- Recently three women from Arunachal Pradesh were subjected to severe racial abuse in Delhi
- A video of the altercation went viral sparking widespread outrage across platforms
- But this time, alongside fury, something else surfaced online. Wit.
"Northeast people are s**t."
Imagine hearing that thrown at you in your own country, in your own neighbourhood, over something as ordinary as an AC installation.
The remark, caught on video during a dispute in Delhi's Malviya Nagar, has once again forced an uncomfortable spotlight on the everyday racism faced by people from India's Northeast.
Anger has poured in, but alongside the outrage, something else has taken over social media feeds: razor-sharp humour.
Because while many are rightly furious, others have decided they are done absorbing the insult quietly. Instead, they are meeting prejudice with punchlines, stereotypes with satire, and slurs with sass.
What Happened In Malviya Nagar
On February 20, 2026, three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to severe racial abuse in Delhi's Malviya Nagar after a dispute over dust from AC repair work falling onto a neighbour's property. What could have been a routine housing society argument spiralled into an ugly confrontation.
The police said an FIR under BNS sections pertaining to outraging a woman's modesty and promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, etc. Photo: X
According to reports, the women, two of whom are UPSC aspirants aged between 20 and 21, were installing an air conditioner when debris fell downstairs. Neighbours Harsh Singh and Ruby Jain allegedly responded with slurs such as "momo sellers", "dhandhewali" implying sex workers for Rs 500, "gutter-chaap", and "northeast people are shit". They were also reportedly told to "go back to your state".
A video of the altercation went viral, sparking widespread outrage across platforms.
The women did not suffer physical injuries, but they reported severe mental trauma and decided to return home. They have sought a formal apology, stating that the humiliation extended beyond them to the entire community.
Delhi Police registered an FIR at Malviya Nagar police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including promoting enmity based on race, residence and language, which is a non-bailable offence. The accused couple has reportedly now come in front of the camera and issued a statement through an interview with the news agency ANI.
Harsh Singh said he and his wife made the derogatory remarks in the "heat of the moment". "We are showing complete cooperation with Delhi Police and we have complete faith that the police and Indian judiciary stand with us and will clear everything through an unbiased investigation. We are definitely ashamed. I am not such a person, but it was in the heat of the moment. We did not intend to do so," he said, his face covered by a mask.
Political leaders, including Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, condemned the incident as unacceptable and demanded strict action. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also expressed concern over the prejudice reflected in the video.
This Is Not New
As shocking as the video is, many from the Northeast say the experience is painfully familiar.
From being mocked for facial features and food habits to being stereotyped as "Chinese" or asked for passports within their own country, discrimination in metros like Delhi has long been documented. Just days before this incident, a student from Tripura reportedly died after a brutal assault in Dehradun, with his family alleging racial slurs were involved.
Each episode sparks outrage. Each time, hashtags trend. And then, often, the anger simmers into exhaustion.
But this time, alongside fury, something else surfaced. Wit.
When Humour Becomes Resistance
Instead of only responding with anger, several content creators and young professionals from the Northeast chose sarcasm as their weapon. Instagram Reels began flooding timelines, turning stereotypes inside out.
Let's have a look at the reels.
In one viral clip, a creator starts with the statement, "Northeast people are s**t," before transitioning to, "You mean fine shyt?"-with the creator ramp-walking in a traditional Northeastern sari.
This trend has spread across social media, with women responding to racism with sassiness in traditional attire.
Another Reel features a creator photoshopping themselves as "professional momo sellers" and "massagers," using over-the-top drama and comic timing to highlight the cruelty of the labels. The punchline lands not as self-deprecation, but as a mirror held up to bigotry.
One video uses deadpan humor. The creator says, "If you think that we are not Indian enough, then how do we know this?" Here, the creator shows her moves syncing to a very old 2019 "cringe" Reel that once went viral across India.
The comment sections under these videos are filled with solidarity, laughing emojis, and-occasionally-confessions from others sharing similar experiences.
It is important to note that not everyone finds humour comforting. Many voices online are demanding stricter laws, better sensitisation and accountability. Some argue that laughing it off risks normalising the abuse.
But for others, humour is not dismissal. It is survival.
Sass becomes a way of reclaiming power. Comedy becomes a refusal to be reduced to a slur. By exaggerating the stereotypes, creators expose their ridiculousness. By performing them, they strip them of sting.
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