The death of Anjel Chakma, a young student from Tripura studying in Dehradun, is not merely a criminal incident—it is a moral indictment of a society that continues to deny, normalise, and excuse its deep-seated prejudices against people from India’s North-East. Chakma succumbed to his injuries after being brutally assaulted by local goons, reportedly under the influence of alcohol. To dismiss this as a routine law-and-order issue—or worse, to deny its hate-driven nature—is nothing short of institutional cowardice.
Uttarakhand was carved out of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh with a distinct identity—Dev Bhoomi, the land of the gods, home to some of Hinduism’s most sacred temples nestled in the Himalayas. This state cannot, and must not, allow barbarity masquerading as casual violence to define its streets. When a student is targeted, abused, and beaten because of his appearance, ethnicity, or regional identity, it is not “just a fight.” It is a hate crime, plain and simple.
For decades, people from the North-Eastern states have endured racial slurs, casual dehumanisation, and outright violence across India. Being mocked as “Chinese,” “Mongolian,” or treated as foreigners in their own country is not harmless banter—it is the language of exclusion. Such everyday racism creates a social ecosystem where violence becomes normalised, even subconsciously justified. Anjel Chakma’s death is the tragic end product of that ecosystem.
This is particularly disturbing because, since 2014, the North-East has finally begun receiving sustained national attention after decades of neglect. The Narendra Modi government has pushed connectivity, infrastructure, and economic integration in a region long treated as peripheral—bringing roads, railways, air connectivity, and development projects to areas once cut off from the national mainstream. The “Act East” policy and a clear political focus have sought to integrate the North-East not just geographically, but psychologically, into the idea of India. Against this backdrop, continued hate crimes against North-Eastern students—whether in the national capital, Dehradun, or elsewhere—are not just deplorable; they are a betrayal of that very vision of integration.
What is even more alarming is the response—or the lack of moral clarity—from law enforcement. The local SSP’s denial that this was a hate crime is appalling. It reflects an institutional reluctance to confront uncomfortable truths. When police downplay motive, they embolden perpetrators and send a chilling message to victims: your suffering will be administratively diluted. Justice begins with truth, and truth begins with acknowledging why a crime occurred.
“New Bharat” speaks endlessly of unity, integration, and Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. These slogans ring hollow when citizens from the North-East continue to be treated as outsiders in mainland cities. Students leave Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, or Mizoram trusting that the Indian state will protect them. That trust is shattered every time such crimes are brushed aside as drunken brawls or personal disputes.
Let there be no ambiguity: intoxication is not an excuse—it is an aggravating factor. A society that shrugs off alcohol-fuelled violence is already on a dangerous slope. A police force that hides behind technicalities instead of pursuing justice with intent is failing its constitutional duty. The perpetrators must be booked under the strictest provisions of law, including sections dealing with hate crimes and culpable homicide. Anything less would amount to a betrayal of both the victim and the idea of India.
This is not about regional sentimentality; it is about national integrity. If people from the North-East are unsafe in Dehradun today, they are unsafe in Delhi, Bengaluru, or Pune tomorrow. Racism, once tolerated, never remains geographically contained.
The Uttarakhand Police and the state government must act decisively—not with cosmetic arrests or evasive statements, but with firm legal action and public accountability. Silence and denial are no longer options. Dev Bhoomi must decide whether it stands by the values it claims to uphold, or whether it will allow hate to desecrate its sacred identity.
Anjel Chakma deserved safety, dignity, and justice.
India owes him nothing less.
