New Delhi: Indian Idol fame singer turned actor Meiyang Chang was in for a rude shock when two men on bike called him 'corona', laughed off and went away while he was for a routine jog. Yes! the popular television face, who has hosted several shows opened up on facing racism and why it's even more hurtful in this time of crisis when the deadly novel coronavirus has hit the world hard.
In an interview with Bombay Times, Meiyang narrated the ordeal. He said, "I have been called Chinese, Chinki and Nepali in the past. I feel that as a country, we are casually racist, be it on the basis of colour, caste, or ethnicity. Of late, my friends have been teasing me saying, ‘Chang se door raho’. Of course, I know that they don’t mean any harm and there’s no ulterior motive; it’s all in good fun. Trouble starts when random people do it with malicious intent."
He added, "I go for a jog every day near my house in Mumbai. The other day, two guys sped past me on a bike, screaming ‘corona’ and laughing. I wanted to scream back and hurl the choicest of gaalis, but I didn’t see any point in it. How do you punish people for their stupidity or ignorance? Over the years, I have become used to these comments and yes, they are hurtful. I try to move on and be optimistic, but it does affect you."
Chang further added, "In the current situation, all expats are looked upon with suspicion, but ‘gorey log’ still don’t face as much discrimination as us. He is fine with people wanting to keep a safe distance from him. “We need to practise social distancing, so it’s fine. Being stared at for looking Chinese or people being wary of us in this situation is also understandable, but don’t call us names. That’s unfair."
“I am Indian and my genes, Chinese. I call myself Indian Chinese. Those who take pleasure in calling me Chinese, please continue to do so, but don’t forget to add ‘Indian’ before that. I expect a little sensitivity from people, especially when the world is fighting a pandemic, " he said.
Meiyang Chang even shared the screenshot of his story on social media and several people showered him with support. Chang was born in Dhanbad, Jharkhand and his ancestors were Chinese.
He shot to fame when he first appeared in singing reality show 'Indian Idol 3 in 2007 as a contestant. In next season, he turned host for the same show. He was the winner of dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4'.
