ELECTION 99
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Desi to decide Rocker's fate

R S Shankar

John Rocker, the reliever for the Atlanta Braves, had wondered not too long ago about how Asians, Koreans, Vietnamese, Russians and Spaniards got in the country.

Rocker may well wonder how the man who is arbitrating his appeal against his suspension from baseball till May 1, Shyam Das, an Indian, happened to come to America.

"How Das got to this country from England is not known; he was described as Unavailable yesterday at his office in Pittsburgh," the New York Times noted.

But quoting Simpson's, which publishes biographical information on labor arbitrators, The Times said Das was educated at Harvard, the University of Chicago and Yale. And that he is law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, an attorney at the New York law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy.

He is also the author of Discrimination in Employment Against Aliens -- The Impact of the Constitution and Federal Civil Rights Law.

Das, 55, baseball's new arbitrator, said he would announce in about a week his decision on Rocker's appeal.

Rocker, 25, who had also declared, "the biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners," singling out minority groups and gays and calling a teammate a "fat monkey," has asked for forgiveness for his comments.

He had made the racist comments in a Sports Illustrated interview. He feels the punishment meted out to him is excessive.

But as nearly 100 demonstrators jeered him in New York on Wednesday, and several dozens had demanded his suspension a few weeks ago in Atlanta, it was evident that his contrition has not been accepted by some victims of his ferocious tongue.

Following the publicity surrounding his remarks, Rocker was suspended on January 31 -- for 45 days of spring training and the first 28 days of the season. He was ordered to pay $ 20,000 fine and attend sensitivity training.

Bill Fugazy, chairman of the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations Foundation asked Das to uphold the punishment, arguing that he did not believe Rocker's was as contrite as the situation demanded.

"At a time when Rocker should be showing all possible remorse for his words and actions, he shows no regret and that he has no regard for anyone but himself,'' Fugazy said. "His appeal clearly demonstrates that he has no concept of what he has done wrong.''

The baseball union, which filed a grievance against the suspension, said it was carried out without "just cause,'' arguing speech shouldn't be punished, even if it's offensive.

Subhash Razdan, the Atlanta community leader and the chairman of the board of trustees of Federation of Indian Associations, for one, has repeatedly said that Rocker should face punishment, and then be forgiven.

Demonstrators in Atlanta had also faulted Braves's owner Ted Turner for not speaking against Rocker early on.

But Turner, calling Rocker a "kid," said recently that the Atlanta Braves should give him "another chance".

"I think he was off his rocker when he said those things," Turner said in an interview on CNN's Moneyline program.

Many in the Indian community expressed their frustration and anger at Turner's remarks.

"Turner is a man who cares deeply for the United Nations and multiculturalism," said an Indian businessman. "And yet he has not been firm against Rocker."

Turner, the Time Warner vice-chairman, said he preferred that Rocker sought therapy for the comments, as ordered by Major League Baseball last month.

"I'm in favor of that. It's certainly better than something more severe, like cutting off his hands or something like that," Turner said.

"It was unforgivable and he's apologized, and... I don't think that we ought to hold it against him forever. Let's give him another chance. He didn't commit a crime."

Razdan agreed with Turner that Rocker is a "kid".

"This is not just about kids and their big mouths," he said. "The issue here is what corporate America thinks and does about racism."

EARLIER REPORTS:
Rocker suspended for racist remarks
Demonstrations Against Rocker Planned
'Many of us do not want to join African Americans in any protest'
Give John Rocker A Gandhian Lesson: Andrew Young
Sack John Rocker, Ted Turner Told

Previous: Reddy faces fresh charges

Next: Pukar gets little response

Tell us what you think of this report