GUWAHATI
After five of his ilk slammed for “obscenity” on the ‘India’s Got Latent’ show, a YouTuber has attracted flak for mocking an Arunachal Pradesh-based actor’s name and identity.
The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) has written to the National Commission for Women seeking action against social media influencer Elvish Yadav for his “derogatory and racial” comments on Chum Darang, an actor and Bigg Boss 18 finalist.
“His comment not only insults Ms. Darang but the entire women’s society of northeast India. His comment on social media tarnished the reputation of Chum Darang in particular and women of the northeast in general,” APSCW chairperson Kenjum Pakam said in the letter on Monday (February 10, 2025).
Demanding suo motu cognisance of the racial comment, the commission said objectionable comments by social media influencers “create a pervasive sense of fear and intimidation amongst women of the northeast who are pursuing their dreams in the film industry of Bollywood, making them vulnerable and marginalised.”
During his podcast with Rajat Dalal, Mr. Yadav made fun of Ms Darang’s name and her casting in the film Gangubai Kathiawadi. He said anyone with bad taste would like her and that her name sounded vulgar.
Reacting to the podcast on Monday, Ms. Darang wrote on Instagram: “Disrespecting someone’s identity and name is not ‘fun’. Mocking someone’s achievements is not ‘banter’. It’s time we draw the line between humour and hate.”
She criticised Mr. Yadav for belittling her accomplishments. “What’s even more disappointing is that this wasn’t just about my ethnicity. My hard work and a film backed by a visionary like Sanjay Leela Bhansali were also disrespected,” she added.
The indignation over Mr. Yadav’s podcast in Arunachal Pradesh coincided with the outrage against five YouTubers and social media influencers – Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Mukhija, Ranveer Allahabadia, and Samay Raina – for “promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is on a tour of Singapore to invite investors to the Advantage Assam 2.0 business summit on February 25 and 26, said the State police’s Guwahati crime branch registered a case against the five under relevant sections of several Acts, including the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act of 1986.
Published – February 11, 2025 01:16 pm IST
