the law says everyone is equal, people from the Northeast still are faced with problems. They are treated unfairly. People say bad things to them. This is a thing in India. Many people think that Northeastern Indians are not from India they think they are foreigners. This is what Anjel Chakma and other Northeastern Indians have to deal with every day.
Students and migrant workers from this region often have to deal with cities where people look at them in a certain way. They get looks because of the way they look. Some people make fun of the way migrant workers talk. The food that students and migrant workers eat is often underestimated.People think that students and migrant workers are only staying for a while and that they can be gotten rid of when they don’t need them. Students and migrant workers are treated like they do not really belong in some spaces.
This violence is really bad because of the act. Also because nobody talks about it after it happens. People usually say these attacks are one time things of seeing them as part of a bigger problem of treating people unfairly because of their race. The violence is part of a pattern of exclusion and that is what makes it especially bad. People need to talk about the violence and the racial exclusion that goes with it of just saying it is an isolated incident. Racial exclusion is a problem and the violence is a part of it.
Anjel Chakma’s death occurred within this context — one where asserting identity becomes an act of resistance, and survival itself is politicized.
The northern Indian city of Dehradun, located in the Himalayan foothills, was shaken by a violent incident weeks ago.
Brothers Anjel and Michael Chakma – students who had migrated more than 1,500 miles from the north-eastern state of Tripura for studies – had gone to a market on 9 December when they were confronted by a group of men, who allegedly abused them with racial slurs, their father Tarun Chakma told the BBC.
When the brothers protested, they were attacked. Michael Chakma was allegedly struck on the head with a metal bracelet, while Anjel Chakma suffered stab wounds. Michael has recovered but Anjel died 17 days later in hospital, he says.
On December 9 2025 Anjel Chakma and his younger brother Michael went to Selaqui in Dehradun to buy some things. Some men started saying things to them. They said some really mean words to Anjel Chakma. They called him Chinese. Anjel Chakma told them that he is not Chinese he is an Indian. Then things got really bad. The men started fighting with Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael. It was a violent fight. Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael were hurt by the men. The men were being very mean, to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael. They did not like that Anjel Chakma is an Indian.
The people who attacked Anjel used rods and a knife. They hurt Anjel badly especially on his head and spine. Anjel fought for his life for 17 days in a roll. Then he gave up the ghost from his injuries on December 26 2025. Anjels injuries were just too much to handle.
What happened next showed us how bad the crime really was:
The police caught five people who are accused of doing something. Two of these people are very young they are minors. The five accused people are now, under arrest.
The main person they think did it ran away to Nepal so now they are offering a reward of ₹1 lakh for anyone who can give them some information, about the suspect. The police really want to catch the suspect, and that is why they are giving a ₹1 lakh reward.
A special team was formed to look into things. This team is called a Special Investigation Team. The Special Investigation Team was made to investigate.
A court case was filed in the Supreme Court. This case is called a Public Interest Litigation. The people who filed this Public Interest Litigation want the court to do something about slurs. They think racial slurs should be treated as hate crimes.
Student organisations are demanding a law that will stop racism. They want institutions to be held accountable for their actions. The student organisations want this anti-racism law to be put in place. They are also asking for accountability in these Northeastern states, including Tripura and Assam.
What makes Angel's situation really bad is that the attack was really violent, and it is clear why it happened in the first place. He was beaten up because of how he appeared. Because he said he belonged there. Anjel needs justice, not just people getting arrested and officials making statements. India needs to face a fact: people from Northeastern communities are treated unfairly on purpose, not by accident, and when we say nothing, it makes things worse. Justice, for Anjel, means we have to talk about the racism that Northeastern communities face every day.
A country that cannot keep its people safe when they say they belong somewhere has to think about something hard. What is wrong with this country if its people get killed for saying they are part of it? A nation like this has to ask itself a question.
Who is allowed to be Indian without justification?
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