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Derogatory remarks by US TV host irk Indian diaspora

Last Updated 17 December 2009, 17:03 IST

The powerful American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) said it was “disappointed” by Fox News personality Beck’s comment during one of his recent television shows and was “offended” by his “stereotypical” references to India, diseases and Ganges.

Talking about India in his opinion show ‘The One Thing’ on Fox News channel on December 9, Beck said: “One big river they have there, that sounds like a disease. Come on it does. I mean if somebody said, I am sorry, you have a really bad case of Ganges.”

Beck also allegedly made several disparaging remarks about India’s medical education and its physicians while interviewing Karlyn Zimbelman, an American who underwent a successful hip replacement surgery in India recently.

“Having carefully read the transcript of Beck’s comments, we are disappointed by his careless reference to the quality of medical schools in India,” AAPI president Vinod K Shah said in a statement on Thursday.

The US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) also condemned the remarks by Beck about India, its religious heritage and Indian physicians. It asked him to “apologise to the nearly three million Indian-Americans for this appalling behaviour immediately.”

The issue was for the first time brought to the attention of the media by Neveda-based Hindu activist Rajan Zed.

The Forum for Hindu Awakening has filed a formal complaint with the US Federal Communications Commission against the alleged remarks made by Beck on Ganges.
The USINPAC said in a statement that Beck needlessly insulted India’s religious heritage, disparaging river Ganges.

“In trying to get some cheap laughs, Beck has ridiculed India’s heritage by low and derogatory comments. His remarks about the river Ganges, an important part of a lot of Indians’ spirituality and culture, are especially offensive,” said USINPAC chairman Sanjay Puri.

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(Published 17 December 2009, 17:03 IST)

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