Student's Killing in India Sparks Outcry: "How Do We Look Indian?"

The killing of a university student has ignited protests across India and renewed urgent calls for a national anti-racism law. Anjel Chakma, a young man from the northeastern state of Mizoram, was found dead near his college in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Police have arrested several suspects. The case has drawn national attention after a video of Chakma circulated online. In it, he describes being frequently harassed with racist slurs and questioned about his appearance. He directly asks his tormentors, "How do we look Indian?" Many citizens from India's northeastern states, who often have East Asian features, report facing discrimination and violence in other parts of the country. They are sometimes called derogatory names and treated as foreigners. Protesters are demanding justice for Chakma and faster action from authorities. Civil rights groups say this tragedy highlights a persistent problem. They argue that India's existing laws against caste and religious discrimination are not enough and that a specific law targeting racial abuse is needed.