Australian Radio Host made to apologise for terming Ganges river "junkyard"

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/oz-radio-host-says-sorry-for-ganga-junkyard-remarks/827537/

Oz radio host says sorry for Ganga 'junkyard' remarks

2011/08/05 09:03 IST

Melbourne: An Australian radio show host facing criticism for using a derogatory word against India and calling river Ganga a "junkyard" has issued an apology.

Council of Indian-Australians president Yadu Singh today said: "I am pleased to report that Sydney's 2Day FM Radio station and (host) Kyle Sandilands have realised the mistake in their comments and issued an apology.

"This apology has been on air by Kyle, and in writing by Adam Lang, General Manager of 2day FM Radio station, who had sent a letter to me yesterday."

Singh said Kyle, in his apology note, stated: "'I'm apologising... anyone that's Indian, that listens to this

show, knows that I love Indians... I don't discriminate.

I love everyone. I don't care where they are, where they are from, what colour they are.

"'I just made the mistake that the river which, to me, looks polluted, I said it was a junkyard and I did not realise it was holy.'"

factoid: Ganga is extremely polluted--from the "regular" load of industrial/agricultural wastes and much untreated sewage, and also gets a significant load of partly-unburnt corpses. "Junkyard" is accurate description of it.

Lang also commented on the issue and said: "In this instance, I hope that you feel that Kyle Sandilands and 2Day FM have taken full responsibility for the offence caused by remarks made. The offence was not intended but that consequence is absolutely accepted and we do sincerely apologise."

Singh, who claimed to have received many emails and calls from Indian-Australians upset about Sandilands's remarks earlier, said the matter was now resolved to their satisfaction.

He stressed that the issue was not between Australia and India, but it was between Kyle and the listeners.

[Ste 6]

More info on pollution in the Ganges here: http://www.all-about-india.com/Ganges-River-Pollution.html

WARNING: There's at least one image on there that people might find disturbing.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

The UN or IMF...something like that loaned India $1.5 billion dollars last year for something like a super clean up of that river. Something about a breed of dolphin that lives in that river that their trying to save.

[Ste 6]

The UN or IMF...something like that loaned India $1.5 billion dollars last year for something like a super clean up of that river. Something about a breed of dolphin that lives in that river that their trying to save.

Yes. It mentioned that in the article I posted: "But, all hope is not lost and there does seem to be some hope on the horizon for the serious case of the Ganges river pollution. The world bank has agreed to loan India almost $1 Billion to clean up the Ganges - Not an insignificant amount by anyone's standards."

[Saddle Bronc 124]

The UN or IMF...something like that loaned India $1.5 billion dollars last year for something like a super clean up of that river. Something about a breed of dolphin that lives in that river that their trying to save.

Yeh, there have been plans (much noise) about "cleaning Ganga" (most famous being Ganga Action Plan, or GAP) for donkeys-years which have never amounted to anything concrete. Analogously, in Chennai there have been many plans which talk of cleaning Cooum River and/or Buckingham Canal--the thick growths of mesquite (Prosopis juliflore) along both of these evidence enough of how much actually gets done.