Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Unnecessary fuss

The hard-hitting editorial `The manufacture of dissent' (Jan. 30) rightly focussed on the unnecessary importance given, from the start, to Shilpa Shetty's participation in the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother. Above all, the decision of the Indian authorities to invite Jade Goody to the country to remove her apprehensions about India is funny.

What apprehensions do they wish to remove? That, though there is no discrimination based on the colour of one's skin there is discrimination on the basis of caste? That despite being a growing economy there are indeed a lot of people living in poverty in India? Jade Goody has now become a household name. I wonder how many of us remember the names of those killed in Khairlanji?

S. Sudhir Kumar,
Hyderabad

A planned and well-scripted drama is over. All the contestants played their roles very well. Who is the real winner? Without a doubt, Britain's Channel 4.

Abdul Vahid A.,
Payyanur

There is absolutely nothing in Ms. Shetty's triumph to be perceived as a national accomplishment. It is nothing but one of those umpteen celebrity affairs blown out of all proportion by the media.

Arun Dash,
Hyderabad

One fails to understand how many Indians thought it fit to get exercised over the episode. All that happened between Ms. Shetty and Jade Goody was a minor, private confrontation. It had nothing to do with racism. Ms. Shetty does not represent India just as Ms. Goody does not symbolise the West.

T.S. Pattabhi Raman,
Coimbatore

In the editorial, you have waxed indignant at all the tamasha on Channel 4. But The Hindu is as guilty as anyone else of providing free publicity to this silly episode.

V. Nagarajan,
Chennai

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