Racial slurs and assaults on Northeastern people outside the North East region, in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, are unfortunately not new. In these places, Northeastern people are often judged by their appearances. However, in a state like Tripura, where 70% of the population is Bengali and the remaining 30% are predominantly tribals, the same issues of racism and discrimination also persist. The October 4 incident, where an indigenous Traffic police officer was verbally assaulted with racial slurs, often keeps happening in Tripura.
What was different this time is that, it was caught on camera, which made people's angry reactions pretty much inevitable. Following the release of the video on social media, widespread anger erupted within the Indigenous Tribal communities. Civil society groups, student organizations, political parties, and public figures swiftly condemned the act and demanded the arrest of the culprits. One of the assaulters, identified as Dip Datta (23), was arrested on October 5 and booked under The Schedules Castes & The Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, the remaining perpetrators are also expected to face consequences. But now, What’s next?
The racial and communal divisions in Tripura are not new. The state has witnessed similar and even worse instances of tension. Discrimination against the tribal community is woven into the fabric of governance and, more disturbingly, ingrained in the mindset of many citizens, from both side regardless of their community.
While the specific words used during the racial slur may not matter, their derogatory and hateful nature is what is important. Though the slur mentioned the surname "Debbarma," it was clearly aimed at the larger indigenous and tribal communities. This incident has once again reminded the people of Tripura that society remains deeply divided along racial lines, with individuals being judged by their looks, dress, and culture. For many tribals in Tripura, the experience of racism is a daily, uncountable struggle.
Over the years, Tiprasa students protesting for their rights, such as the right to choose a script for their language, have been labeled as "terrorists (Ugrawadi)." Those living in the hills are frequently stereotyped as "uncivilized," "backward," or "jungle people," often by the Bengali population. These stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes fuel incidents like the one on October 4. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, where indigenous Tiprasas are subjected to verbal and physical assaults simply because of their appearance. Even high-ranking Tiprasa police officers, doctors, government officials, politicians, and engineers are not immune to this discrimination.
Such incidents lay the groundwork for larger ethnic tensions, like of the 1980 Riots in the state. Advocates of communal harmony in Tripura often discourage discussions about racial or communal tensions, arguing that doing so may disrupt the fragile (imaginary) peace. However, these communal tensions are far from imaginary, as incidents like this debunk any notions of communal harmony.
If real efforts to restore communal harmony and build trust among communities are not made, a similar scenario like that of Manipur state is an inevitable future of Tripura.