Recently as most of Britain was busy protesting against the Israeli offensive in Gaza or battling job cuts, Prince Harry`s latest blunder surfaced in the shape of a home video.

A news website released a video diary shot by Prince Harry during his training days at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2005. The video is no different from the hundreds of home videos which are put up on social networking websites every day, save for one tiny detail -- it shows the person third in the line to the throne using racist slurs, among other things.

Prince Harry is no stranger to controversy. On many an occasion he has displayed an aloofness from cultural and religious sensibilities.

From wearing a Swastika on his arm for a costume party to drunken fistfights with paparazzi, diplomatic propriety does not come naturally to the prince, and apparently the royal staff hasn`t yet been successful in instilling some sense into him either. In this particular video, Prince Harry referred to a fellow Pakistani cadet as `Paki` and then called another one a `rag head` — a slang phrase used for religious extremists.

The debate, which has ensued as a result of this recent incident, is not about the immaturity displayed by Prince Harry. The episode has sent the whole society introspecting on where it stands on the ever-so-delicate issue of racism.

The question is no longer whether people are racist or not, what`s being explored is what actually constitutes racism. In this age of networking and cyber babble, the offensive and derogatory terms have undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. What was previously deemed offensive no longer evokes the same response to certain situations. Also, the use of abusive words in every day talk has become so frequent.

To a certain extent racist slurs have also become tolerable, but that depends on who is using them and in what context. I would surely be offended if called a Paki by a passerby, but it amuses me when my Russian friend calls me Paki and I, in return, call him Ruski. And perhaps, for the same reason Prince Charles can be excused for calling his Asian friend Kolin Dhillon `Sooty`, at least that is what Mr Dhillon wants us all to do. However, does our passive acceptance of such terms win them universal approval and general tolerance?

As Gordon Brown rushed forth pleading the prince be given `the benefit of the doubt`, some commentators questioned why `Paki` evokes rage while `Brit` is taken as a mere modification of British. Others defended the beleaguered prince by saying that the reference was made affectionately and he did not mean any contempt. To be entirely fair, the prince`s commentary had a more playful tone than a hostile one. When all this is taken into account, one is forced to ask why this gaffe should not be brushed aside as yet another blunder by an immature prince, especially since the comment was made three years ago.

There are two answers to the question. First, the comment was made by a prince, who is expected to become a role model for young people. Only recently, the two princes were given their separate offices with their own staff and personal crests. The royal staff has been busy using Prince Harry`s military experience in Afghanistan to present him as someone the public can look up to. With his new image, Prince Harry has to take on new responsibilities and understand that his harmless banter might be seen as an approval for racist behaviour by others.
Moreover, the British public pays taxes that contribute to the luxurious upkeep of the Royal family; the least they deserve is some decorum from the royals.

Second, the new generation may not feel very strongly about racist or offensive terms, but there is a whole generation of ethnic minorities who had to fight their way out of racism in this country. Someone rightly pointed out that Paki is different from Brit because no British man can recall being beaten up by Asian skinheads or being insulted by him. This is not the case with many Pakistanis, who have physically and verbally suffered the hatred which came with the term Paki. The outrage of these people is justified and their sensibilities should be respected.
Therefore, while Mr Dhillon may not mind being called Sooty by his dear friend Prince Charles and the Pakistani cadet called `Paki` may forgive Prince Harry for any racist behaviour, but for the rest of us, slurs remain as politically  incorrect as ever.