That is what sledging is. you rattle your opponent. Don't be naive. I don't care if they call Tendulkar a leopard. In fact he is called worse, i.e. questions about the male anotomy acording to newspaper reports.
I find nothing racist in monkey. This is the first I heard that monkey was used by white men to abuse people of color. If white man is living under the hang over of history why should Harbhajan be punished? Symonds with his get up does look like a monkey.