So sometimes I have a little time on my hands...

Racism is not a small issue

Australian cricket fans should be very ashamed of themselves...

British-Indian cricketeer Monty Panesar was verbally and racially abused in Sydney last Monday by some Australian spectators when England was playing against New South Wales. According to news reports, he was called "A stupid Indian" and was told "You can't speak English you stupid Indian, I'll have to say it in Indian. What are you doing playing in the English side, you're not English..." When the British Minister for Sport tried to raise this issue with the Australian authorities, they downplayed it and even had the audacity to question whether such a comment could indeed be called racist.

I just think it is utterly disgusting and outrageous that people can say such things and get away with it. It is really upsetting that such stupidity and lack of breeding and class still exists. What worries me even more is that there are other people out there who think that such comments should be treated lightly!! On Tim Dunlop's news blog, one guy commented:

"Well he is of indian decent, so really someone is just calling him stupid. Oh boo hoo. I can think of 10 names worse off the top of my head! If you don’t like it, quit! It’s part of the game." - "John of Sydney"

The worst part is, he is not the only one!! I think many people in this country need to educated on such issues. Such low class, boganism has to stop and there needs to be a campaign of some sort to put an end to all this.

John of Sydney and every other person out there who shares such sentiments - you will NEVER understand what it feels like to be subjected to racial abuse and taunts. When someone calls you a "Stupid Indian" that person is not merely saying you are "Stupid", they are also suggesting that there is a connection between you being "Indian" and "Stupid". Why could he not have said "Stupid Cricketeer" or "Stupid Man" or "Stupid Left-Arm Spinner"?!?! Calling him a "Stupid Indian" was deliberate and malicious.

This is definitely not an isolated incident. Australian sports fans seem to behave in this way all the time. When I watching a live World Cup match at University (between Australia and Japan), a large number of local Australian students who were there started yelling at a group of Japanese international students "Go Home! Get Out of here!"...just sickens me....*shudders*.