If Harbhajan wanted to abuse the Australian player Symonds, why would have he said monkey? Does monkey sounds to Indians like a “gaali”? I don’t think in any part of India, particularly the region Harbhajan belongs to, monkey would ever be taken as a slur. If you want to abuse someone we have an array of words to spit your anger. Either the Australians are telling a lie or they got it wrong what Harbhajan said. He must have said something else, if he did say.
Do you remember Amir Khan’s movie Rang de Basanti? Even a British national used a far forceful expletive when she wanted to hit back at her boss who was not willing to support her plans. This was just after spending some time with NRIs or Desis while her research on her documentary. So how could have Harbhajan used a innocuous word like monkey to express his anger.
Did you get what he might have said if he did say? If he did say he must have used some expletive of higher degree, not monkey. But as if now we are firm on our stand that Harbhajan did not say anything.
1 Comment
January 9, 2008 at 11:52 am
The issue certainly is overblown, and it is possible Ponting should have considered a better way of dealing with this.
However Indians in general lack racial sensitivity training - my opinion is regardless of the outcome of this, which I hope is a simple fine, a stern warning and resumption of cricket, Indian team should get a lesson in racial sensitivity. If you look at this from Symonds viewpoint - it’s not fun to be taunted by a racist remark.
‘monkey’ is clearly racist and that’s why it’s much more demeaning than a simple abuse such as ‘bast*d’ or ‘idiot’. Harbhajan apologized for this already once in the one-day series in India. Indian crowd was clearly shown (check on youtube) putting up a placard which says ‘monkey among kangaroos’ in the one day series. The thing is that Harbhajan, and most Indians may have not realized the impact of a racial slur. Harbhajan as a Sikh - is himself probably painfully aware of the jokes on Sikhs which are routinely circulated as ‘fun’ in India. Because of the diversity in India, and the fact that Indians freely make fun of each others ethnic origin (slurring Southies & Northies and Sikhs, Tamils, Telugus etc. which are all pretty commonplace in Indian culture), he may have not realized that it was a serious offence.
To me it seems that a proper apology, a pact not to do this again, sensitivity training for the team, and a monetary fine should take care of it, rather than the current impasse,
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