Glamorous actress Shilpa Shetty, who faced racist slurs that reduced her to tears on the British reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother, was highly praised by her family for her behavior.
The show has drawn thousands of complaints from angry viewers and the issue may even be debated in the British parliament.
Shilpa’s sister Shamita Shetty, also a Bollywood actress, was quoted by the private NDTV network,
If you are put in a house with 14 strangers, there are bound to be fights. It’s very, very normal. I am very, very proud of her. She has handled every situation in a very dignified manner.
However, mum Sunanda Shetty was ‘upset’ at the treatment meted out to her daughter.
Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom received 7,600 complaints by telephone and e-mail about alleged racism and Channel Four received another 2,000.
Shilpa was disgraced for being an Indian. Housemates denigrated Indian hygiene and mocked her for her accent.
She was called a ‘dog’ by Danielle. During her time in the house, Jade Goody’s mum Jackiey repeatedly referred to Shilpa as ‘the Indian’ and could or would not pronounce her name correctly.
Well this is purely racism. Shilpa was disgraced for being an Indian. But I ask who gave them the right to treat Shilpa in an inhumane manner? Jade’ mother mocked her a lot while some of the other housemates mocked her accent. That is not the sort of treatment one expects. At least, people should be civil to each other.
Comments
Shilpa, your decision to go on Big Brother, the British original may have been driven by the power of money or fame or both. That said, you have got a taste of the real world out there and how low people can stoop to oust competition. Racism is nothing new, its a hidden pandemic that has surfaced on live TV and you are the unwitting victim. Face them with national pride Shilpa. You are as good or better than anyone in this world. If Indian hygiene is suspect in the brits eyes, they should stop slurping our curries from many indian owned restaurants in G.Britain. Hail the Queen, your nation is showing its latent asininity and thats why we drove you guys out of India long time ago, go read your history books!!!
And by the way, if you were called a ’dog’, its actually an honor. Better to be called a dog than a brit. Dogs have qualities far surpassing the low lives working against you Shilpa.
Very well said Sunica, we all know that ‘these brits’ make use of disparaging remarks for us which proves what kinda position we have in their land. Racism is deeply ingrained in their blood they just cannot leave it.
In spite of this, most of us prefer to go in there and work for them, why?
Are we not satisfied with our past role of slaves when they usurped our territory?
‘Shilpa was disgraced for being an Indian. Housemates denigrated Indian hygiene and mocked her for her accent’, maybe that’s why most of the ‘brits’ could be seen loitering around in our country especially at our sites of pilgrimage.
And I don’t think calling oneself is a disgrace, it’s an honor to be an INDIAN, after all we never usurped any body’s land instead we have always offered help and protection for the needy as the world can see in case of Tibetians.
Well said Pooja!
As of today Brits are going through a major identity crisis. They prefer to be called English or Scottish.
After all being referred to as Brits stigmatizes them as COLONIALISTS.
And we all know that every type of colonialism is bad.
I Think Shilpa’s little sister Shamita should keep her mouth shut in this matter. she doesn;t have any idea what went wrong with Shilpa in Big Brither House. Shilpa Shetty, who is reportedly getting Rs 3 crore for her appearance on the show, was called as Paki, dog’ and ‘that Indian’ on the show. Shilpa’s family is certainly thinking about the big bucks what she is getting from Channel 4.
The 7,600 person are not stupid or neither we in India who lodged complain against the way the other celebrities used against Shilpa.
As Shipla joined the show, she got wider popularity in Britain for his beauty. The other celebrities couldnot digest that an Indian scoring high over them in his own country’s media. And it bursted in the racial abuse against the Indian actor.
As Nidhi said in his post, the incident was a complete show of purely racial abuse. Shilpa was disgraced for being an Indian.
A piece of advice for Sunica on her say: And by the way, if you were called a ’dog’, its actually an honor. Better to be called a dog than a brit.
Don’t react in such manner. If you are saying people to go through history Books, plz read it again and again and you will find the major works done by Britishers for India’s infrastructure development. Do you have any idea that those were Britishers, who made 45,000kn railway lines across India. And for your kind information the Indian government has added some 10,000 km in the last 60 years.
So, don’t comment in this way. We are Indians, We are proud Indians, We are not less than any other race existing in the world. We are proving our talent across the world and most importantly, we are doing this without crticizing anybody’s race religion and regions.
I am proud to be an Indian.
A very simple concept lies there in the commnt of white elephants: if you are being criticized by someone that mean you are progressing!!!! n that Indian evolution is really spoiling their flavor…..! THEY ARE TURNING GREEN WITH JEALOUSY :-))….(I Think) :-)
dis is absolutely correct Pratyush but here i jus wanna add that what the Britishers did regarding infrastructure was for their own convenience not for ours and not to forget that it was ppl from our regions dat were instrumental in laying down the ’45,000km railway lines across India’ :-)
and off course we r proving our talents across da globe :-)
I am getting the essence of your remarks Pooja. But let me tell you a naked truth. We Indians are no doubt hard working people and we are proving it in the world. But where is the will power to take initiatives? We are happy to say that it were we people who were instrumental for laying down the rail network. But the important question is that from where the will power to do that came.
Indians are well behind to do anything new and dont give me examples of Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis, NarayanMurthy and so on.. You can count them on your fingers. We are more than 1 billion dear.
I think Indians should take the driving seat for the development in the global world and should learn to do new things and then we can say with more proud that WE ARE INDIANS
This issue has just been blown out of proportion by the media - this is nothing but a clear case of mistaken identity... the celeb herself has denied any racial comments by other members at the big brother house.
Quote by Pratyush
Pratyush, appreciate your call for tolerance but history also bears testimony that Britishers took more from our country than they gave us in return. Most importantly, they tood our sense of dignity and pride by treating Indians as low class servants. Have you ever been to London and have you ever faced a racial slur directed at you, when you face that let us see if you can keep the same sense of calm and beatitude about yourself. If British were such benevolent ’masters’ who gave us so much infrastructure, why do you think our freedom fighters drove them out or maybe you skipped that part of history lesson. I think its time to support one of our own very stronlgy. Shilpa’s reasons to go on TV may have been economic but no one should sit on their high perches to preach racial superiority.
Quote by Pratyush
Again Pratyush I beg to disagree with you here. We are talking about racial slurs not talking about technological advancement of India versus Britain. Are you implying that because British built some of our infrastructure it gives them the moral authority to pelt a girl of Indian origin with racial slurs. NO!
We are mixing two issues here. The colonial temperament of a nation will take generations to be wiped, just as segregation and its aftermath still lingers in America. So please, infrastructure or no infrastructure, no one hurls nefarious comments on a girl we all admire and love.
And also, we found the the will to make our own space program, we found the will to make our own air-traffic network, we found the will to establish our own internet network, we found the will to do our own nuclear program, we found the will to be the largest albeit somewhat flawed democracy in the world, we found the will to build Satyam, Infosys, Wipro, we found the will to build our dams and the Golden Triangle!! Please do not give Britishers any more credit than they deserve. Our actions must speak the pride of being an Indian.
Quote by Pratyush
I also want to add that please do not take my comments personally, its a point of view and an observation. Having been subjected to racial slurs myself, I think I gained some perspective and an attitude towards these incidents. I might be uber sensitive but sometimes we need stand together. Media might be blowing this out of proportion for sensationalism, but if anything said is true, it is a shame.
Quote by Sunica
And by the way, if you were called a ’dog’, its actually an honor. Better to be called a dog than a brit.
We share same thoughts on this matter except this...
You can find more of my thoughts on this issue here :
http://www.indiadaily.org/entry/india-to-call-uk-govt-on-racial-abuse-against-shilpa-shetty-in-a-tv-show/
http://www.indiadaily.org/entry/racism-no-way-shilpa-wants-money-after-all-and-takes-u-turn-for-that/
Yes, I see what you are saying. The point I was trying to make was this-dogs are loyal, lovable, creatures and man\’s best friend, unlike some racists who care nothing about others. In comparison, a dog looks much better!