Para-badminton champion Manasi Joshi has strongly condemned former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina for their actions in an Instagram reel. The video, which has since been deleted, allegedly mocked people with disabilities. Manasi expressed her disappointment, emphasizing the deep hurt caused to the disabled community by the cricketers’ behavior12.
In the now-deleted video, Harbhajan, Raina, and Yuvraj Singh were seen limping and holding their backs, mimicking the physical toll their bodies had taken during the World Championship of Legends held in England.
Manasi Joshi questions Cricketers’ act
Manasi, a gold medalist at the 2019 World Championships and a silver medalist at the Hangzhou Asian Games in doubles, posted an Insta story expressing her concern. She wrote, “Wanted more responsibility from stars that you all are, please do not mock at the gait patterns of people with disabilities. This isn’t funny. This reel of yours is going to encourage that it is okay to make fun of walking patterns of people with disabilities for a few laughs. More young children with disabilities will be bullied by using this reel.”
Following the uproar over the video, Harbhajan Singh issued an apology, clarifying that there was no intention to insult anyone. He posted on social media, “Just wanted to clear to our people who are complaining about our recent videos of ‘Tauba Tauba’ on social media after winning the championship here in England.”
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) July 15, 2024
Manasi’s criticism highlights the importance of sensitivity and responsibility, especially when public figures engage in social media content. Her advocacy for the disabled community serves as a reminder that our actions can have far-reaching consequences, and empathy should guide our interactions, both online and offline.
