The headline in the respected Times of India (online) reads Australian radio host calls India ‘shit hole’, Ganga a ‘junkyard’. The pulication was reporting on reaction to Kyle Sandilands’ statements from the Council of Indian Australians (CIA) which said it would take up the issue with Australia’s media regulatory body, ACMA, if it was not amicably resolved.

According to CIA president Yadu Singh, “Sandilands made insulting comments against India and ridiculed River Ganges which is a sacred river in Hinduism. His ridicule involved some of the practices of the followers of Hinduism.”

Singh said he found Kyle’s comments “insensitive, insulting, hurtful and unwarranted” and that he was upset and angered by them. But many Indians don’t agree.

At time of writing the article had received 328 online responses, many of them suggesting that Kyle’s comments, while not palatable, were accurate.  For example …

kashtekar (Mumbai) “Nindaka che ghar shejari” a phrase in marathi say you should have critic as neigbour. Lets use the anger we have when some says bad things about India to improve it. Its only in India where a millionair rolls down glass of his expensive car and spits outside !! Can we demand our governments for clean and unpolluted Ganga ?

AarVee (Chennai) I don’t see any thing wrong or offensive in the comment. Our backyard is stinking. Lets accept it. Let all those who are objecting to the comments come back, see for themselves, clean up the mess and then object. These guys have escaped the shithole leaving people like Steve Waugh to come and do some thing in places like Calcutta. We are too sensitive without ever trying to admit our own follies.

Read the full story and comments in the Times of India