Show Racism the Red Card

Shilpa Shetty became the victim of racial abuse on the sets of Celebrity Big Brother. And she became the symbol of the global war against racism. We sympathise with her.

Indians cry foul against this abuse and condemnations have poured in from all quarters. But before pointing our fingers at others, let us first look at our own backyard. Racism has been going on for a long time before our very own eyes. Whether or not we want to admit it is another matter altogether.

What Shilpa Shetty went through on the sets of Celebrity Big Brother is what many Indians go through everyday in their own country. Especially people from the northeastern part of India.

Northeasterners are discriminated against in every walk of life and everywhere they are. Be it in the metros or other cities and towns in mainland India: the person who (intentionally) mistook you to be from a certain Himalayan country and call you names. The autorickshaw wallah who is out there to fleece you and increases the fare the moment he sees your face. The neighbourhood shopkeeper who attends to you later even if you had come before the other fellow. The landlord who eyes you suspiciously and asks you strange and uncomfortable questions when you go searching for a room. And your boss at the office who jumps at every opportunity to pull you down. All this because you happen to be born in a certain part of the country.

On the one hand we talk of national integrity, unity in diversity, One-India and what not. But on the other hand our actions smack of racism and alienation. If we want to accuse others of being racists, first we should stop being racists ourselves. Show racism the red card. Practice what you preach. After all, actions speak louder than words.