Agartala, April 10: Ruling BJP alliance Tipra Motha founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Thursday appeared before the District and Sessions Court in West Tripura to record his statement in connection with a case he filed in 2023 under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for defamation.
The case stems from a social media post dated July 17, 2023, in which one Saikat Talapatra allegedly made a racial slur targeting Tripura’s indigenous population and Debbarma himself, referring to them as “Chinese.” The post, shared on Facebook, prompted Debbarma to lodge a formal complaint on October 14, 2023.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Debbarma refrained from delving into details due to the subjudice nature of the case. However, he strongly condemned the remark, stating, “This is not just a personal attack but an insult to the entire indigenous community of Tripura and my family. It’s unfortunate that such mentality still exists.”
Debbarma further added that racial discrimination isn’t only faced by students and individuals from the Northeast in other parts of India but is also prevalent within the region itself. “Such comments hurt the sentiments of the indigenous population. I filed this case to stand up for my community and uphold the dignity of our people,” he asserted, expressing confidence in the justice system.
On the same day, the accused Saikat Talapatra, who was arrested from West Bengal more than a year ago, was also produced before the court.
Special Public Prosecutor Raju Datta stated that Talapatra’s social media post had caused significant harm to the image of Tripura’s Scheduled Tribe communities and defamed the Manikya royal family.
He confirmed that the police had completed their investigation and submitted a chargesheet. Thursday marked the beginning of the trial, with Debbarma appearing as the first witness.
The case is being closely followed in the state, given its implications for the rights and dignity of indigenous communities in Tripura.
