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Shilpa Shetty issue reaches House of Commons
London, Jan 16 Labour MP Keith Vaz tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons Tuesday about the allegedly racist comments made about Indian actress Shilpa Shetty by fellow contestants on the reality show "Big Brother".

Vaz said members of his Leicester East constituency had contacted him about alleged racism on the Channel 4 show.

Television regulator Ofcom said it had received thousands of complaints about alleged racism against Shetty.

The early day motion (EDM) reads: "This House views with concern the comments made about Big Brother contestant Shilpa Shetty by other housemates; believes that Big Brother has a role to play in preventing racist behaviour in the Big Brother house; regrets that these comments have been made; and calls on the programme to take urgent action to remind housemates that racist behaviour is unacceptable."

   

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EDMs are used by MPs to highlight an issue and appear on the Commons Order Paper each day.

Vaz said: "I have been contacted by constituents who have expressed concern that apparently racist comments in the Big Brother house have passed without any response from the Big Brother programme.

"We would not tolerate this kind of racism on other types of television programme and we should not do so on a programme that is watched by millions of people."
 

India acting on racial slurs against Shilpa

New Delhi, Jan 17 The Indian government is trying to collect information about alleged racist remarks against Shilpa Shetty on the British TV reality show "Celebrity Big Brother", said Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.

"Racism has no place in civilian society. India has, throughout, thrown out any kind of racism and discrimination. We are trying to collect the information," Sharma told reporters here today.

Viewers in Britain have complained that Shilpa, who is participating in the show which has a group of celebrities cooped up in a house with no access to the outside world, is being subjected to racial abuse by fellow housemates.

Monday night's show, for instance, featured scenes of participants picking on Shilpa for her cooking skills.

Former S Club 7 member Jo O'Meara made fun of Shilpa's Indian accent and complained that she had touched food with her hands. He was joined by model Danielle Lloyd. She said: "They eat with their hands in India, don't they - or is that China? You don't know where their hands have been."

During her time in the house, another contestant Jackiey repeatedly referred to Shilpa as "the Indian" and never pronounced her name correctly.

The show went on air Jan 2.

Germaine Greer defends Shilpa, show races on
By Prasun Sonwalkar,

London, Jan 17 Indian actress Shilpa Shetty has been catapulted to fame in Britain with MPs, thousands of Asians and even feminist diva Germaine Greer defending her against alleged racism on the "Celebrity Big Brother" reality show.

With conflict and controversy known to drive ratings, television strategists could not have dreamt up a better script. Bookmakers have made Shilpa the favourite to win, while thousands of Asians and non-Asians who never watched the show now tune in every night to see what the uproar is all about.

The show has a group of celebrities cooped up together, with no access to the outside world - no TV, no newspapers and no phones. But viewers are complaining that Shilpa has had to suffer racist remarks from other participants.

On the BBC Asian Network, presenter Anita Rani has launched a 'Save Shilpa' campaign: "Let's do it. Let's unite and save the Bollywood princess. We have to get the real Asian network working in full force and spread the word..."

The network said it had received more calls and e-mails on the issue than any other recent topic.

MP Keith Vaz, who is of Indian origin, tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons on the issue, Greer penned a characteristically mocking piece for The Guardian, defending Shilpa and ridiculing Britons for the way Asians are treated in this country.

Greer wrote: "That is not surprising. This is a racist country; to the vast majority of couch potatoes out there, Shilpa is a 'Paki bird'... Separation breeds division, as we are always told when the subject is religious schools in Ulster, but there is almost no inter-penetration of English and Indian cultures in Britain."

Greer says that not many seem to have understood that Shilpa is "a very good actress. Everyone hates her because she wants them to. She also knows that if she infuriates people enough, their innate racism will spew forth.

"Endemol (the show's producers) must be over the moon because racism has raised its ugly head. Every time someone sends in a complaint to Ofcom about racism in the Big Brother house, the profile of the show is raised and Shilpa earns a bit more of her huge fee.

"Shilpa's enjoying herself. Ladbroke's are quoting her 10/3 favourite."

Meanwhile, the show appears set to overtake "Jerry Springer, The Opera" as the most-complained show in television regulator Ofcom's history. The Shilpa show on "Big Brother" has already provoked nearly 8,000 complaints while Channel 4, on which the show is being broadcast, has also received thousands of complaints.

Vaz's early day motion in the House of Commons read: "This house views with concern the comments made about 'Big Brother' contestant Shilpa Shetty by other housemates; believes that 'Big Brother' has a role to play in preventing racist behaviour in the 'Big Brother' house; regrets that these comments have been made; and calls on the programme to take urgent action to remind housemates that racist behaviour is unacceptable."

Noted actress Meera Syal told the BBC Asian Network: "I certainly wouldn't have taken as much as Shilpa has taken. There is a very thin line between what is entertainment and a vile spectacle and I think we are in that area now.

"What this treatment of Shilpa has done is remind a lot of Asian people in Britain of the type of uncomfortable treatment they've received themselves over the years."


IANS