'One Bhaiya called me Chinese': Arunachal girl explains viral 'I am Indian' video

ITANAGAR — A young girl from Arunachal Pradesh, whose heartfelt response to being called "Chinese" won hearts online, told IANS on Saturday why she made the now-viral video, firmly asserting her Indian identity.

Karga Tinkle Gongo, a young girl from Itanagar, went viral on social media after responding to comments referring to her as “Chinese.” Speaking to IANS on Saturday, Karga Tinkle explained that she was upset when someone addressed her that way.

“One Bhaiya called me Chinese, so I told him, ‘Don’t call me Chinese, call me Indian',” she said.

Karga Tinkle also sang the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, in the video, further expressing her love for the country and her identity as an Indian.

Her mother said the family had never imagined that the video would receive such widespread attention on social media. According to her, Karga Tinkle was deeply hurt by the comment that triggered the little girl's response.

“We never even imagined that our video would go viral like this. Karga Tinkle was also feeling a bit hurt,” her mother told IANS.

She explained that she had been recording Karga Tinkle while she was buying an ice cream. Karga Tinkle had asked for Rs 10, and after receiving the money, she bought the ice cream while her mother recorded the moment and later posted the video online.

However, a social media user commented, “Why is this Chinese child speaking Hindi? Does a Chinese child even speak Hindi?”

“I told Tinkle that someone was calling her a Chinese child. She became very sad and said, ‘We are not Chinese, we are Indian',” her mother recalled.

Speaking about the incident, Karga Tinkle said, “It is not good to call us Chinese only because of our looks. We are Indian."

In the viral video, the young girl can be heard saying, “Hum bhi India hain. Hum log Indian hain. Aap humko Chinese bolne se hum bahut gussa hote hain, bahut dukhi hote hain. Humko Indian bolo. Hum India ke hain. Hum Itanagar mein rehte hain.”