“We Are Indians”: Tripura Youth Killed After Racial Abuse in Uttarakhand
Tripura MBA student dies after confronting 'Chinese' taunt.
A 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, Angel Chakma, tragically succumbed to severe injuries on December 27, 2025, at a Dehradun hospital after remaining on ventilator support for 14 agonizing days following a brutal stabbing attack triggered by racial abuse in Uttarakhand's capital city.
The violent incident unfolded on the evening of December 9, 2025, in the bustling Selaqui market area when Angel and his younger brother Michael Chakma were confronted by a group of local youths who hurled derogatory racial slurs, mockingly referring to them as "Chinese" despite their clear Northeast Indian features.
Angel responded with composure and dignity, calmly asserting, "We are not Chinese; we are Indians. What certificate do we need to show to prove our Indian identity?"—a statement that unfortunately enraged the assailants, rapidly escalating the verbal confrontation into a savage physical assault involving knives that left Angel with life-threatening wounds to his neck and spine.
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His brother Michael also sustained serious injuries during the frenzy, which police investigations later revealed may have originated from a minor dispute over purchasing liquor from a local vendor, but quickly devolved into racially charged violence; Angel's body was subsequently flown back to Agartala amid profound grief, where it was received by family and community members expressing deep anger over the senseless loss.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami strongly condemned the heinous act as utterly unacceptable, pledging zero tolerance for anarchy and assuring that perpetrators would face the full rigor of the law, while police upgraded the case to murder under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, arrested five suspects including two minors, announced a ₹25,000 reward, and intensified the manhunt for the prime accused Yagya Awasthi suspected of fleeing to Nepal; the tragedy has sparked widespread protests across Tripura and other Northeastern states, with student organizations rallying for swift justice and the urgent enactment of a dedicated national law to combat racially motivated hate crimes.
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