Was just browsing rediff and came across an article. It is about an RJ @ a Philedelphia based radio station, who threatened to choke an Indian Call Center employee.

He uses words/phrases like bitch, eff, filthy rat eater during his call. The call was aired on the radio and put on their website.

Turbanhead has the audio file . Ed has transcribed the conversation:

NARRATOR INTRO: Wakeup with Star and Buc Wild in the mornings of Power 99 FM.

STAR: I’m going to play this call from earlier before we get out of here. This is the, uh, call that I made to — I thought it was a company here locally. Not that I was surprised.

(laughter)

STAR: I saw this infomercial about, uh, what are these things called again? Oh, the, uh…

FEMALE VOICE: Bead? Oh shoot.

STAR: Anyway, let — let’s just play the call. I was surprised when I got somebody on the line in East India. These little beads that I saw. Little white kids, uh, a little machine that puts them in their hair.

FEMALE VOICE: Mm’hm.

STAR: Play it.

(tape begins)

STEENA: This is Steena. How may I help you?

STAR: Hi, Stain-a, you say?

STEENA: Yes.

STAR: (in fake Indian accent) Yeah, I called and I just got hung up on. I’m calling from America about the quick beads for my daughter’s, uh, hair. Quick beads.

STEEA: Okay. May I have your ZIP code please?

STAR: 10274.

STEENA: 10274?

STAR: Yes. Get it right. Now are you in India? Because I just spoke to someone in India who hung up on me.

STEENA: Thank you. I am from India, ma’am.

STAR: Okay. So my call is being outsourced to India.

STEENA: That’s right.

STAR: In… in regards to my six year old, white American daughter who wants to get the quick beads like Serena and Venus Williams.

STEENA: Now. I’ll definitely place an order for that. See…

STAR: What’s that?

STEENA: …in the ad, she called to place a quick bead of counier. To ensure proper handling…

STAR: Ma’am, I don’t know what the hell you’re saying. Hang on a second. Let me try and get something straight here. The quick beads, like Venus and Serena Williams, that to advertise to — to the white kids on television. This call has been outsourced to India?

STEENA: That’s right.

STAR: Well, ma’am, what the eff would you know about an American white girl’s — uh, uh — hair? And quick beads.

STEENA: Just to inform you, ma’am, we’re a national chain services company. And we’re just taking calls on the opposite…

STAR: Listen, bitch! Don’t get slick with the mouth! Don’t you get slick with me, bitch!

STEENA: Now if you continue to speak this language, I will disconnect the call.

STAR: Listen to me, you dirty rat eater. I’ll come out there and choke the eff out of you.

(laughter)

STAR: You’re a filthy rat eater. I’m calling about my American six year old white girl. How dare you outsource my call? Get off the line, bitch!

(laughter; end of tape)

STAR: Pull it up.

(laughter)

STAR: Heard they listen well out there.

This is not the first case of racism against Indians. I had a friend working for a call center for few days. He told me that a lot of people calling from US abuse them. They would say that you f****** Indian, you took our jobs…

This incident has disturbed me a lot. RJ “STAR” is a black guy. On one hand he wants them to be respected and called “African Americans” and on the other hand he derogates Indians and curses them. Bloody Hypocrite.

I think its high time that Asians or any other minority living in US should fight for their rights. The American society which is believed to be “fair and just” is fair and just in the books and papers only.

If you are Indian living in US, or living in India or an Asian or anybody else and think that whatever happened was wrong and the RJ should be fired, then write a letter/email or call the Radio Station and tell them how you feel about the issue, and what action you expect from the radio station.

So far I just tried to call the Radio Station, but they were closed. I am gonna write an email to Michael Saunders of Clear Channel (Radio Station’s parent company) and would tell him how I feel about the issue.

I don’t believe in illegal or wrong activities such as spamming them or abusing them on fone or writing. I also don’t believe in Gandhian theory acc. to which, you should put your left cheek forward, if someone slapped your right. I can only think of calling and writing to them. Right now am unable to think of any other way of protest. Someone suggested that we should list the names of their advertisers and call them and tell them that we will boycot their products if they don’t pull out their ads from the radio station (kind of Gandhian), but I can’t do this as the radio is aired just in Philly. If someone got any ideas of protest then do let me know.

The contact details are here:

Philadelphia, WUSL

Business line: 215.483.8900
Studio hotline (toll-free): 800.669.99FM
Studio hotline (local): 215.263.6699

Attention: Richard Lewis & Thea Mitchem
Power99 WUSL-FM
440 Domino Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19128

Director of Urban Programming/Program Director: Thea Mitchem
Music Director: Coka Lani
News & Public Affairs Director: Loraine Ballard Morrill

New York, WWPR

Program director: Michael Saunders, msaunders@clearchannel.com

Request line: 800-585-1051
Business line: 212-704-1051

Here is a forward (2 years old) related to the issue.

I am not sure if it will happen or not, but its good to read.

Dream Conversation:

Year : 2020
Place: Two Americans at IBM, USA.
Currency Conversion Rate: Rs. 1/- = $ 100/-.

Alex : Hi John, you didn’t come yesterday to office?
John : Yeah, I was in Indian Embassy for stamping.

Alex : Oh really, what happened, I heard that nowadays it has become very strict.
John : Yeah, but I managed to get it.

Alex : How long it took to get it stamped?
John : Oh, it was nasty man, long queue. Bill Gates was standing in front of me and they played with him like anything. Thats why it got delayed. I went there at 2 am itself and waited and returned by 4 PM.

Alex : Really? In India, it is a matter of an hour to get stamped for USA
John : Yeah, but that is because who in India will be interested in coming to USA man, their economy has been booming.

Alex : So, when are you leaving?
John : Anytime, after receiving my tickets from the client in India and you know, I will be getting a chance to fly Air-India. Sort of dream come true.

Alex : How long are you going to stay in India.
John : What do you mean by how long. I will be settled in India, my company has promised me that they will process my Hara Patta.

Alex : Really, lucky person man, it is very difficult to get a Hara Patta in India.
John : Yeah, thats why, I am planning to marry an Indian girl there.

Alex : But you can find lots of US girls in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai.
John : But, I prefer Indian girls because they are beautiful and cultured.

Alex : Where did you get the offer, Hyderabad?
John : Yeah, salary is good there, but cost of living is quite high, it is Rs. 1000/- for a single room accommodation.

Alex : I see, that’s too much for US people, Rs. 1/- = $100/-. Oh God! what about in Chennai, Mumbai?
John : No idea, but it is less than what we have in Hyderabad. It is like the world headquarters of Software.

Alex : I heard, almost all the Indians are having one personal Robot for help.
John : You can get a BMW car for Rs. 5000/-, and a personal Robot for less than Rs. 7500/-. But my dream is to purchase Ambassador, which costs Rs.200000/- but has got a sexy design.

Alex : By the way, who is you are client?
John : Reddy and Naidu Associates, a pure Indian company, specializing in Embedded Software.

Alex : Oh, really, lucky to work in a pure Indian company. They are really intelligent and unlike American Bodyshoppers who have opened their Fly-by-night outfits in India. Indian companies pay you in full even when you are on bench. My friend Paul Allen, it seems, used his bench time to visit Bihar, the most livable place in India, probably world. There you have full freedom and no restrictions. You can do whatever you want! I wonder how that state has perfected that system.
John : Yeah man, you are right. I hope our America also follows their footsteps.

Alex : How are you going to cope with their language?
John : Why not? From my school days I have been learning Hindi as my first language here at New York. At the Consulate they tested my proficiency in Hindi and were quite impressed by my cent percent score in TOHIL i.e.Test of Hindi as International Language.

Alex : So, you are going to have fun there.
John : Yeah, I will be traveling in the world’s fastest train, world’s largest theme park, and the famous Bollywood where you can see actors like, Hrithik, Govinda and all. Esselworld is also near to Bollywood.

Alex : You know, the PM is scheduled to visit US next year, he may then relax the number of visas.
John : That’s true. Last month, Narayanamurthy visited White House and donated Rs. 2000/- for infrastructure development at Silicon Valley and has promised more if we follow the model of high-tech City of Hyderabad. Bill Gates also got a chance of meeting him. Very lucky person.

Alex : But, Indian government is planning to split Narayanamurthy’s Infosys.
John : He is a hard worker man, he can build any number of Infosys like this. Every minute he is getting Rs. 1000/-. It seems, if you keep all his money converted as Rs. 100/- notes you can reach Pluto.

Alex : OK, Good Luck John.
John : Same to you Alex. And don’t go to Consulate in a Kurta Pyjama because they will think you are too Indianised and may doubt you will ever come back and hence your Non-Immigrant Visa may get rejected. But don’t forget to say “Namaste, aap kaise hai” to the Visa officer at Window 5. It seems he likes that and will not give you a visa if you don’t greet him that way.

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