A dance troupe, comprised of performers from Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh was reportedly subjected to racial abuse at a government hospital in Patna, sparking outrage across the Northeast.

The group, in the city for a cultural performance, was allegedly denied access to a public washroom and insulted with derogatory terms such as “Chinki,” “Momo,” and “Chinese.” According to witnesses, a woman in a beige uniform stopped the dancers and demanded identification. When questioned, she allegedly laughed and used the slurs.

A video recorded by one of the dancers captured the exchange. One member said in Hindi: “Hum log apna North East se ghoomne ke liye aate hain, par aise 1-2 karan se hum darte hain” (“We come from the Northeast to travel, but incidents like this scare us”).

The incident has drawn widespread concern from people across the Northeast region, highlighting persistent issues of racial discrimination faced by communities from the area when traveling outside their home states.