THE
COMPLEXION
OBSESSION
From the ever-increasing use of fairness products
to matrimonial advertisements that list fairness as a
crucial character for the bride or groom, the prejudice
against the dark-skinned majority manifests itself
aptly in the society. In a country like ours, a widespread
practice of the belief that dark complexions are inferior
to fair ones takes a quite contradictory posture if we
go by the composition of our societies.
This unsettling fact has emerged through various
Western ideals and its draconian interpretation
through various portrayals in the media. The message
that they carry, it’s quite clear – we are programmed
into believing that fair skin represents beauty, success
and happiness, and that dark- skinned people are
deemed to fail. People today are only concerned with
the surface level beauty and pay little attention to the
character, merit, intelligence and other personality
traits of an individual.
Indian obsession with fairness is the perfect evidence
of a deep-seated racism, which is the product of
western influence, our colonial British past and our
resistance to change. Instead of spacing out the major
chunk of the population the dark-skinned people
occupy, it is suggested that we associate notions of
beauty with individuals of all shapes, colours and sizes,
especially in a country like India where a majority of
the population is “imperfect”.
A picture is only worth a thousand words, if you have
the vocabulary to articulate it. If we keep a practical
approach towards this issue, this might not look like
a situation of pressing concern or so, but if we see it
through a pragmatic approach, breaking free from it
definitely is.
72
By- Aarushi Daima