Netizens slam YouTuber for racially abusing people of Arunachal

YouTuber and gamer ‘Paras Official’ belonging to Ludhiana in Punjab has embroiled in a major controversary on May 23 when he posted a racially abusive video targeting the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Northeast India.

The YouTuber posted a video trying to condemn Arunachal MLA Ninong Ering’s letter to the prime minister on the launch of Battlegrounds Mobile India which is seen as a return of online game PUBG Mobile in India. In his video, which was viewed and liked by thousands before it was made private, the YouTuber questioned Ering’s nationality and facial looks which he described a “Chinese”.

After receiving severe backlash from the netizens, Paras posted a “sorry video” on YouTube for the people of Arunachal Pradesh. Even in that video, the YouTuber was heard trying to make light of the situation saying that it was just “one word” which could have hurt the people of the Northeast state. “What do I do? Shall I now hang myself,” the YouTuber said while saying sorry!

Netizens from Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of Northeast were furious with the way the region was portrayed by the gamer who has more than 4.5 lakh followers on YouTube besides more than 13,000 followers on Instagram. A number of them called on the Arunachal government to book him under relevant sections of the IPC, SC/ST Act and also bring him to the state like a similar incident was handled by the Nagaland Police last year.

Case registered against Paras, police investigating: CM Pema Khandu

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu informed that the state police has initiated inquiry in the case. “Based on the video that aims at inciting ill will and hatred towards the people of Arunachal Pradesh, state police has already initiated action. A case under has been registered against Mr Paras u/s 124A/ 153A/ 505(2) IPC. Social media account of the person is being thoroughly investigated for details about his activities. Technical resources are being employed to gather his current whereabouts,” the chief minister posted on Facebook.

“Use of social media should be with due caution and any infringement will lead to action as per law,” he added.

DyCM Chowna Mein slams YouTuber Paras Singh

Arunachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Chowna Mein also strongly voiced his opinion on the issue. “I am appalled and greatly dismayed to see a recent YouTube post by one Mr Paras Singh (Bunty) where he has not only questioned the nationality of an MLA from my state of Arunachal Pradesh but also questioned the existence of our state within India. To doubt our nationality because of how we look is a problem most of us from the Northeast of India face regularly in the mainland. What we look like, how we dress, what we eat and how we live makes us no less Indian,” the deputy chief minister wrote.

“We are proud to be a state in the Union of India where even in the interior most we greet each other with a ‘Jai Hind’ and primary school children even in the border villages sing ‘Sare Jahan se Achha, Hindustan Hamara’ with pride.  I strongly condemn this racist and arrogant act of Mr Paras Singh. Every Arunachalee and every right-thinking Indian must condemn such prejudiced views.  He must apologise unconditionally to people of Arunachal Pradesh,” Mein noted.

On May 22, former Union minister and current Arunachal Pradesh MLA Ninong Ering wrote a letter to prime minister Modi, requesting a ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India. In his letter, he clearly specified that the upcoming game is “the relaunch of PUBG Mobile” which was banned in India because of security concerns.

Here is the video, reuploaded by Arunachal YouTuber Lenzing Doming, posted along with his opinion on the issue:

(The story was edited to add CM Pema Khandu’s quote)

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About Jayanta Deka

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Jayanta Deka is a Guwahati-based journalist with over a decade of experience in journalism. Tracking new media, technology, startups and politics interest him. He can be reached through [email protected]