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IAC blasts ‘highly offensive’ Stabroek News cartoon

Jun 19, 2008 News

– registers complaint with ERC

The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) has registered its “strongest condemnation” of a cartoon published on page 6 in the Sunday Stabroek edition of June 15, 2008. The body has registered its concern with the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).
The offending cartoon, the body notes, shows what appears to be an elderly woman of Indo-Guyanese origin being interviewed by a bespectacled member of the media.
“The old East Indian woman is drawn barefooted, sitting on a stool and wearing an undecorated rumal (Indian Headwear), an earring, a pair of bangles and a foot ring and an “I Love Guyana” badge while peeling what appears to be an agricultural product taken from a large wicker basket. At her feet is a bag with what appears to be the peeled product.
In the cartoon the interviewer first asks the old woman: “How do you feel about a BLACK MAN being PRESIDENT?” After an extended pause while appearing to wait for the old woman to answer, he adds: “of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA of course!”
When the old woman finally answers she exclaims: “OH! The UNITED STATES! WELL…”
The IAC opined that the interviewer is drawn as being anxious to extract an answer from the old woman.
“The IAC feels strongly that the interviewer is portrayed in such a manner as trying to extract a negative answer from her during his extended pause.
The IAC, which deals with issues and concerns of persons of Indo-Guyanese origin, views this cartoon as highly offensive in the following ways:
1. The old East Indian woman is portrayed as belonging to a past era historically: The IAC interprets this portrayal to mean that Indo-Guyanese are a backward ethnic group.
2. Since historically Hindu women have worn the rumal its depiction in the cartoon is interpreted by the IAC to mean that Hindus are a backward group.
3. The old East Indian woman is drawn wearing an “I Love Guyana” sticker badge: The IAC interprets this portrayal to mean that Indo-Guyanese are not inherently patriotic.
4. The old East Indian woman is drawn in the act of peeling something with her hands: The IAC interprets this portrayal to mean that Indo-Guyanese are technologically backward.
5. The interviewer is shown in an anxious manner to extract a negative answer to his question: “How do you feel about a BLACK MAN being PRESIDENT?”: The IAC interprets this portrayal to mean that Indo-Guyanese are alarmed at the notion of having an Afro-Guyanese as President of Guyana.
The IAC emphasized that it “not only finds the cartoon racially offensive but denigrating to persons of Indo-Guyanese origin as it can stir up feelings of social hostility against Indo-Guyanese by promoting and perpetrating negative stereotypes of Indo-Guyanese”.
The Committee noted that it had registered an official complaint with and urged the Ethnic Relations Commission to deal with the matter expeditiously. The IAC also called on all social, religious and political organizations to condemn what it described as “this racially inciting cartoon”.
The IAC concluded its statement by indicating that it continues to be a champion of cultural and ethnic harmony whilst at the same time celebrating the rich heritage and contributions of Indians to the development of Guyana.

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