INDIAN AND RACISM

A Well-known Indian cricketer was accused of racially abusing an Australian cricketer during last Friday cricket match in Sydney. The Cricketer, of course, denied having said anything remotely racist to anyone, and the Indian team management and players gave him full support. The Indian media went even further to feign shock and disappointment at the Aussies’ accusation and accused them of playing spoilsport.

Well, no one, including me, know what exactly happened down there but one thing I do know is that one unwitting remark can sounds racist for some other. But in a caste/class divided India, those remarks are not always unwitting, for they had been so used to abusing the lower caste/class peoples for ages. In fact, it wouldn’t be too far from the truth to say that mainland Indian are one of the most racist people in the world.

Racism, in one form or the other, exists all over the world. Even in the developed world where people are more sensitive and awareness are higher, racism and discrimination still existed, but are hidden, unspoken and unexpressed. But in India, they loudly expressed it so and they think it is the right things to do or say. That is not so surprising considering it is also the country where caste and class segregation are fully accepted as a social order.

In India, more than the majority doesn’t even know what racism or discrimination means. The lower caste people are so used to the abuses they only cursed their lot instead of fighting for justice, while the upper castes are used to abusing the lower castes that who legitimatize by accepting the abuses. So you can forget about expecting anyone from knowing what little and minor things, words, expression and gestures that constitute racism and discrimination.

Indeed awareness is low in India, but that is no excuse –not especially for an international sportsperson who frequently traveled around the world. Going back to the cricket match, what is most shocking is the Indian team Management’s stand that the Aussies did not have clinching evidence. They should’ve have known better because racism may not necessarily be in the form of verbal, but also non-verbal, or just a mere gesture.

The Indian should know that racism is no game and racially abusing someone is no sport. It should be noted that the abused Aussies player has nothing to gain by dragging the Indian to the sport’s international panel. This simply means the Aussies cricketer is really hurt by the remark. In fact, the Aussies Cricketer’s decision to seek justice rather than going back to his shell like most of us is a courage that should be appreciated. If the abused Cricketer had been from the North-east of India, he would just keep quiet and silently cried his heart out.

But what disappoints me the most is the Panel’s decision to ban the accused from just 3 Test Match after finding him guilty. If he is really guilty, that punishment is just not enough; he should be banned for life, and the Indian team management should disown him. A racist like him doesn’t deserve to represent a diverse country like India.

Update:

On April 19, the Indian Spinner, Harbhajan Singh, slapped a national team mates who was playing against him in the Indian Premier League. After finding him guilty of the charge, the IPL imposed a ban of 11 matches which mean he will miss the whole season. While the BCCI, the Indian Cricket Board, also imposed, after an enquiry, a ban of 5 International One Day matches which is the maximum punishment under the regulation he was charged.

Mr. Singh is one of India’s most successful spin bowlers, but his disciplinary record has been poor. He was even ejected from the BCCI's National Cricket Academy early in his career. Hope he learnt his lesson.

This incident only justifies the charges that the ICC and BCCI defended the guilty Harbhajan Singh during the Australian Tour even though he racially abused a coloured Australian player just because of financial matter as the stake was high with around $50 million.

Tags: mizo, zomi, zogam