Chum Darang Recalls Facing Racism: ‘From Momo To Coronavirus, We’ve Heard It All’
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Actor and Bigg Boss 18 fame Chum Darang has opened up about the racism she’s faced as a Northeast Indian, especially post-COVID.
Actor Chum Darang from Arunachal Pradesh shares her experience of racism in India, especially after COVID-19.
Actor and Bigg Boss 18 fame Chum Darang, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, is speaking out about the racism she has faced throughout her life—and how things worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic. In a candid interview with Zoom, she also emphasized the importance of inclusivity in mainstream cinema and television, calling it a crucial step toward normalizing the acceptance of Northeast Indian identities.
“Inclusivity is very important for North Eastern people,” she said. “Television and cinema is a very big thing because it is consumed in each and every household. It has a very wide reach.”
Sharing her personal experience, Chum reflected on how racism has shaped her life—but also on how she refuses to be reduced by it. “I have faced a lot of racism but I don’t want to go deep into those stories and sound like a victim. The thing with racism and discrimination is some people are genuinely not aware, while there are some who do it intentionally,” she explained.
Chum recalled the emotional toll of being questioned repeatedly about her identity. “When I say I am from Arunachal, it means I am from this country only. If you don’t understand this or keep asking even after I’ve said it, then you should be ashamed of yourself. You have sung the National Anthem every day, and I have sung it too. I am a proud Indian and no one can take that away from me.”
The actress also addressed how the pandemic triggered new levels of hostility against Northeast Indians. “Earlier, people would do racist things like calling us ‘momo’, and later, they started calling us ‘coronavirus’. Such comments and mentality do annoy me, but I am someone who knows how to give it back then and there, and I have done it a lot of times.”
A few months ago, Chum made headlines after calling out YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav for making racist remarks against her. While she typically ignores trolls and negativity, this time she chose to speak up. “We are tribals. Our culture, our identity holds a very important meaning for us. And you cannot hurt my entire community just like that.”
Following the backlash, Elvish issued a public apology, stating that he had no intention of targeting or mocking any particular community.
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