How does my skin color define me?
Who is a ‘beautiful’ girl according to you? No denying the fact, ninety percent will be in favor of those who are slim and fair. Be it for any top level beauty contest, audition for films, advertisements or for marriages, everywhere fair skin people are ruling the world.
It is a well-known fact that if you are thin, eating healthy habits can make you fit and healthy. Similarly, if you are fat, gym and different healthy exercises or yoga can make you slim. It is your choice. But, pointing finger at someone’s skin color is not right. Suppose, a European (white skin) insults an African (black skin), the matter can be reported under racism or taken as a racist remark. The Race Relations Act 1976 of UK protects individuals from being discriminated on the grounds of color, race, etc. Human Rights in India also safeguard the same.
For a dark-skinned person, some remarks are quite usual like:
“Apply multani or fairness cream on your skin, else who will marry you?”
If you happen to be short-listed for any beauty contest based on your talent, you will be referred with the title, “Black beauty”.
Jasmine Tigga, a customer assistant at State Bank of India says, “I am a dark-skinned girl. So what? For me, beauty lies in heart. As goes the famous proverb, ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’. Those who only see the outer beauty are nothing but fools. Moreover, it is not necessary that a fair person may also be good at heart. As everyone knows, coals give births to diamonds”.
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A dark-skinned girl in India has to think thousand times before choosing a color for her dress. She is frequently asked as to whether she belonged to the southern parts of India? Well, there is no harm in that but for a girl of North India, this matter will certainly raise an issue and a reason of feeling odd one out.
You will feel surprised to know that it is not only the light-skinned people marginalizing the discrimination but also the other section. As per a dark but self-claimed handsome guy of Jamia Millia Islamia, Adil Belal confessed, “I may be a dark-skinned person but if given an option to choose between a dark and fair girl of the same figure, I will definitely opt for the latter. Blame my hormones for that (winks). It is just a perception that when the word ‘beautiful’ clicks in my mind, the image of a fair girl appears immediately”.
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Beauty advertisements like ‘Fair & Lovely’ or ‘Fair & Handsome’ has also contributed a lot to this mentality. It leaves no stone unturned in dividing the community on the basis of color. Besides, Bollywood movie like Vivaah, etc also adds fuel to the fire or develops a sense of unnecessary sympathy for the darker ones. As per the guidelines of Advertising Standards of Council of India, “There is a strong concern in certain sections of society that advertising of fairness products tends to communicate and perpetuate the notion that dark skin is inferior and undesirable”.
However, one should never forget that even Goddess Kali is dark but is an epitome of famine power. The word Kali has also found place for the dark skinned woman in India.
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