A train journey from Guwahati to Agartala on 1 July 2026 turned distressing for two sisters after a disagreement over a reserved seat allegedly escalated into racial harassment.
According to the passengers, the incident began at around 8:00 a.m. when they reached their reserved lower-berth seats. They found that a family occupying the same coach had kept the middle berth open despite sleeping hours having already ended.
The sisters politely requested that the middle berth be folded so they could comfortably use their reserved lower seats. However, they alleged that the family refused to comply and responded in a rude and disrespectful manner.
Railway staff intervened after complaint
Unable to resolve the matter themselves, the sisters approached railway staff for assistance. Officials reportedly intervened and instructed the passengers to fold the middle berth, allowing the reserved seat holders to occupy their seats.
Indian Railways permits passengers to use middle berths during designated sleeping hours, generally from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Outside these hours, the middle berth is expected to remain folded so that passengers seated on the lower berth can sit comfortably.
Although the seating issue was resolved, the sisters claimed that the behaviour of the family remained hostile.
"One of your seats isn't here"
One of the sisters said she was briefly sitting on her sibling's lower berth when members of the family objected, telling her, "One of your seats isn't here. Go, go from here."
She maintained that her own reserved seat was in the adjacent section and that sitting with her sister did not violate any railway rule.
Alleged racist remarks during the journey
The sisters further alleged that the disagreement took a more serious turn when racial comments were directed at them because of their appearance.
According to their account, one of the remarks made was, "Jyada dikhta hain kya? China se aaye ho kya?" ("Do you see things too much? Are you from China or what?").
They described the comments as discriminatory, offensive, and deeply hurtful, stating that no passenger should face racial abuse while travelling on public transport.
Railway staff called for respect
During the incident, a railway staff reportedly stepped in and appealed for calm. According to the sisters, he remarked, "We're all educated people here. Let's not behave like 5th graders."
Following the incident, the sisters urged railway authorities to take complaints of discriminatory behaviour seriously and ensure that passengers are treated with dignity regardless of their ethnicity or physical appearance.
