Comments on: Bigot Brother? http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/ All that flavorful brownness in one savory packet Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:11:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Prakash http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-116616 Prakash Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:12:04 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-116616 <p>I am rather surprised at the amount of attention this issue has been given. One would almost think that there was nothing more important to discuss than the goings-on in a sleazy television show which itself was losing viewers. That the issue was blown-up by the British media is not surprising: their bankruptcy is known. Furthermore, wikipedia has got it wrong in my opinion. They have been known for their errors in the past: 350 million is absurd. Unless one counts even one or two words as being capable of speaking English well, not more than 80-100 million in our country can speak English with any degree of fluency. When was the last time you had a conversation with your maid or rickshaw driver in English? In Chennai, the only language the rickshaw drivers understand is Tamil. In any case, our insistence on English has harmed us immensely. We are the only country in the world which teaches its own languages as a second language. First most of the poor go to regional language schools (if they go to school) and graduate to find that not speaking English well disqualfies them for so many things. India's future lies in a combination of both English and regional languages. Lastly, as Indian industry goes into small towns and villages, we shall we have to further the use of local languages.</p> I am rather surprised at the amount of attention this issue has been given. One would almost think that there was nothing more important to discuss than the goings-on in a sleazy television show which itself was losing viewers. That the issue was blown-up by the British media is not surprising: their bankruptcy is known. Furthermore, wikipedia has got it wrong in my opinion. They have been known for their errors in the past: 350 million is absurd. Unless one counts even one or two words as being capable of speaking English well, not more than 80-100 million in our country can speak English with any degree of fluency. When was the last time you had a conversation with your maid or rickshaw driver in English? In Chennai, the only language the rickshaw drivers understand is Tamil. In any case, our insistence on English has harmed us immensely. We are the only country in the world which teaches its own languages as a second language. First most of the poor go to regional language schools (if they go to school) and graduate to find that not speaking English well disqualfies them for so many things. India’s future lies in a combination of both English and regional languages. Lastly, as Indian industry goes into small towns and villages, we shall we have to further the use of local languages.

]]> By: Ramjee Gope http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-116438 Ramjee Gope Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:07:30 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-116438 <p>It is so sad - in a poor imitation of Big Brother called Big Boss, actor Dipak Tijori made certain comments against Ravi Kissen. This happened on December 11 at the 11:00 pm show on sony TV. He said "Aise Bombil faced Bihariyon ko modelling line mein kaun khada karega?" If I am not mistaken, bombil is the name given to the kolis (fisherfolk) of Mumbai. As is obvious, he was denigrating Biharis. Quite apart from the inaccuracy of the statement that Ravi Kissen is a Bihari - his connection with Bihar is that he is a bhojpuri actor - the comment was racist.</p> <p>No middle class or any class Indian thought of protesting. No government action, unlike the Big Brother episode where senior GOI functionaries thought it fit to comment on and engage the British Government. Till date, there has been no apology, either from Dipak Tijori or from the TV channel.</p> <p>Are we Indians inherently racists? Do we have the moral authority to criticise the British?</p> It is so sad – in a poor imitation of Big Brother called Big Boss, actor Dipak Tijori made certain comments against Ravi Kissen. This happened on December 11 at the 11:00 pm show on sony TV. He said “Aise Bombil faced Bihariyon ko modelling line mein kaun khada karega?” If I am not mistaken, bombil is the name given to the kolis (fisherfolk) of Mumbai. As is obvious, he was denigrating Biharis. Quite apart from the inaccuracy of the statement that Ravi Kissen is a Bihari – his connection with Bihar is that he is a bhojpuri actor – the comment was racist.

No middle class or any class Indian thought of protesting. No government action, unlike the Big Brother episode where senior GOI functionaries thought it fit to comment on and engage the British Government. Till date, there has been no apology, either from Dipak Tijori or from the TV channel.

Are we Indians inherently racists? Do we have the moral authority to criticise the British?

]]> By: Kurma http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113889 Kurma Sun, 21 Jan 2007 05:40:48 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113889 <blockquote>Some positive results of this brouhaha could be that: Indians may become less servile towards westerners and less prone to treating white visitors in India as superior beings just because of their skin color. More indians may seriously examine their own asinine colorism and casteism and realise how cruel and self-defeating it is. </blockquote> <p>Seems a little too much to hope for.</p> Some positive results of this brouhaha could be that: Indians may become less servile towards westerners and less prone to treating white visitors in India as superior beings just because of their skin color. More indians may seriously examine their own asinine colorism and casteism and realise how cruel and self-defeating it is.

Seems a little too much to hope for.

]]> By: Mistress of Spices http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113876 Mistress of Spices Sun, 21 Jan 2007 05:19:57 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113876 <blockquote>Indians may become less servile towards westerners and less prone to treating white visitors in India as superior beings just because of their skin color. </blockquote> <p>Indians in India are generally hospitable towards any guest of any color. I've not seen whites getting any more of special treatment then any other guest.</p> Indians may become less servile towards westerners and less prone to treating white visitors in India as superior beings just because of their skin color.

Indians in India are generally hospitable towards any guest of any color. I’ve not seen whites getting any more of special treatment then any other guest.

]]> By: Doordarshan http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113866 Doordarshan Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:06:37 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113866 <blockquote>teenagers in urban Indian schools use the word 'Nigga' prolifically without knowing the meaning of the word or the hurt and pain that has been caused to a race of people in anotehr country by the use of that word.</blockquote> <p>Including their own race by the way. Indians too are regularly subjected to the N racial insult in white countries. Either in its pure form or hyphenated as in "sand-nigger" or "dot-nigger".</p> <p>Some positive results of this brouhaha could be that:</p> <p>Indians may become less servile towards westerners and less prone to treating white visitors in India as superior beings just because of their skin color.</p> <p>More indians may seriously examine their own asinine colorism and casteism and realise how cruel and self-defeating it is.</p> <p>More desis abroad may overcome the shame and be encouraged to testify to the racial prejudices and insults they are subjected to, now that even a bollywood star has openly been subjected to the same.</p> <p>More brits recognize the sheer ugliness of their ingrained contempt for foreigners.</p> teenagers in urban Indian schools use the word ‘Nigga’ prolifically without knowing the meaning of the word or the hurt and pain that has been caused to a race of people in anotehr country by the use of that word.

Including their own race by the way. Indians too are regularly subjected to the N racial insult in white countries. Either in its pure form or hyphenated as in “sand-nigger” or “dot-nigger”.

Some positive results of this brouhaha could be that:

Indians may become less servile towards westerners and less prone to treating white visitors in India as superior beings just because of their skin color.

More indians may seriously examine their own asinine colorism and casteism and realise how cruel and self-defeating it is.

More desis abroad may overcome the shame and be encouraged to testify to the racial prejudices and insults they are subjected to, now that even a bollywood star has openly been subjected to the same.

More brits recognize the sheer ugliness of their ingrained contempt for foreigners.

]]> By: Kurma http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113862 Kurma Sun, 21 Jan 2007 03:29:03 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113862 <p>OK, they hate her because she's gorgeous, rich, cosmopolitan, successful AND popular with the men in the house. I never thought of that!</p> OK, they hate her because she’s gorgeous, rich, cosmopolitan, successful AND popular with the men in the house. I never thought of that!

]]> By: Disgusted http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113859 Disgusted Sun, 21 Jan 2007 03:16:42 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113859 <p>Come off it Kurma and Raoul. Those three brainless twits hated Shilpa because she's gorgeous, rich, cosmopolitan, successful AND popular with the men in the house. Classic female envy at work.</p> Come off it Kurma and Raoul. Those three brainless twits hated Shilpa because she’s gorgeous, rich, cosmopolitan, successful AND popular with the men in the house. Classic female envy at work.

]]> By: Huey http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113848 Huey Sun, 21 Jan 2007 01:24:50 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113848 <p>Those 3 women insulting Shilpa are lucky they didn't have Li'l Kim as a roommate. Kim would've snatched them bald-headed. As soon as Kim would've heard the c-word, Jade would've been Sinead [O'Connor] in 10 minutes.</p> Those 3 women insulting Shilpa are lucky they didn’t have Li’l Kim as a roommate. Kim would’ve snatched them bald-headed. As soon as Kim would’ve heard the c-word, Jade would’ve been Sinead [O'Connor] in 10 minutes.

]]> By: Mumbaikar http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113844 Mumbaikar Sun, 21 Jan 2007 01:16:58 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113844 <p>Raoul >></p> <blockquote>That more than anything speaks volumes of the insanity and comical stupidity of both the Indian media for painting these issues to the general public and also to the ignorant masses agreeing with them.</blockquote> <p>Huh? This event would have been a non event in India if the British media was not all over it like white on rice. The event slowly gained momentum in the Indian media only after it became a big deal here and the issue was raised in the british parliament with Tony Blair having to comment on it. It has been the front page news of every newspaper/tabloid and the main headline news in every channel ever since this started about a week ago. The british media regulator has received an unprecedented 30,000 complaints. Even now, the issue is one of the top stories with a tearful Jade Goody saying how sorry she is and reports of her donating the Big Brother fees to charity. 10 people burning one effigy in Patna and the same footage being shown over and over again do not make ignorant masses in a country of one billion. If anything it has been comically over the top here in the UK</p> Raoul >>

That more than anything speaks volumes of the insanity and comical stupidity of both the Indian media for painting these issues to the general public and also to the ignorant masses agreeing with them.

Huh? This event would have been a non event in India if the British media was not all over it like white on rice. The event slowly gained momentum in the Indian media only after it became a big deal here and the issue was raised in the british parliament with Tony Blair having to comment on it. It has been the front page news of every newspaper/tabloid and the main headline news in every channel ever since this started about a week ago. The british media regulator has received an unprecedented 30,000 complaints. Even now, the issue is one of the top stories with a tearful Jade Goody saying how sorry she is and reports of her donating the Big Brother fees to charity. 10 people burning one effigy in Patna and the same footage being shown over and over again do not make ignorant masses in a country of one billion. If anything it has been comically over the top here in the UK

]]> By: SWF (again!) http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/01/16/we_reported_ear/comment-page-6/#comment-113721 SWF (again!) Sat, 20 Jan 2007 20:54:00 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4115#comment-113721 <p>Shilpa's tolerance and grace is way bigger than Jo O'Meara's dick, too.</p> Shilpa’s tolerance and grace is way bigger than Jo O’Meara’s dick, too.

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