Arunachal girl’s ‘Indian’ reply to ‘Chinese’ taunt goes viral

A video of a young girl from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, has gone viral on social media after she was asked if she was 'Chinese' because of her appearance. In the clip, the child says she feels hurt and angry when people question her nationality. "Hum log Indian hain. Aap humko Chinese bolne se hum bohot gussa hotey hain, bohot dukhi hote hain. Hum India ka hai," she says in Hindi, adding that she lives in Itanagar.

The emotional response has sparked a wider conversation about stereotypes faced by people from Northeast India, who often have their nationality questioned based on their facial features. Many social media users praised the girl for confidently standing up for her identity. One user wrote that no child should have to plead for recognition in her own country, while another said the rest of India must understand that people from the Northeast are family.