Calling blacks 'negro' is not being racist: Dinanath Batra (Sidebar with IANS Interview)

Dinanath Batra, who wants to "Indianise" and impart native value systems to the country's education, says it is a "fact that African-Americans are called negroes", a term now globally considered offensive but which finds mention in his book taught in government schools of Gujarat.

"It is a fact, you cannot deny that an African-American is called a negro. It is not a term coined by me but a historical word," the 85-year-old self-styled educational reformer, told IANS in response to a question.

Asked whether calling African-Americans "negroes" is not being racist, Batra said: "They are called negroes even today. As far as sentiments are concerned, they belong to the human race. It does not matter much."

Blacks are now called African-Americans or Afro-Americans in the US as the historical word 'negro' was considered derogatory because of its association with slavery and subjugation of the community.