Jade Goody, rising India & the missing debate
The British society had a good, meaningful and deserved debate over Jade Goody's rows with Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. Some key points to focus again:
* Shilpa Shetty's father has rightly pointed out that Jade Goody does not represent the British society. His daughter, during a scene in the reality show Big Brother, had wondered: ''is this today's UK?''
* The fact that the British rose up against Jade Goody's behaviour against Shilpa which can be described as bullying with racist overtones, show how far British society has come during the past half century. Jade Goody no longer is representative of the UK society; there is clear consensus against racism of any kind here.
* One question that remains is this: Had the reaction been so overwhelming against Jade Goody, had it not been for an Indian? India is a rising power and it may be a measure of this rise that the reaction against Jade was overwhleming. Ultimately, it were the Brits 82% of whom voted to evict Jade from Big Brother.
* During the week-long controversy on racism allegation, Channel 4 bosses kept denying what was obvious to the eyes of general public. The bosses kept saying that they did not think it was racism notwithstanding the rising number of email complaints to OfCom.
* One thing is clear and no one has asked so far is this: why OfCom has failed completely from coming out with even a statement? What is the role of OfCom in regulating media groups? Somebody needs to ask this question.
* One writer, an Indian, has written in The Times of India, raising a profound point: while Indians went on the streets to protest against Big Brother and expressed their views on racism row in Britain, this controversy failed to generate any debate within India over racism and casteism prevalent there.
* Nevertheless, it was good that Jade Goody was evicted from Big Brother. Her behaviour was certainly not of a mature individual -- being a mother of two, being a celebrity, being British, being from mixed race whose grand father was a Black man, she was supposed to display grace in the face of evil -- not otherwise.
