The Hindu : National : U.K. doesn't want to be perceived as racist: envoy

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Sunday, Jan 28, 2007
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National

National

U.K. doesn't want to be perceived as racist: envoy

"British public found Goody's remarks intolerable"

Jade Goody

New Delhi: With the racist slurs on the reality show `Big Brother' whipping up an international debate, Britain has said it would be very damaging for it if Indians perceived the British as racist in the wake of the controversy.

``We have a very much improving and modern relationship with India, a very deep and cultural relationship with India in the 21st century. And it will be very damaging to us if that's the perception (that British society is racist) here,'' U.K. High Commissioner Sir Michael Arthur told Karan Thapar in the `Devil's Advocate' programme on the CNN-IBN and the CNBC.

He was responding to a question on Indians perceiving British society as racist in view of the racist remarks made by Jade Goody to Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on the `Big Brother' show. ``If the consensus in India is that Britain is racist, I will be worried about it,'' he said, but promptly added that it was not the case. ``But of course if that's the perception here, that is of concern,'' he said.

Mr. Arthur said though the controversy has ignited a big public debate on the issue of racism, going by the reaction from the British public, the offensive remarks made by Ms. Goody were actually intolerable. He said the debate has had a big impact across India. ``The conclusion in India would be that in Britain we have a very lively and open society... and absolutely we are not a racist country,'' the U.K. envoy said.

However, Mr. Arthur said, the `Big Brother' show was not the right forum to discuss such a serious issue. ``It is a very artificial forum in which you test people rather under very stressful conditions because it makes a good TV serial,'' he said.

On questions raised by the Indian Government on the racial attack on Ms. Shetty, Mr. Arthur said, ``they have asked us questions about this... We will take every measure as a rule of law applies.'' — PTI

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