Dark vs Fair

Even in this era, where we talk about India progressing, it being one of the most progressive country, but how much ever the country succeeds, people will still judge by your skin colour!

Why do we tend to forget that, the best of the people who represent India at an international level have mostly been people who are dark skinned; be it Indian actors, actresses, models who are internationally known, are dark skinned.

My recent encounter with ‘so called’ fair skinned inquisitive aunty left me speechless. The encounter took place in the flight from Dubai to New Delhi

At the waiting lounge

The Inquisitive Aunty: Kahan ja rahi ho? (Where are you going?)

Me: New Delhi

The Inquisitive Aunty: Mein bhi wahin ja rahin hoon (I am also going there)

Me: Acha (ok)

The Inquisitive Aunty: Tum kahan se ho? (Where are you from?)

Me: New Delhi

The Inquisitive Aunty: Acha, lagti to tum Bengali ho (You look like a Bengali)

Me: Mein waise south Indian hoon….before I could finish my statement…

The Inquisitive Aunty: Acha, tum mallu ho (ok, you a Mallu)

Me: Nahin, Mein Chennai se hoon (No, am from Cheenai)

The Inquisitive Aunty: Same thing hai. Dono jageh ke log ek jaise dikte hain (it’s the same thing. People from these two places, look alike)

This is where I lost my patience…how can people, even now, don’t know where the states are in their own country. And these are the people who would rattle names of places in Amreka (America).

Me: Aunty, mujhe pata nahin tha, kerela aur Chennai ek ho gaya hai. (Aunty, I didn’t know Kerala and Chennai have become a single state)

I think she didn’t get the sarcasm, because she replied….

The Inquisitive Aunty: Arre, abhi tak tho nahin hua (its not happened yet)

This is not the only time, where we dark skinned people are put through this. The latest Fair and lovely for men advertisement is also a mockery towards darker skin people. Why is that, a man has to be fair to get a job. Is it like saying, that dark skinned people are not accepted by people? Why are models in the adverts, shown to crib about their skin colour, if they are dark? Am I wrong in saying; it’s the dark skinned people, who have time and again made Indians proud in all and different walks of life. Then why are we trying to make them feel conscious by airing such adverts? Is it like saying, that if you are fair, you are more confident? Honestly, I totally disagree. If that were the case then we would never have darker people in the glamour industry.

I just hope the mentality of Indians will change some day… and am really waiting for that day!

(Pictures: Courtesy Google)