India Vs Australia 2007/8 Race Row

[Leicester Fox]

LOL what a pathetic attempt by the Indians to get back at the Aussies. If your going to discipline people for swearing then they need to talk to most cricketers in the world.

 

[pal]

I don't know. I suppose it depends on the culture. The term 'monkey' in India would probably not even constitute swearing. It's even somewhat of an endearing term for an excitably silly person. On the other hand, once again, I'm only speaking from a cultural point of view, the word "*******" is looked at as being pretty vile here.

 

[Leicester Fox]

well it's not exactly a loving term over here but countless players will have been called it in the past and I have no doubts that many more will be called it, calling someone a monkeys racist whilst ******* just isn't very nice. If the ICC take action over this then we will see a hell of a lot more of these cases and players getting punished.

 

[manee]

Harbhajan's an idiot. How someone who wears a piece of clothing that represents their religion and then go and be racist to someone else is beyhond me. By all rights, going into another country then his going to be a target towards racisim.

The patka actually just keeps the hair clean. The hair is the sign of being a member of the Khalsa, not the religion. But that is neither here nor there.

 

[Animator!]

Likewise in England, Australia, South Africa, countries that have a large amount of integration would not put up with the word being used to describe someone who isn't white. Over here remarks like that are considered the height of racism and are far, far worse than swearing. Which in this country are often considered throw away lines in the midst of banter. I swear in general day to day conversation a lot. Nobody I know finds it offensive because of the culture we've grown up in.

The simple fact of the matter is that it's the cross of two cultures in which things are markably different.

 

[pal]

I just don't know. I can see why an Indian player would take offense to it, but I can also see why the English and Aussie teams might not. But, if you take Bhajji's case right now, he's being tried based on the connotation the word he is accused of using holds in Aussie culture (and apparently, English). If an Indian player seriously wanted to press the issue (and I assure you, I recognize the bit of payback element here), you would expect Hogg to be tried on the basis of how the term is used in Indian culture.

 

[sohum]

... calling someone a monkeys racist whilst ******* just isn't very nice.

Yeah... according to you, right? Why don't you google Hanuman. Fine insult it is to call someone monkey in India, huh?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Firstly, I don't think Bhajji was racist. Even if he said monkey, I mean, c'mon, it is hardly racist. if he went on to say "You are a black money from the jungles of Australia", fine, but to say "Shut up you Monkey", c'mon!! Thats hardly anything in India!! Symonds should grow up and learn to take it as it is dished out.

But there are 3 reasons I feel Bhajji is innocent:

1) I understand calling Symonds a monkey. I mean, have you seen Symonds picture side by side with a Monkey? I mean, if anything, it's offensive to the monkey!! I think the monkey should be the one complaining, not Symonds.
2) Have you seen Bhajjis size compared to Symonds? I don't think Bhajji wants to get himself killed.
3) Bhajji is Indian. How can Indians be racist?? I mean, we are the butt of practically every racist joke in white culture (Along with the Blacks and Jews)!! And Symonds is a fellow brown man. Why would we be racist to another brown man like us!! Calling him a Monkey based on his colour, it would be like calling us all monkeys!!


All this is just blown out of proportion and is completely pathetic. And Bhajji has been banned. I've pretty much lost all respect for the match officials now.

 

[usy]

And Symonds is a fellow brown man

He has nothing to do with India. His background is no where "Indian" or one should think "south Asian".

 

[Leicester Fox]

I'm fairly sure he's not so ignorant that he doesn't realise it's racist to call Symonds a monkey, especially after the trouble with the crowds in India.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I'm fairly sure he's not so ignorant that he doesn't realise it's racist to call Symonds a monkey, especially after the trouble with the crowds in India.

Believe me, he could be.

 

[manee]

I'm fairly sure he's not so ignorant that he doesn't realise it's racist to call Symonds a monkey, especially after the trouble with the crowds in India.

How is it any different than not knowing that the word said by Brad Hogg is offensive in India?

 

[Adarsh]

Being of Indian origin, and living in England, I can guarantee you that if you utter the word f*** or b****** in India everyone will just stare at you in shock. And vice versa when you call a non-white man a monkey in England.

In India it's actually quite common to call people names of animals . It's just that some words are much more serious in some countries than others.

 

[Leicester Fox]

How is it any different than not knowing that the word said by Brad Hogg is offensive in India?

because now I do, so if I was Brad Hogg then I wouldn't say it now. Whilst HS (I can't be bothered typing his name because every time I do I have to put it into google to check I spelt it right ) knew provided he was actually awake during the ind-aus ODI series that calling someone a monkey was considered racist by the ICC and Australians, Hogg and other Aussies will have been calling people *******s for decades, and it's only now that he's realised that someone would actually take it seriously because generally most people would consider it banter and just part of the challenge that comes with international cricket.

 

[pal]

In India it's actually quite common to call people names of animals

lol, that is so true. Speaking as a Tamil, words like naye, panni, and korangu are used so commonly.