Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Class or race?

The article "Was Jade Goody a victim of class prejudice?" (Jan. 25) was an eye-opener. Racism became the subject of open debate because of Jade's behaviour towards Shilpa Shetty. But are other Britons free from feelings of racial superiority? Goody was opposing Shilpa's class and elegance, and in the process got so carried away that her behaviour became a matter of global debate.

Krishna V. Chandrasekharan,
Thiruvananthapuram

* * *

The effort of the British media and others to portray Jade as an aberration is condemnable. It is true that she said some harsh words in a fit of rage. But attributing her behaviour to her class is unwarranted. She has already suffered enough. If anything, we should congratulate her on being the only participant in the Big Brother Celebrity show who spoke her mind. After all, it is a reality show.

S. Barath,
Tiruchi

* * *

Those who object to the protests against the racial incident point to the caste discrimination in India. It is nobody's case that caste discrimination is okay. But racial slur on Shilpa is objectionable too. Any form of discrimination against a fellow human is objectionable and condemnable.

N. Nagesh,
Chennai

* * *

The prevalence of the caste system in no way implies that Ms. Shetty is an avid practitioner of it, and in no way justifies the scorn poured on her. In Ms. Goody's estimation, Ms. Shetty was too haughty to be an average Indian endlessly caricatured in quotidian Britain. Thus, she was turned into a live proxy and fair game for all the faults and fissures of the Indian race and culture. As for whether it was class or race that sparked the row, it was race. Most Britons would have felt pretty much the same as Ms. Goody did but their language would have been profoundly more polished.

Ganesh S. Krishnan,
Minnesota

* * *

The Indian Government's knee-jerk reaction to the incident was uncalled for, given that Shilpa herself backtracked. Are we free from racial bias against foreign visitors and those belonging to the backward sections among us? Why throw stones at others from a glasshouse?

K.E. Thomas,
Hyderabad

* * *

Jade's reference to Shilpa as "the Indian" was a slur on all Indians, including the marginalised sections, and not just the actor. Untouchability in our own country, which persists despite its being an offence, is no doubt a shame. So is racism in the West. The Government was right in taking up the issue in the interests of all Indians. Mixing racism and untouchability is pointless.

S. Rajagopalan,
San Ramon, California

* * *

There is no hypocrisy in demanding an apology from Britain even if caste-based discrimination is prevalent in our own society. It is a fringe phenomenon and is not supported by the civilised society though passively ignored at large.

R. Agastya,
Hyderabad

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