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January 19, 2008
Racism blindness, cricket, and the Untouchables
On January 8, 2008, CNN/IBN’s ‘Face the Nation’ broadcast focused on racism within India. It was not surprising that, during a call-in survey, 83% of their audience agreed that India has its own racism. The caste system is at the core of this social illness.
Reporters interviewed black students from Africa in the famous Jawaharlal Nehru University who prefer to stay inside the campus rather than venture out onto the streets of New Delhi to face racist comments and taunts. The broadcast was triggered by the huge controversy around allegedly racist comments by one of India’s cricket players to an Australian player in the ongoing cricket series between the countries. The match referee banned the Indian player for three matches. The Indian team has appealed.
While it appears the Indian player is not guilty, it is baffling to see how some Indians are trying to take a higher moral ground on the whole issue of racism. The argument is that India raised its voice against Apartheid. We are the ones who condemned racism in America. We are the pluralistic society that will not stand for racism.
Yet, while this is true, one of the CNN/IBN panel members expressed the unsaid truth. He stated that Indians are hard-core racists due to the caste system and our obsession with being fair and white in skin color. Nowhere in the world is there such an obsession with becoming fair-skinned. Cosmetic companies blatantly run ads which are racist in character. There are numerous quacks who offer creams and treatments that are harmful, but promise to make your face ‘fair’ in a couple of weeks.
Professor Kancha Ilaiah, a political scientist who was on the show, pointed out that Indian life is replete with terms that are racist. When the lower castes are called ‘Chamars’ or ‘Bhangis’ or ‘Chandalas’ or ‘Kalia’ and similar names, it degrades and insults people who were born into this category, occupation, and place in the caste system.
A few Australian papers indirectly pointed out that all is not well in India on the racism front. But the editors did not go on to directly point out what I commonly hear during my travels around the world. In the wake of globalization, the world is very aware of India’s caste or racism problem.
Increasingly, very few people are buying the argument that the caste system is not racism. From genetic discoveries to binding United Nations’ judgments, the truth is becoming obvious.
In fact, not only is caste a form of racism, it is a greater evil. Educational achievements or economic successes sometimes eliminate the barriers of most racism. But my beloved country is full of examples of Dalits who returned home after great accomplishments only to be scorned by the upper castes. In 2001, Dalit leaders said with one voice at the UN conference at Durban that caste is worse than racism because there is no way out of the caste system. Once a Dalit, always a Dalit.
What’s the solution? Non-governmental groups, like ours, can continue to empower Dalits through primary education, microeconomic projects, and more. The national and state governments should enforce the good laws which are already on the books. But transformation of our racism-laden society will only happen when corporate responsibility is practiced. Corporations wield power and respect. Companies, whether Indian or multi-national, must address racism in their operations. And, more important, they must invest in schools, colleges, and continuing education which teach the equal potential for every human being. Knowledge of the truth sets people free.
Posted by klajja at January 19, 2008 12:17 PM