A few days ago, I saw a post on social media by Arshdeep Singh making fun of Tilak Verma’s skin colour. Tilak easily avoided that point and it was taken casually on social media also. But this is the problem. We accept such things as normal because we are not sensitive enough about them. The problem is not limited to Arshdeep only. This is an Indian problem, and we all have accepted it by saying ‘what’s the big deal’. Take the example of Dhanraj Pillai. When Pillai first emerged on the scene, he amazed everyone with his talent. It seemed impossible to stop them. But a comment alluding to his skin color was constantly heard at hockey matches. When Pillai himself narrated this incident to me, he too did not find anything unusual in it. Rather it was considered normal. After all, we speak like this, then what is the big deal in it? Let us also add here the issue of those Nigerian football players who made their careers while playing in Kolkata. Some of them are extremely popular even today. But that didn’t stop people from making colorist or racist comments at him. Chima Okri is an example of this. He is one of the best players to play football in India, but he was also called the ‘Black Panther’. All this has been made so natural that we do not see any problem in using these words. Perhaps Arshdeep Singh does not know where the line should be drawn. For them, all this may be just a matter of joke and light-hearted banter. Even Tilak Verma probably could not understand how he should react to this, so he left the matter at that. But we need more education and sensitivity in such matters, and the sooner it happens, the better it will be for India. Even today, if we go to Kolkata to watch a weekend match – in which an African player is playing – it is almost certain that some spectator will make a racist comment. While it is the responsibility of the player to immediately bring the incident to the notice of the referee, it is also the duty of everyone present to stop and restrain such a person. This should be a collective campaign, which cannot be left to officials and administrators alone. We have a whole tribe of people who consider it their privilege to insult skin color. For centuries we have not found any vaccine for this virus, but now the time has come that we develop one. It is also vital that players unite against this evil, move beyond symbolism and actually commit to a pledge that racial abuse will not be tolerated. In fact, those who have been victims of racial remarks but have avoided speaking out are equally guilty of promoting this evil. They should understand that sports have no value in front of human dignity, and they also have a responsibility towards the society. In the times to come, BCCI and franchises should consider starting an orientation course based on sensitivity. In this age of social media – where players are under the gaze of fans and others at all times – they need to be more socially and politically aware than ever before. Earlier, even if such things were said, they were not made public because not everything came on social media. But now the whole life is being lived on X and Instagram only. In such a situation, an orientation course for the players can clearly tell them the difference between ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’. BCCI and franchises should consider starting an orientation course based on sensitivity. In this era of social media, players need to be more alert than ever before. (These are the author’s own views)
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Boria Majumdar’s column: There is no place for racist comments in the world of sports
