A B.C. artist says an apology from a local radio host over comments he made on air in February are a “good first step.” She still has concerns about how the incident happened.
RED FM host Harjinder Thind made the apology on air Friday. It came five weeks after a Feb. 24 broadcast when he alleged South Asian mothers were giving birth and leaving their babies for adoption at Surrey Memorial Hospital, sometimes without seeing the infants’ faces.
“I apologize unconditionally to anyone who was hurt or offended by my words I did not attempt to obtain the names of any patients, nor would I identify any patients on the air,” Thind told listeners.
“In the future I need to be sensitive as to the impact of my words on all listeners. I need to do better.”
Artist Jag Nagra was on hold with the radio station to speak during a subsequent on-air segment when Thind made the comments. They left her in shock, she said.
It prompted her to file a complaint with the Canada Broadcast Standards Council over the incident. She told Global News she got an apology through the station’s lawyers the same day Thind made his apology on air.
“I mean, first of all, it was read in English when the initial accusations and false information was said in Punjabi. So I think there’s the language thing there,” she said.
“And there was no mention of the accusations themselves in the apology, about the women, about reproductive rights, about adoption rights or anything. So I am happy that the apology has gone out, but I think there’s more to do.”
During the Feb. 24 broadcast, Thind cited alleged “continuous reports” of women leaving babies at the hospital for adoption, and asked, “Who are these mothers?”
“If any nurse or delivery doctor can support us, we want to assure you that their name will be kept confidential, we can change their voice, but they must confirm these reports, and they must verify who these mothers are who are giving birth to these children?” the host said.
Fraser Health has said it is not aware of any reports of women abandoning their babies at the hospital.
Nagra said regardless of the absence of evidence, the comments came off as “condescending” and an attack on women which ignored the valid reasons a woman may have for making the difficult choice to put a child up for adoption.
“On top of that, he went further and he invited doctors and nurses to call in.”
“So for him to go on air and accuse women of doing this (and asking) doctors and nurses to break their confidentiality with their patients is really, really troubling.”
On Friday, RED FM president Kulwinder Sanghera also apologized on air, and outlined plans for diversity and sensitivity training for staff.
In the wake of the apology, Nagra said she would be listening closely to see for the station to go beyond “just words” and move forward with accountability or actionable change.
She said going forward she would be willing to go on RED FM to discuss the incident, but would think twice before appearing on air for other segments.
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