A fatal assault on two brothers from India’s northeastern region has exposed deep-seated racial tensions and sparked nationwide demands for legal reforms. Anjel Chakma, 24, succumbed to stab wounds seventeen days after being attacked alongside his brother Michael in Dehradun on December 9. The siblings, who had migrated from Tripura for education, faced racial slurs before the physical assault occurred according to their father Tarun Chakma.
Uttarakhand police have detained five suspects but controversially denied racial motivations behind the violence—a position vehemently contested by the victims’ family. This incident has amplified longstanding concerns about systemic discrimination faced by northeastern communities in major Indian cities, where they frequently endure racial profiling, housing discrimination, and public harassment based on physical features.
The tragedy has triggered protests across multiple cities and revived painful memories of similar cases, including the 2014 killing of Nido Tania in Delhi. Activists note that despite government committees and recommendations following previous incidents, meaningful legislative action remains absent. The federal government’s crime reports notably exclude segregated data on racial violence, obscuring the scale of the problem.
For northeastern migrants like Ambika Phonglo and Mary Wahlang, daily microaggressions and overt racism have become routine experiences. Many resort to living in segregated neighborhoods for safety and cultural preservation. Alana Golmei of a government-formed monitoring committee emphasizes that dismissing such attacks as isolated incidents exacerbates the problem, noting that acceptance and acknowledgment must precede solutions.
The Chakma family’s tragedy has renewed calls for specific anti-racism legislation, with advocacy groups citing successful precedents in dowry and caste-based violence laws. As Tarun Chakma mourns his elder son, he faces an impossible choice regarding his surviving son’s education—balancing safety concerns against the pursuit of opportunity that originally motivated their journey from Tripura.