“I am not Chinese… I am an Indian.” Student Killed in Racist Attack

A 24-year-old MBA student​ from Tripura, Anjel Chakma, died in a Dehradun​ hospital in the early hours of Friday​ after more than two weeks​ in intensive care following a violent assault on December 9​ in Selaqui. He and his younger brother Michael​ were buying groceries when a group of inebriated men hurled racial slurs, calling them “Chinese.” Witnesses said the confrontation escalated when the attackers struck Michael on the head with a kada​ and stabbed Anjel in the neck and stomach. Anjel was admitted to a private hospital’s ICU and succumbed to his injuries; Michael remains in serious condition. The body was flown to Agartala​ on Saturday, triggering protests and outrage across Tripura​ and other northeastern states. Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma​ of the Tipra Motha Party​ assisted the family and called for justice. Police registered a case on December 12​ on Michael’s complaint; five​ of the six​ accused, including two juveniles, were arrested on December 14. The main accused, Yagya Awasthi, is believed to have fled to Nepal, with a Rs 25,000​ reward for information leading to his arrest. Following Anjel’s death, the case was upgraded to murder, and efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused, according to SP Rural Pankaj Gairola. Student groups have staged protests demanding stronger protections against racial violence and a national anti-hate-crime law.