durban, October 2: The overwhelming support of the Indian diaspora for Team India during the Twenty20 World Cup has triggered a raging debate on racism. The debate has been sparked by a local black journalist, Philani Magwaba, who in an article in the Sunday Tribune criticised the Indian community’s support for the Indian team in the quarter finals against South Africa.

India knocked out South Africa and went on to beat Australia and Pakistan to win the inaugural championship.

Magwaba not only attacked the Indian community for failing to support the hosts but also questioned their patriotism when South Africa plays other countries in football. He also questioned the race relations between the Indian community and the African majority.

Since the article was published, members of the Indian-origin community have responded by writing letters to the newspapers and telephoning radio stations to reject accusations of racism.

Several people wrote to back to the newspaper that “Indians” were being singled out when they were merely exercising their democratic right to support any team of their choice. One writer, Logan Iyaloo, summed up the feelings of most people when he asked in his letter why should he be told who should he support when 14 years after democracy he was still classified as an “Indian”.

“I am a fifth generation South African, but only in South Africa am I referred to as an Indian,” he wrote. He added: “During the struggle, people of colour referred to each other as black brothers and sisters. Now, out of convenience we are called ‘Indians and coloureds’. By whose convenience are we still divided?”

Another writer, Aslam Ismail, questioned the motive behind those attacking “Indians” for supporting India. “It is, indeed, a fact that we have not laid to rest much of our past conditioning and prejudices, but we are nation in transition and are optimistic that the following generations will successfully dispense with the baggage we carry,” he wrote.

A number of other letter writers stated that South Africa should start to select more “Indian origin” players and this might see a change of attitude. “Indians in South Africa had been playing cricket for more than 100 years and nobody could claim that “we cannot produce our own Chanderpauls and Monty Panesars,” they said.

A local political analyst, Dr Kiru Naidoo, also entered the debate by writing a leader page article in the Sunday Tribune. Naidoo analysed that ‘Indian-origin’ people were only exercising their democratic right and people should not use this to promote racial animosity.