The recent murder of Tripura student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun has reopened old wounds for Takam Todo, a parkour athlete from Arunachal Pradesh famously known as the 'Spiderman of Arunachal'. For Todo, the incident is a painful reminder of his own brutal attack in Pune nearly a decade ago, highlighting the persistent racial discrimination faced by people from India's Northeastern states in other parts of the country.
A Painful Past Resurfaces
Now 26 and based in Itanagar, Takam Todo was just 17 when his life was threatened. On August 14, 2016, he was a second-year civil engineering diploma student at a government polytechnic college in Pune. While talking to friends on campus around 9 PM, the light from his torch accidentally fell on a group of men drinking alcohol. This simple act triggered a violent assault.
"They slapped and hit me… things got out of control and they finally hit me on my head with a big stone while shouting that I was an outsider," Todo recounted to The Indian Express. His friends scattered, some to call security, others fleeing in fear. Left bleeding and alone, Todo believes he was targeted "because of my looks" and because his attackers saw him as an outsider with no local support.
The Struggle for Justice and a New Life
Bleeding and scared, Todo dragged himself to the Chaturshringi police station. However, his quest for justice hit an immediate wall. The police initially refused to file a complaint as he could not identify his assailants. It was only six days later, on August 20, 2016, and after the North East Community of Pune rallied behind him, that an FIR was registered against unidentified persons.
The investigation yielded no breakthroughs. Despite then-Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla expressing regret and promising action, the case went cold. "I contacted the police a few times later. But there was no development, nothing," said Todo, who eventually shifted back to Arunachal Pradesh in March 2020 and completed his B.Tech.
Todo credits his survival to his passion for parkour, a discipline he taught himself by watching action films and online videos. This skill later catapulted him to fame. A 2019 YouTube video of him performing as Spiderman, titled "Spiderman Jumping in Pune (India)", garnered over 25 million views, earning him his iconic nickname and opportunities in movie stunts.
A Unified Call Against Discrimination
Today, while preparing for competitive exams for a government job, Todo's focus is on seeking justice for Anjel Chakma and supporting protests against hate crimes. Chakma, the son of a BSF head constable and a promising MBA student placed in a private company, was killed in Dehradun in late December 2025 after a scuffle with six youths who allegedly used racial slurs.
For Todo, the parallel is stark and tragic. "It is unfortunate that people of the Northeast continue to face discrimination in other parts of the country because they look different. We are Indians, not Chinese or outsiders," he stated emphatically.
Having endured a similar ordeal, Todo's message is clear: "Having gone through that, I demand justice for Anjel Chakma and I support the ongoing protests against hate crimes and discrimination against Northeast Indians." His journey from a bleeding teenager on a Pune campus to a viral parkour star is now underscored by a more profound mission—to fight for dignity and safety for all Indians from the Northeast.
