I AM AN INDIAN, NOT CHINESE: When Your Face Becomes a Question

By Kabit Pabin

I AM AN INDIAN, NOT CHINESE is a personal manifesto on identity, dignity, and belonging. Blending memoir, social commentary, and constitutional ideals, Kabit Pabin recounts the lived experiences of a young man from Arunachal Pradesh who repeatedly finds his Indian identity questioned because of his appearance.

Across six chapters, the book explores racial prejudice against Northeastern Indians through deeply personal stories—being called “Chinese,” mocked during the COVID-19 pandemic, profiled in public spaces, and treated as a foreigner in his own country. Yet the book refuses to end in bitterness. Instead, it argues that ignorance can be challenged through education, empathy, and fraternity while deliberate hatred must be confronted with justice and collective courage.

Rather than portraying India as an enemy, the author distinguishes between prejudice and the nation itself. He expresses an enduring patriotism rooted in the Constitution’s promise of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, insisting that loving one’s country also means confronting its failures honestly.

The manifesto also pays tribute to the sacrifices of Northeastern communities, the resilience of students pursuing education far from home, and the often-overlooked contribution of border regions to India’s history and security. It calls for better education, stronger social awareness, and a broader understanding of what it truly means to be Indian.

Ultimately, this is not a book about demanding sympathy. It is a declaration of belonging. It asks readers to look beyond stereotypes and recognise that India’s greatest strength lies in its diversity. Through personal testimony and reflection, Kabit Pabin reminds us that no citizen should ever have to prove they belong because of the way they look.

I am an Indian. Not because I must prove it—but because it has always been true.