India, March 28 -- When Angel Chakma, a young student from Tripura, died in Dehradun after an assault, the Northeast witnessed a familiar ritual: outrage, condolences, and then the fastest exit ramp of all - "isolated incident." That phrase is not neutral. It is political laundering. It cleans the scene, protects reputations, and restores the illusion that India is broadly fair and that prejudice is rare. But for many Indians, especially those from the Northeast, "isolated" is not how racism feels. It feels like a climate - a set of daily signals that say: you can live here, study here, work here, but you will never fully belong. I live in Toronto and often hear slogans like "fit in or f*** off," so I find it relatable.

Angel's death is...