News Analysis India

Tag: racial slur

  • Justin Bieber apologises for endorsing Morgan Wallen’s music following racial slur scandal

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Bieber, on Wednesday, shared a social media apology for his endorsement of country music star Morgan Wallen’s song, six months after a video was leaked of Wallen drunkenly using the N-word with his friends.

    In a now-deleted post, Bieber had shared a screenshot of Wallen’s ‘Sand In My Boots’ from ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’, writing “Love this album”, alongside it. Not long after, the ‘Sorry’ singer deleted the post and penned an apology on his Instagram Stories.

    Apologising to the people he unknowingly hurt due to the incident, Bieber wrote, “I had no idea that the guy’s music i posted was recently found saying racist comments. As you know i dont support or tolerate any sort of racism or discrimination. I had no idea, I sincerely apologize to anyone i offended.”

    The ‘Peaches’ singer nodded to his own past with the slur by adding, “When I was a kid, I was incredibly ignorant and said some very hurtful racist jokes that clearly were not funny. I hurt a lot of people especially the Black people in my life but was fortunate enough to have had them educate me on the horrifying origin of the n-word. This brings those painful memories back up; I will always take ownership for my ignorance and my past because I know I am not that person.”

    In March, Bieber had revealed that he doesn’t own a cellphone and instead opts to use an iPad. Hence it’s at least somewhat plausible that he missed the controversy surrounding the country star.

    Wallen was on ‘Good Morning America’ in July talking about the incident but seems like Bieber is not the target audience for that show.

    In February, Wallen faced enormous social media backlash after TMZ published a video of him telling a friend to “take care of this p–y-ass n–a” when they returned home from a night out in Nashville.

    He immediately issued an apology, saying he was “embarrassed and sorry,” but months later, he revealed it wasn’t the first time he’s used the word.

    As per Fox News, Big Loud, Wallen’s record label suspended him in February but has since reinstated him. Either way, the controversy hasn’t dented his album sales. Wallen’s ‘Dangerous’ album has been No. 1 on the Billboard country album chart for 26 weeks.

  • YouTuber Paras Singh, in jail for using racial slur against Arunachal MLA, gets bail

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: YouTuber Paras Singh, who was arrested last month for making racial remarks against Arunachal Pradesh MLA Ninong Ering and the state, has been granted bail.

    The Sessions Court in Yupia granted him bail on the execution of a personal bond of Rs 10,000. It ordered him not to leave the country and stay away from interfering in the probe.

    The investigation is almost over and all necessary statements have been recorded by the police, Public Prosecutor Rotom Vijay said.

    About a dozen FIRs were filed against the 22-year-old in different parts of the state.

    In a video posted on YouTube, he had commented that the state MLA Ering does not look like an Indian. He claimed the “state is a part of China”. After the comments had triggered outrage in the Northeast, Singh was arrested from Ludhiana by a special investigating team (SIT) from Arunachal and brought to Itanagar on May 27.

    He told the SIT that he had made the controversial video to gain maximum attention and views which would have maximized his income from the channel. The police said Singh was angry that Ering had written a letter seeking a ban on PUBG.

    On June 4, Twitter was bombarded by students and others from the Northeast demanding the inclusion of a chapter on the region’s geography, culture, ethnicity, and lifestyle of people in NCERT textbooks.

    The demand followed repeated remarks of a racial slur against northeasterners by a section of the mainlanders. The locals believe such behaviour can be checked by including a chapter on the region in NCERT textbooks.

  • Northeast students, academics create ‘Twitter storm’, demand chapter on region in NCERT books

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Twitter was on Friday evening bombarded by students, academics and others from the Northeast demanding the inclusion of a chapter on the region – its geography, culture, ethnicity and lifestyle of people in NCERT textbooks.

    The demand followed repeated remarks of racial slur against north-easterners by a section of the mainlanders. They believe such behaviour can be checked by including a chapter on the Northeast in NCERT.

    #AchapterforNEIndia and #NortheastMatters were flooded with comments as people joined the “Twitter Storm”. They tagged the powers-that-be, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

    Samujjal Bhattacharyya, who is an advisor to North East Students’ Organisation, wrote: “Ignorant mainlanders seem to be unaware of our existence as an inextricable part of India. Sensitise students by adding #AChapterForNE to begin with; for #NortheastMatters. The land of rich heritage, exotic flora/fauna & impeccable culture, NE is more than a resource frontier alone.”

    The latest remarks of racial slur were directed against former Union Minister and sitting Arunachal Pradesh MLA, Ninong Ering. In a video posted on YouTube, one Paras Singh had described the Congress MLA a “non-Indian”. He ostensibly also claimed the “state (Arunachal) is a part of China”. After the comments had triggered an outrage in the Northeast, Singh was arrested by the police.

    Ering tweeted on Friday: “Today, I am joining Twitter Storm not only as a representative but as a common citizen of North East India. The world needs to know about us and learn about our history, geography, culture and other aspects.”

    One Kabyashree Kalita from Assam wrote: “Mughals couldn’t invade ASSAM 17 times. NORTHEAST is the ONLY PART OF INDIA that the Mughals failed to conquer during their reign for over two centuries. Don’t you think #ASSAM#AHOMS#NE deserves a chapter in NCERT?”

    Another user, Chophika Sumi from Nagaland, said, “We are only asserting our rights as Indians. Please hear us out.”

    “Our geography, ethnicity, culture and way of life need a place in NCERT textbooks,” tweeted Amar Sangno, a senior journalist from Arunachal..Sahin, another user, tweeted: “Seven sisters, one brother, one soul. We stand up together, as a whole. They call us different but we sing the same National Anthem and salute the same National Flag. We may be aside but we aren’t apart, we are from NORTHEAST INDIA.”

    Asmita Bharadwaj, who is the vice president of Northeast Students’ Union of Vadodara, Gujarat, said the incident involving Ering, along with years of discrimination against the people from the Northeast, were the reasons behind the Twitter Storm campaign.

    Assam’s Mayur Jyoti Kaushik, behind the #AchapterforNEIndia, attributed such behaviour to the lack of knowledge and education about the Northeast among people residing in the mainland.