Is the obsession for fair skin in India is an evidence of deep rooted racism and casteism?
A few days back, I was travelling in a bus for an overnight journey and the passenger next to me was a mature man in his early 50s. Not feeling sleepy, I decided to break the ice by initiating a talk. I picked the very obvious topic for discussion- country’s current political scenario- quite a comfortable and interesting topic for every individual, especially men. Everyone has an opinion on this subject; hence two way communication is very much possible on this topic. While discussing, I was pleased to know that both of us were severe critics of recently defeated Congress party who ruled for 10 years in a row before biting dust in general elections held in mid 2014. Both of us equally enjoying condemning Congress party for the internal sycophancy towards Nehru-Gandhi family. We were wondering that why all the big guns of this oldest political outfit of India are so keen to appoint the very non political Rahul Gandhi as their leader despite of his repeated failures to prove his mettle even after getting so many opportunities. This guy seems to be trapped in a wrong business.
“Actually, we Indians are fascinated by fair skin. We consider fair skinned persons as superior”- He was referring to Italian descent of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul’s mother.
Although I didn’t agreed with it completely, but, I do feel that most of us, Indians, are obsessed with fair skin. The discussion lasted for a few more minutes and then we decided to take a short nap.
During my failed attempt to sleep, I kept thinking how fair skin has become a synonym of beauty and personality in India. Most of the Indians are of brown or dark pigment and fair skinned people are so easily regarded as attractive and sometimes superior as well. Although it seems quite illogical and weird. But, it is a harsh reality of our country.
From my early childhood, I would see my mother using skin fairness creams every day. Both of my elder sisters didn’t stop there- along with creams, they would use face packs comprising of gram flour, curd and turmeric- and so many other things. Being youngest among siblings, it was my duty to shop for all the beauty and fairness stuffs that my sisters need and obviously, I used to get a small monetary reward for this favor. It used to be so exciting to see their faces covered with colorful face packs- sometimes, it was scary too. Oh, how lovely those days were 🙂
Two decades have passed by then. Both my sisters are happily married and settled with their husbands and lovely kids. I am no longer the youngest one in the family.
Well, let’s get back to our discussion- obsession for fair skin.
You know, gradually, this craze has only intensified. Earlier it was only Fair & Lovely (a popular fairness cream brand in India); now there are more than a dozen here and interestingly, everyone claims guaranteed results.
TV commercials of these skin lightening products are so tempting- just improve your skin tone and every single problem of your life would be fixed- amazing life partner and awesome career and just everything that you wants.
When I was a kid, fairness creams were supposed to be used by females only. But, today, I would see Shah Rukh Khan, a leading Bollywood actor promoting a fairness cream, especially for Men. In those commercials, he would be crediting all his success as an actor to the fair skin provided by that particular fairness cream.
Is it true Mr. Khan…..really?
Well, well, I know what you are thinking- yes, it is true. I have also used these fairness creams in the past, but not anymore. A healthy diet and positive lifestyle are more important for me now to get healthy, glowing skin from the inside-out.
If you would check those matrimony advertisements featuring in Sunday issues of various newspapers in India, you would find that fair skin is certainly ranked as a more important attribute than a university degree for the bride. It is a little shocking, but true.
A typical matrimony ad goes like this:
Suitable match for a fair skinned, beautiful girl, 28/ 5’4″, MBA, working professional in a software company, New Delhi
The Indian film industry, Bollywood, is not spared from this syndrome as well. I could remember two actresses openly criticizing the obsession of film industry professionals with fair complexion- Nandita das and Swara bhaskar. Both these actresses have proven their mettle as far as acting skills are concerned. But no wonder they experienced a hard time during their initial days due to their dark skin tone.
Freida Pinto, who became an overnight sensation in 2008 after starring in the Oscar winning movie- Slumdog Millionaire- previously highlighted the over admiration of fair skin in India in her interview to Oprah Winfrey. Ironically, now she is a brand ambassador of L’Oreal beauty products.
If I try to dig down a little to figure out some possible reasons behind this obsession for fair skin in India, I can collect two reasons.
- Firstly, India remained under the British empire for almost two centuries and the ruling class (the superior class) was fair skinned. Hence, even after getting independence way back in 1947, that fascination for fair skin still persists.
- The second culprit for this mindset is India’s caste system. There is a ridiculous belief that people from higher class were comparatively fairer skinned than the lower classes. Hence, light (fair) skin was and still associated with superiority.
In last two decades, the rise of India as a global economic is quite impressive and gradually, the Indian society is becoming liberal to overcome various social issues such as gender equality and casteism. Let us hope the day comes soon when we as humans would accept, love and respect ourselves and people around us irrespective of this color thing.
The bottom line is- There is no harm in making efforts to enhance your personality and you have every right to do so. But, over admiration for something which is quite beyond your control is not an intelligent thing to do. We should try to be comfortable in our own skin and make the best use of this beautiful girl of God, called life. There are so many other things to do in life than just spending hours in beauty salons and parlors to lighten your skin color.
