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Racial barb: Sudhakaran courts controversy by calling World Bank official 'negro'

  • G Sudhakaran made a comment - which involved the N-word - while referring to Dr Bernard Aritua 
  • Aritua is an infrastructure specialist in the World Bank and is associated with their project in Kasaragod
  • The speech snowballed into a major controversy, and even the World Bank took a serious note of it
  • The developments led Sudhakaran to tender an apology
pwd minister g sudhakaran racist comment World Bank official negro

Kerala PWD minister and senior CPM leader G Sudhakaran has once again found himself in the eye of the storm; this time for making a racist slur against a senior Work Bank official.

After reviewing the progress Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), aided by the World Bank, in Kasaragod earlier this week, Sudhakaran made a few controversial comments - which involved the N-word - while referring to Dr Bernard Aritua, who is associated with the project.

"World Bank means America, but Kerala has existed even before America. So they can't threaten us by saying that they will withdraw the loan. In fact the World Bank is responsible for the slow progress of this project. Their team leader is an African-American. He is a negro, part of Barack Obama's race. Centuries ago, they were taken from Africa to America, and were engaged in slavery. This official is also part of it,’’ Sudhakaran said in his speech.

The speech snowballed into a major controversy, and even the World Bank took a serious note of the racist comment. The full transcript of the minister's speech has now been submitted to the World Bank office in New Delhi.

Aritua is a senior infrastructure specialist in the World Bank. The developments led Sudhakaran to tender an apology on Thursday.

"I did not know that one should not use the term negro. I would write a letter to the official, tendering apology for my remark. Otherwise, when the World Bank team visits me next time, I would express my regret over the incident,’’ The Indian Express quoted the CPM leader as saying.

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