Agartala, October 21: Tipra Motha Party founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Wednesday called for strict action against individuals allegedly making fun of a youth from Tripura through racially offensive remarks, saying such incidents hurt the sentiments of people across the state and should not be dismissed as jokes made for social media publicity.
Speaking to reporters at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala, Pradyot said that although the person involved had reportedly apologised, the incident should be viewed seriously as it reflected the discrimination and humiliation faced by people from the Northeast.
“Someone has made a video mocking Tripura, and I have already spoken about it. I think that gentleman has also apologised. But when people make fun of Tripura and call our people ‘Chinki’ or ‘Chinese’, they may consider it a joke to make their video viral, but it hurts us deeply,” he said.
Emphasising Tripura’s historical and cultural significance, Pradyot questioned the language used in the video, saying that the remarks were not merely an insult to the state’s tribal population but also hurt the sentiments of people across Tripura.
“Tripura is such an ancient state. What kind of name were you using for it? This is not something that hurts only the tribal community; the people of the entire state feel bad about it. We call our revered deity ‘Tripura Sundari’, and what was the first word you used?” he asked.
Pradyot said authorities should take firm action against those responsible, arguing that Tripura’s relatively small size should not encourage outsiders to ridicule its people.
“If something like this happened in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma would have sent his police to apprehend the person and bring him to Assam. I feel that Tripura should also take similar action. These people think our state is small and therefore make fun of us. I think strict action should be taken against such individuals,” he said.
His remarks came amid public outrage over a social media video allegedly mocking a young man from Tripura, which has reignited concerns over racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, when asked about his earlier announcement that he would stay away from active politics, Pradyot reiterated that he had no intention of returning to political life.
“I am not in politics, and I do not intend to be in politics. I want to continue being with my people in the state, but I have already made up my mind that I will not return to politics,” he said.
Expressing disappointment over his experience in politics, the Tipra Motha founder added, “I think people like me should not be in politics because I don’t think I am valued as much.”
Earlier in his interaction with the media, Pradyot extended his wishes for peace, prosperity and development in Tripura. He also said he would continue observing Hojagiri and performing his traditional duties during this period, as he does every year.
“I wish everyone peace and prosperity in Tripura, and I hope there is development across the state,” he said.