A four-year-old girl from Arunachal Pradesh has sparked a wider conversation about identity and prejudice after she responded to a comment calling her “Chinese” by firmly asserting her Indian identity.
Karga Tinkle Gongo, from Itanagar, went viral on social media after saying, “Don’t call me Chinese, call me Indian.” She also sang the national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana”, in the video.
“One Bhaiya called me Chinese, so I told him, ‘Don’t call me Chinese, call me Indian’,” Tinkle told reporters, explaining what prompted the video.
#WATCH | Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh: Karga Tinkle Gongo, a 4-year-old from Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, went viral on social media after responding to a comment calling her “Chinese”
Tinkle Karga Gongo says, “Don’t call us Chinese. Call us Indians. It makes me angry…” pic.twitter.com/mwBJnAENbf
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2026
‘No One Should Make Such Remarks’
Tinkle’s father said the family learnt about the video’s reach several days after it was recorded, when calls and interview requests began pouring in.
“Whether it involves a child or an adult, no one should make such remarks. It is a good thing that my daughter raised her voice,” he said.
He added that the family hoped people across India would understand the issue and the hurt his daughter experienced.
“If an incursion is taking place, it is deeply saddening, because we certainly don’t want to go to China; we want to remain right here in India,” he said.
How Video Came About
Tinkle’s mother, Aiyum Karde, said the incident began when her daughter asked for money to buy ice cream.
She took Tinkle out to buy it, and they spoke in Hindi. After returning, Tinkle told her friends about the ice cream.
Karde said someone subsequently commented, “Why is this Chinese child speaking Hindi? Do Chinese children know how to speak Hindi?”
“I told Tinkle, ‘Look, someone is calling you Chinese. They are asking if you are Chinese or Indian.’ She replied, ‘No, I am Indian. I am Indian. My dad is Indian too, and so am I,’” Karde said.
#WATCH | Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh: Tinkle Karga Gongo’s mother, Aiyum Karde, says, “It all started when my daughter came to me asking for money to buy ice cream…I took her out to buy the ice cream, and we spoke in Hindi there; Tinkle spoke Hindi too. After we bought it,… pic.twitter.com/x2pvVLji8j
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2026
Tinkle then insisted that her mother immediately make and post a video addressing the remark.
“She expressed her emotions so clearly. I posted the video, and it went viral. We had no idea it would go so viral,” Karde said.
She added that the attention had also helped bring positive focus to the Northeast.
