Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma has demanded that Delhi-based content creator Amir Shokeen be brought to Tripura for investigation into the alleged racial harassment of a youth from the state. He described the incident as an insult to the people of Tripura and their cultural identity.
Debbarma said he had filed a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the incident and argued that questioning Shokeen at a police station in Delhi would not be sufficient. He called for the case to be investigated in Tripura and urged authorities to ensure accountability to prevent similar incidents.
Speaking about the alleged harassment, Debbarma claimed that Shokeen had used derogatory language against Tripura and made offensive remarks about the youth’s physical appearance, including allegedly calling him “Chinese” and “Chinki” and comparing him to Michael Jackson. He also alleged that the content creator had touched the youth during the encounter.
Debbarma rejected Shokeen’s reported explanation that the remarks were intended as a joke and an expression of brotherhood. He argued that racial stereotyping and vulgar remarks could not be justified as humour.
“The word that Amir Shokeen has used for our state Tripura, I cannot even say it,” Debbarma said. He added that the alleged remarks insulted not only the Tiprasa community but also the people of Tripura as a whole and the state’s revered deity, Tripura Sundari.
The Tipra Motha founder called for Shokeen to be brought to Tripura so that he could understand the state’s history, culture and identity. He said accountability was necessary to deter similar incidents in the future.
Debbarma also said he had spoken to the youth, who is from the Ananda Bazaar area of Kanchanpur in Tripura, and offered assistance if he wished to return to the state.
The incident has renewed concerns over racial stereotyping and the treatment of people from Northeast India in other parts of the country. Further details of the police investigation and an official response from Shokeen were not available in the information provided.