India
oi-Swastika Sruti
A four-year-old girl from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, has become the focus of widespread attention on social media after a video of her responding to a comment calling her “Chinese” went viral.
A four-year-old girl, Tinkle Karga Gongo from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, became widely known after a viral video showed her insisting “Call us Indians” when mistaken for Chinese, addressing racial stereotyping faced by people from Northeast India.
In the video, little Tinkle Karga Gongo can be heard objecting to the remark and saying, “Don’t call us Chinese. Call us Indians. It makes me angry.” Her brief but firm response has struck a chord with many people online, bringing renewed attention to the experiences of people from India’s northeastern states and the insensitive comments they sometimes face because of their appearance.
Tinkle’s Simple Message Goes Viral
Video where Tinkle responds to the offensive comment went viral on social media platforms, and many commended the little girl who spoke against the offensive comment.
Even at such an age, Tinkle was able to show that she felt bad when referred to as Chinese. The video has been circulating widely as a wake-up call to everyone reminding them that Indians from the northeast are Indian citizens and cannot be associated with any other country simply because of the way they look.
#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
The video has also opened doors to discussions concerning racial stereotyping.
Father Says The Family Received Calls From Across India
Tinkle’s father said the family came to know about the video only a few days after it was recorded, when it began circulating on social media.
He said calls started coming from different parts of the country, with people asking to speak to Tinkle and requesting interviews with her.
Her father said such remarks should not be made against anyone, whether the person is a child or an adult. He also said he was glad that his daughter had spoken up about something that made her uncomfortable.
#WATCH | Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh: Tinkle Karga Gongo’s father says, “We learned about the video from social media after a few days it was made…calls are pouring in from everywhere…people are calling to request interviews with my daughter…whether it involves a child or… pic.twitter.com/0LwNcyxbGD
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2026
He expressed hope that people across the country would understand the issue and recognise the hurt caused by such comments.
‘We Want To Remain Right Here In India’
Tinkle’s father also spoke about the family’s strong connection with India and Arunachal Pradesh.
#WATCH | Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh: Tinkle Karga Gongo’s mother Aiyum Karde says, “We are overjoyed…there are so many phone calls coming in, and our daughter has given numerous interviews…people are calling just to express their happiness and say thank you…” pic.twitter.com/xGn2u4mAzW
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2026
He said that if any form of incursion takes place in the region, it is deeply saddening for the family. He stressed that they have no desire to move to China and want to continue living in India.
His comments reflected the family’s frustration with the idea that people from Arunachal Pradesh can be casually identified as Chinese because of their appearance.
Mother Says Family Is Overjoyed By The Support
Tinkle’s mother, Aiyum Karde, said the family was extremely happy with the support the little girl had received. She said numerous calls had been coming in from people who wanted to congratulate Tinkle, thank her and express their happiness after watching the video.
The sudden attention has resulted in Tinkle giving several interviews, turning what began as a short social media video into a much larger public conversation.
A Bigger Conversation About Identity
Tinkle’s response has resonated with many because it touches on a sensitive issue faced by people from India’s Northeast.
India is home to communities with different ethnic backgrounds, languages, cultures and physical features. However, people from the Northeast have often spoken about being stereotyped or mistaken for citizens of other countries because of their appearance.
