The Tripura government has stepped in following widespread outrage over racial slurs directed at a young man from the state by Delhi-based content creator Amir Shokeen. This incident has reignited concerns over racial stereotyping and discrimination faced by people from the northeast region.
“I had no intention of saying anything bad about anyone. If anyone feels bad, I apologise from the bottom of my heart. I respect everyone. My brothers from Tripura, I apologise to all of you with folded hands. Brotherhood is top priority.
I am sorry,” he said.
Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, the founder of Tipra Motha, also called for strict action against those responsible. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is from Arunachal Pradesh, reacted strongly to the incident, expressing confidence that the police would take action despite a delay in filing an official complaint. “This evil man will be punished. There was delay in lodging the official complaint but Delhi Police and Tripura Police will teach him a hard lesson. The latest matter raised a fundamental question about the treatment of people from the northeast in other parts of the country and the social attitudes that allow racial prejudice to persist.
On October 21, he emphasised that racial remarks against people from Tripura should not be dismissed as jokes or treated as an attempt to gain attention on social media.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha directed the state’s director general of police (DGP) to coordinate with the Delhi Police over the matter, assuring that the law will take its course, a statement said. Such incidents demand accountability and a clear response against discrimination, he said. People who tolerate such wicked behavior in the society are also responsible for the spread of hatred,” he said in a post on X. When racial abuse is dismissed as humour, when bystanders laugh at another person’s humiliation or when discriminatory content is circulated for entertainment, society creates an environment in which prejudice becomes normalised, they said.
