Mumbai: A video featuring Dance Deewane 3 host Raghav Juyal has received flak from many including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for being “racist”. In the clip, Raghav is seen introducing an Assamese child contestant, Gunjan Sinha, with a monologue featuring words such as “momo,” “ching chong,” and “gibberish Chinese”.
The introduction has been criticized widely by the Assam Chief Minister and a large section of social media. Biswa Sarma posted a tweet condemning the episode, saying, “It has come to my notice that a popular reality show host has used racist rhetoric against a young participant from Guwahati. This is shameful and totally unacceptable. Racism has no place in our country and we should all condemn it unequivocally.”
It has come to my notice that a popular reality show host has used racist rhetoric against a young participant from Guwahati. This is shameful and totally unacceptable. Racism has no place in our country and we should all condem it unequivocally.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 16, 2021
Many on social media also called out the show and Raghav. One person tweeted, “It’s 2021, but the racist Indians still practicing ‘Chinese’ ‘momo’ ‘ching chong’ racism as a comic element on their national television with their bollywood celebs applauding it. The racist host Raghav Juyal introducing Gunjan Sinha from Assam in a show on ColorsTV.”
The Dancer later clarified his statement through a video posted on his social media page, Juyal said people should see the bigger picture to understand the context of his interaction with the contestant, Gunjan Sinha. He said it’s important people understand the situation as being called a racist is affecting his mental health. Sharing that he has family and friends in the North-East, Raghav said that he not only respects people from the region but has also stood up for them.
Giving details of his actions, the host said that the child had told the creatives that she can speak Chinese, which was largely gibberish. She termed it as her talent, and throughout the show, she would speak this made-up language in jest. “Towards the end of the show, I decided to speak in a similar way to introduce her in one of the episodes. It has been an inside joke on the show and one shouldn’t judge us with just that clip,” he shared.
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