Being a consummate actress, Shilpa has superbly gauged the mind sets of the %u2018Big Brother%u2019 participants, and scripted her prize winning foray accordingly. She correctly deduced that there would never be a Global Warming or Grey%u2019s Anatomy group symposium among the participants. Back home, she spurned the participants of the %u2018Bigg Boss%u2019 show, who, overawed by the menacing glare of the moral police, are reduced to jhaddu potta ,and entertaining animals. Apart from the tear jerking sequence, she has even slotted in a lovelorn suitor. In the process, she has acquired a groundswell of international support. Hopefully, like Sushmita, who was welcomed with a bouquet of roses for allegedly dodging tax, she will be rewarded with a well earned tax exemption. Shilpa should unequivocally be appointed as the Brand Ambassador of India-Pakistan unity. With her %u2018Mushy%u2019 approach, she will succeed where all have failed.
The timing just couldn%u2019t have been better than this. I have been watching the %u2018Celebrity Big brother%u2019 reality show on Channel4. I believe that I am somewhat better civilised enough to write this article. After watching the show and reading series of articles in the British and worldwide media on the housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd (a disgraced former Miss Great Britain who had a saucy fling and bling with one of the contest judges in order to win her crown!!!!)and Jo O%u2019Meara, I feel that the world is coming into terms of what%u2019s is actually going within the British society. The three girls have had ganged up against fellow housemate Shilpa Shetty and made fun of her English accent, origin, nationality, were not prepared to call her by name, were reluctant to eat the roast chicken cooked by her, described her a %u201CPaki%u201D, the disgraced Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd even called her a 'Dog', used %u2018very filthy%u2019 language repeatedly in their conversation, and even asked her to %u2018Go back to the slums and find out what real life is%u2019. If this is not racially motivated abuse, define what is %u2018racism%u2019? If you say all this is nothing but just bullying, go and watch the recorded show in YouTube.com and come back to read this article.
Understandably, the feelings and emotions are now running high on all corners. The British media regulator ofCom and Channel4, which broadcast the show, had received more than 55,000 complaints from the public in just four days!! This issue heads in all local newspapers, news websites, blogs and posts. Tony Blair was forced to comment on this row. The next British prime minister-in-waiting Mr.Gordon Brown is having tough time in India!!! I believe that Indian Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh and Indian President Mr.Abdul Kalam are the only people left to comment on this issue!!!
As I live in the United Kingdom, I would like to see it in two mirrors. Keep aside the many %u2018Non-Racist British%u2019 in Britain. I respect them, as I am fortunate enough to have few of them as my friends, who understand that the colour of our blood is always going to be red but the colour of our skin is unfortunately not. (We usually blame it all on God%u2019s politics!!!)
I am not surprised at all on this wildfire racial row. The three Big Brother gang girls are drop of the today%u2019s British society and surely reflect the new generation of future Britain. The Big Brother house is actually a small portrait of today%u2019s modern Britain. Don%u2019t mistake me? In a large portrait, this is how the great British society will exactly look like in next 50 years time. I mark my words. The abuse and racial comments on Shilpa do 1,100% truly reflect the British and European societies attitude on racism especially on all non-whites. There are many Asians and Indians working and living in Britain such as students, doctors, nurses, taxi drivers, school teachers, corner shop owners, call centre personnel and community police officers, who go through more or less same kind of racially motivated verbal abuse everyday. I swear on my words. I am not exaggerating it. I had gone through the same sort of abuse before and still go through it now and then. I have been called %u2018Indian%u2019 on many occasions in a tone, which is definitely not polite and friendly way that anyone would like to be called upon. I have to digest it without any choice. Once, I have made enough money to live without having to work for rest of my life, I will fly back to India for good from this arrogant, ignorant, economically, ethically and culturally failing western society.
I am not surprised to hear the girl gang%u2019s abusive language. Certainly you could hear them from groups of young boys and girls on British streets. Well%u2026What else would you expect from boys and girls of today%u2019s British society, where 13 years old lads and girls smoke, drink and use drugs, losing virginity at the age of 14 is just a matter of self-pride, having babies at the age of 15 is OK and becoming common, the average life span of a formal marriage is just over 16 months, many live together unmarried, many don%u2019t know who is their mother or father is and divorce rate is 40% higher than any European union country. The reality show indeed reflects the reality of British youth%u2019s attitude towards their society and living. The young British generation is not well educated, they distance themselves from Maths, Science, and general knowledge subjects, they are very proud of binge drinking, sex on the streets and desperate housewives culture, (a Popular TV serial. Ironically, it is being broadcasted right after %u2018Big Brother%u2019 show in Channel4) honking the car horns and yelling racist remarks on Asians. They are ignorant souls and sadly the face of future British society. Who is going to teach them about racial tolerance and respecting people as humans? Their stupid British prime minister is very busy in saying %u2018YES%u2019 five billion times a day to the arrogant American president on bringing back democracy and peace in Iraq and Afghanistan!!! In this nation, some think that waging war on a country is just like playing a video game in play station. It is OK to think like that in this so called developed country with underdeveloped people. Many British do have big attitude disorder and do think that the rest of the world is still ruled by their great grand fathers & company. They still do believe that the Sun will never ever set on their kingdom. What else I can say? The British public is not aware of what is happening within their country and in rest of the world. They don%u2019t care about globalisation, necessity to learn new skills, acquire knowledge, and stay competitive. All they know is to eat, to do binge drinking on 24 hour pubs (Yes. 24 hour pubs!!), to be illiterate (I bet many can%u2019t read and write English properly) and claim free government benefits to go on holiday abroad.
I could sense their fear of failure in the very near future. Because, today%u2019s Britain is steadily losing it%u2019s own ground. The British public and politicians do think that the non-Europeans are culturally and economically invading all corners of Britain. That%u2019s why there is soo much visa restrictions, delay in issuing visas, and recent %u2018motivated%u2019 HSMP revision to keep the %u2018Indians%u2019, %u2018Paki%u2019 and %u2018Browns%u2019 away from British shores. The British are getting jealous of dominant Asian minority. There is a reason. Let me explain it a bit. Today%u2019s great British politics, lifestyle, business, economy and national cuisine (Chicken Tikka Masala is the national dish of Britain since 2000!) are being greatly influenced by Asian society. A remarkable feat that the Scottish, Irish and Welsh trio couldn%u2019t able to do for several centuries and had totally failed. The British are losing their obsessed identity in today%u2019s multicultural Britain. Because, the British are not sensitive to accept and easily adapt other cultures into their lives. Whereas, Asians are far more broadminded, tolerant, patient when it comes to living in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society such as Britain. Though Asians didn%u2019t integrate 100% into the British society, I would say they are well on their way towards it or realising the necessity to do it. Because, Asians are educated, intelligent, beautiful in heart, hard working and above all economically stronger than ever before. What else? If the first wave of Asian migrants helped to revive the shops on Britain's streets, the second and third generation of Asians are now making their mark on the financial and business world. Now, India is the third largest investor in Britain next only to US and Japan. Indian companies are taking over many not-so-profitable British companies and turning them into profitable. Steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal has pledged £2million pounds to the cash-strapped ruling Labour party, almost certainly bailing it out of financial crisis. I wish he could buy the labour party as he does with the run down steel plants abroad!! Remember richest citizen of United Kingdom is not a native British but India born Lakshmi Mittal. There is a list of endless contributions made by the Asians to today%u2019s modern Britain. It is just impossible to blindly ignore the imposing stature of Asians and Asianism in Britain. However, even the Asians born and brought up in Britain are being called as %u2018British Indian%u2019, %u2018British Sikh%u2019 and %u2018British Muslim%u2019. How sick these race tags are? We don%u2019t call any one in India as %u2018Indian Punjabi%u2019, %u2018Indian Tamil%u2019 or %u2018Indian Sikh%u2019. Without Asians, the British public services and healthcare will crumble in matter of days. Without Asians, the British economy will not survive for more than a month. But, are the Asians being treated well in Britain? Not with a broad mind, but with very clear purpose to use their skills and knowledge. So, I am prepared to put a bet that before the end of this 21st century, Britain will have an Asian Prime Minister. I am not joking.
On the other side, this whole issue raises the same questions about our own society. Are we Indians really not racists? Is it OK and justified to racially discriminate fellow Indians? But, it becomes an issue when Non-Asians dish it out on us? We actually don%u2019t respect fellow Indians in India and abroad. Do we? We have got several racial problems within our country and society. Don%u2019t we all know that North Indians bully and discriminate the South Indians as %u2018Madarasis%u2019. South Indians bully the North Indians by calling them as %u2018Biharis%u2019. We are the largest racist society on this earth, which practised and still practising all forms of racism, discrimination and bullying in the name of god, caste and culture. We are talking about it for more than 100 years. When are we going to change it?
One of India's strengths is its ability to accept diversity. In fact, it is quite remarkable for a country like India, where the majority of the population is Hindu. But our current president is a Muslim, the prime minister is a Sikh and probably the most powerful lady in India is an Italian born Catholic. You cannot think of any other country in the world that could accept such a diversified thing. This is truly remarkable and it works very well in India. In the US, for example, the Americans cannot even conceive of having a Black or Hispanic president and the US has been a democratic country for more than 200 years. Whereas India%u2019s democracy gained it%u2019s status just 60 years ago. This is the great strength that India has. So, It is time for us to do some reality test on ourselves. It is time for us to accept that we are racists and do something about it. When we are going to announce that racism and discrimination in any form, any size is a punishable crime and has no place in civilised India? Let us do it now before it is too late.
Our world will become a happy place to live when we love each other in heart and without discriminating anyone by their race, ethnicity, religion, faith, and wealth. Let's grow up. When we are going to be one big loud and proud Indians? It is shame on us if we can%u2019t do it. Share your views.
RE:SHILPA & BIG CELEBRITY RACISM
by utkrant on Jan 30, 2007 11:38 PM
i agree with many of ur points but its not the case of "Without Asians, the British economy will not survive for more than a month" no economy sustains on groups of individuals- its the system that drives the economy its just that we asians fit in to the system. if not we(indians) somebody else will replace them so moral of the story is to keep us the preferred(by education & values) choice for global economy.-utkrant
guys please support Shilpa as she is representing our great nation INDIA in UK. She is doing good and I pray to my Lord to give Shilpa strength and power.
Looking at some of the threads in this topic, I felt surprised that we didn't get enough angles in the discussion. I would like to make the following points:
1. How many of us really knew that Shilpa Shetty was in this Big Brother show before this controversy broke out?
2. Why is this issue being blown so much that even diplomatic measures are being discussed? Is Shilpa the official ambassador of India to the UK?
3. Yes, she is a woman. Yes, racism has been there in UK for a long time. I am staying in India. But that doesn't mean that I do not have the capacity to understand what victims of racism insults in UK are going through. MY friend once told me how his friend was beaten up by English thugs just outside the university he studied. How many people know about it?
I don't for a single moment believe that this issue deserves so much attention.
We Indians have no right to talk about racism. Look at the atrocites of upper castes on Dalits. Untouchability it still a reality in rural India. I think this is worst than aparthied. Then why are we cribbing about such a silly issue. We Indian are the hypocrites of the first order.
don't stop working of this show. bcoz others working in the show want that shilpa will refuse to do show. shilpa india is with u. get up & fight for against ur insult.
What are you doing Shilpa SHetty? Just becoz for money you want to twist the tale? Stand up and fight..we all Indian are always to support. Its better to quit the show and save your morality.
We in india are also racist when we make reservations based on caste/race/creed/religion.. Why don't all our politicians also resign? moreover we have also raped and killed european tourists many times.. we have also looted and duped foreigners by the hundreds, and are still doing.. what should we do? the actions of a few peopl cannot be held representing the entire country.. all countries have all kinds of people..
