Agartala , 24 October (H.S.): Tipra Motha

Party founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma has demanded stringent action

against social media content creator Amir Shokeen, who has been remanded to

five days of police custody by a Delhi court in a case involving alleged racial

remarks against a youth from Tripura, saying imprisonment alone would not be

enough to deter racial discrimination.

A Delhi court

remanded Shokeen to five days of police custody in connection with the alleged

racial abuse of Lesenjit Reang, a resident of Anandabazar in Tripura, in a

video. According to details of the court proceedings, the accused will be taken

to Ahmedabad for identification and to facilitate the arrest of other persons

allegedly involved in the case.

Welcoming the

arrest, Deb Barma said the case should serve as a precedent against

discrimination based on a person's region, home state, physical appearance or

community.

“I am happy

that he has been arrested, but he should be made an example of,” Deb Barma

said, alleging that the incident appeared to have been driven by the desire to

attract online views and earn money.

He argued that

arrest and imprisonment alone would not be sufficient to address the problem

and called for the blocking of Shokeen's social media channel. He also demanded

action against other content creators who allegedly resort to similar tactics

to make their videos go viral.

Deb Barma said

he remained in regular contact with the Tripura Students Forum (TSF) in Delhi

and frequently met its members. He also confirmed that Reang had arrived to

meet him.

Recounting his

encounter with Shokeen, Reang said he had never met the accused before and had

no prior acquaintance with him. He said Shokeen had introduced himself as a

friend of one of his friends.

“He simply

referred to himself as a friend of one of my friends. I didn't know him

beforehand. I do know another friend of his, but I had never seen him before.

That was the first time I ever saw him,” Reang said.

The case has

renewed concerns over alleged racial harassment and discriminatory remarks

targeting people from the Northeast in other parts of the country. It has also

brought the role of social media content creators under scrutiny, particularly

when videos allegedly targeting people on the basis of their regional identity

are circulated for online attention and monetary gain.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhijit Deb