Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Big Brother row

The media that spent so much time and energy on the alleged racial abuse of Shilpa Shetty on Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother show have to eat their words now that the actor has done a u-turn and blamed her claim on "a fit of anger." The actor is not a novice; she knows the way the world works. In India, we discriminate against our own citizens on the basis of caste, religion, and colour of the skin. The media should highlight such issues and not waste time on people who have the means to defend themselves.

Thushar Thomas,
Bangalore

Why should the Government attempt to rescue a celebrity who of her own volition chose to bounce into a television show? If anything, she deserves to be hauled up for the sensationalism and claptrap she generated.

J.V. Reddy,
Nellore

The hypocrisy of the civilised western society has been exposed. Indians are still looked down upon there. Shilpa's submissive behaviour shows why. As a true Indian, she should have quit the show whatever the cost.

Niripjit Kaur,
Bathinda, Punjab

Shilpa has decided to participate in the show on her own. She can quit any time and no one can stop her. There is no reason why governments should interfere in such a trivial issue.

D.B.N. Murthy,
Bangalore

The media have blown the incident out of proportion. Such unpleasant incidents keep happening. It is for the individuals to tackle them in a dignified manner.

Susanna K. Jose,
Vellore

The Big Brother show is not about individuals representing countries but about individuals reacting to a given situation. Shilpa is to blame for taking refuge in racism to cover up her shortcomings. There is more prejudice within our own borders to be ashamed of.

M. Peter Jeyaprakash,
Chennai

The publicity stunt of Channel 4 has ripped open two important issues. One, do we have a right to protest against racism? Do we not discriminate against our own people in the name of caste? We reap what we sow. Two, don't we imitate, and encourage our children to imitate, the west? Television anchors are selected on the basis of how well they ape the westerners. The `n' number of whitening products in the market is proof of how much we value fair complexion.

P.V. Chandra,
Thiruvananthapuram

The incident at Khairlanji, Maharashtra, where four persons of a Dalit family were brutally murdered is still fresh in my mind. The incident came to light after 40 days. The entire government machinery was a silent spectator. No condemnation came from any local or national leader. None of the news channels featured the atrocity the way it is covering the `racist' attack on Shilpa. On the other hand, the entire U.K. has condemned the Big Brother episode.

E. Surya Prakash,
Hyderabad

It is a shame that the non-issue has reached even the British Parliament. Aren't there other burning issues for the media and politicians to worry about?

S. Nandita,
Coimbatore

The housemates involved in the episode are obviously jealous of the fact that Shilpa is an intelligent, beautiful, and successful woman. They are going to suffer a lot from bad publicity when they finally leave the house. I know there is racism in all countries but I do not believe Big Brother really reflects society in Great Britain, thankfully. I, for one, have friends of all races and nationalities and I intend to keep it that way.

Sarah Harvey,
London

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