Sam Pitroda: Going Overboard
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2024-05-10 00:46:36
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
So now we
have it - a racist profile of Indians by none other than the 'great' Sam
Pitroda. Close on the heels of his US-type inheritance tax remarks which raised
a huge controversy, Pitroda this time tried disgusting analogies to prove how
diverse India is. His sweeping remarks smacked of racism and commented on
features, skin tone and looks of Indians in all parts of the country.
For
Pitroda, people in the north take after 'whites'; those in the north-east are 'Chinese'; people from the west are like 'Arabs' and those from the south are
like 'Africans'. This is the mindset that divides people. This is the mindset that makes people think that people from
Nagaland, Arunachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura or Manipur are 'chinkies' and 'nepalis' and not Indians.
India is a
diverse nation where people of many features exist. It is nation where many
languages are spoken, where dress, food and culture is distinct in each state.
The sum total of this is what makes India unique. If, instead of taking pride
in our diversity, we were to profile people on the basis of their facial
features or the colour of their skin, we will be doing a great disservice to
the people.
The
Congress has rightly distanced itself from Pitroda's obnoxious analogies. It
called them "unfortunate and unacceptable". Pitroda has resigned as the
chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress. The BJP has, as expected, latched on
the remarks to take digs at Rahul Gandhi. Most Congress leaders, except Adhir
Ranjan Choudhury, have chosen to condemn Pitroda's remarks. Choudhury, on the
other hand, tried to defend Pitroda by saying that not everyone in India looks
alike and the country has "Proto-Australian, N****** and Mongoloid class" and "some are black....some are white".
