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| Racial Slurs No Part of Civilized Society |
| Indian actress' alleged humiliation by British nationals raises debate |
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Amit Pyakurel (ammykumars)  |
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Published 2007-01-19 07:00 (KST) |
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"Racial slur" has been a subject of angry discussion in India since the time when a bodyguard of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who had been in India while shooting a movie, flayed some Indian parents and onlookers by calling them "bloody Indians." The event produced a controversy throughout the Indian media and among the witnesses of the incident and the general public who showered their anger on the guard, an American, for his "humiliation" of Indians.
Yet again, a similar racial controversy involving a prominent Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty, by a contestant on the British reality TV show "Celebrity Big Brother" has produced a new outrage among Indians both in the U.K and in India. The actress was allegedly reduced to tears during the show as a fellow English contestant called her cooking "untrustworthy," "mocked" her accent and complained about her "screeching." As Shilpa claimed that she was racially abused, protests have been sparked in London and New Delhi, and some say that it even has shaken Britain's own image of itself as a tolerant society.
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FROM THE SECTION |
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| Channel 4, the channel airing the daily program, claimed that it was merely a clash of cultures. Channel 4 denied that the Indian star suffered any racist maltreatment. However, it said it will not tolerate any such controversial incidents during the rest of the series.
Alongside the actress' accusations and the public outrage in India, the Hindustan Times, a daily newspaper claimed in an editorial that the event doesn't justify any "concerted national outrage," as the TV program "is designed to bring out the worst in participants." It said, "If racism is a fact in many interactions in British society, prejudice is a quotidian reality of Indian social life." The editorial further said that the Indians need to examine their own prejudices, such as discrimination against lower-caste people and against Muslims who are a minority in India, which has a large majority of Hindus.
Let me turn your attention towards another dimension regarding this controversy. This time it's not the "humiliation" caused by the Western people against the Indians, but a similar kind of humiliation caused by some Indian entertainers against Nepal and the Nepalese people. And where does such humiliation comes from? It comes from the huge and ever thriving Indian show business, as many Nepalese people are caught up by Indian showbiz, be it in the form of daily TV shows or Indian movies.
It's an awkward truth that sometimes some Indian comedy shows or movies portray a "Nepali" character as a "servant" or a "watchman." His accent is ludicrously made to sound like a Nepali, and he is often named "Bahadur." The name "Bahadur," though it means "brave," as the word resembles the bravery of the Nepali people in history who fought back invaders with their bare hands, it is paradoxically used to oppress the dignity of the Nepalese as a whole.
Of course there are a number of Nepalese living in India who hold these "low-graded" jobs as servants or watchmen. These are the people who are economically weak in their home and therefore work for their survival in a foreign country, India. But does that justify that every Nepalese be called a "watchman" or "servant"? Regarding the other truth, then what about calling Indians "garbage collectors," as there are many Indians who collect garbage in Nepal.
In many instances, the prominent figures and shows in the Indian showbiz get admiration from a wide Nepali audience, irrespective of their nationality. As it's said that talent and artistry cannot be judged through a lens of nationality or race, Nepalese, including myself, would appreciate the work of any talented artist from Indian showbiz.
Racial slurring is barbaric behavior and cannot be justified on the basis of any personal anger towards someone. While such an attitude or comment harms the national or racial dignity of others, fear also surface as this might even invite a rebellion.
Such remarks or behaviors obviously resembles racism as they usually arise from preconceived notions, which tend to be self-interpreted and false, and intended against a community rather than against an individual out of disappointment or anger. Such manners may not be cultivated in a civilized society, not at least among a really dignified, reputed, or civilized members of a society.
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©2007 OhmyNews
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