Being fair skinned is considered an asset by many. This often amounts to discrimination...

If a person is not fair, the person is unfair.
If a person is dark skinned, the person is not fair.
I am dark skinned, so am I unfair?
On my way to work last Friday, I boarded the crowded metro and quickly grabbed the only empty seat next to a middle aged woman. Her broad smile indicating that she was was hoping to strike a conversation. I smiled back, making it clear that I was willing to talk. Rather, listen. She soon poured out the reason for her enthusiasm: her son was getting married the next day. Her excitement for the wedding, at the prospect of finally finding a suitable bahu could've easily surpassed that of the groom's. The girl is extremely beautiful, she informed me. And very very fair, she stressed. Her words made me lose track of the one sided conversation, as I found myself concentrating on her appearance instead. About fifty, she was well off enough to adorn herself with Gucci shades that sat atop her salon-straightened hair. She could safely be classified as a modern woman: blonde streaks, high heels, chic leather purse et all. The face of the much celebrated modern Indian woman that she had just revealed had me reeling in shock. She carried the prejudice so deep that while describing her would-be bahu to a complete stranger, she chose to focus on just one attribute, the most important: skin color.

For a fundamentally heterogeneous society like ours, holding such a prejudice practically outcastes more than half the women in the country. This Fair Complexion Fixation (FCF) dates back to the era of the ancient Sanskrit texts that formulated the defining notions of beauty, that continue to dominate the mindsets of our people. We continue bringing up our children midst fairytales like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where the mean old queen, probably after devouring packs of Fair & Lovely repeatedly asks the magic mirror, “who's the fairest of 'em all?” The complexion complex is indeed deep seated, nurtured right from childhood itself. Although “unconventional beauties” in the field of cinema have from time to time challenged our fragile definitions, yet a fleeting glance at the matrimonial section of the newspaper shows that Cleopatra would've been rejected outright by the Indian marriage market.

The spirit of a democratic, free society essentially encompasses the freedom of choice. We have the right to choose, and we may use our own criteria to make choices. However, the freedom of making personal decisions is often cited as an argument for favouring the fairest of the fairer sex. But the matrimonial boycott of the lesser complexioned is a denial of freedom itself. Moreover, once the FCF spills over to professional and societal matters, it amounts to the most regressive form of racism. Imagine being rejected by prospective employers for being dark skinned in spite of holding the appropriate degrees (some of our friends in the hospitality industry have ready experiences) or being denied an election ticket on account of colour (contending parties in the DUSU elections have built a tradition of putting up good looking candidates, an undoubtedly discriminatory practice. FCF is yet to afflict it, but it may not be too far behind). With fairness creams destroying the FCF boundaries, extending it beyond matrimonial concerns and across genders, the colour factor already entrenched in our minds is being reinforced like never before. While fairness creams are the most widely sold skincare product (the care aspect is questionable given some dubious ingredients in many of these items), the bronzer that promises a luscious tanned look hasn't found much favour with the masses, despite being brought out of the elite make up kits by our on-screen idols like Aishwarya Rai (Dhoom 2). We may choose to colour ourselves as we like, wannabe-white or bronze-brown, but we can justify it only for skin deep aesthetics aimed at pure ornamental pleasure. Upholding the FCF as a qualification that surpasses the intangible but real achievements, i.e, the products of our own hard work: IQ, knowledge, intellect, talent, kindheartedness, compassion and honesty to name a few, is the grossest mistake that we might be committing. Let's not hide our true colors under the overshadowing masks of fairness. Let the fair skinned have the freedom to show that they are worth more than their melanin count (or rather the lack of it), and let the dark skinned have the liberty to flaunt not only their raw beauty (Cleopatra anyone?) but also the fairness of their hearts and minds. For freedom's sake then, let us all play fair.