Author: Revels
Once upon a very British time, when the crown ruled quite a lot of the world, there lay in Asia, a country famous for its heat and spices – India, a majestic land with a thrilling history of battle, love and trade. At one time or another, the different groups that resided within or without it had ruled India, although usually partially, some factions had managed to make almost all of it a part of their little empire.
Now was the turn of the British Raj.
With their posh accents and fine manners they invaded, using the clever front of trade. Slowly but surely they gained stability, till they were able to officially state their hold. The Indians had new rulers after the 800 year rule of the Mughals, more outsiders – the British.
The British gave to the subcontinent some impressive things when they left; infrastructure, education systems, government and more. But they took something greater; they took with them the superiority, the contentment that the people had felt in being just themselves.
These white people had such dashing dresses, such delicate ways, such pretty skin! They had been proud and civilized, they had ruled in ways as to show the general population that they – the British – were better, they knew better and lived better.
That is when the inferiority complex began, that is when our people starting comparing themselves to their former rulers in hopes of somehow attaining their perfection.
Since then, our people have ingrained in themselves this thinking that somehow imitating the west is what would give them respect and a higher status. People who wear western clothing, people with lighter skin or anyone with a better English accent are considered more civilized or of the better class.
Of these three, the colour complex has been most widespread. This does not exclude our intellectuals, even they, the ‘educated’ and ‘enlightened’ part of our society, seem to strive to attain that lighter colour and scoff at the sight of dark skin. Knowing that this senseless discrimination only disturbs the female population – which is always in the search for things to make them prettier – has no effect; your skin is something you will be judged by.
In school, girls are made fun of for their dark skin, at times families point it out in the most horrible fashions, marriage proposals are rejected – there are countless examples of how darker skinned girls have to endure gross discrimination.
Some of our models and actresses have had to bear indecent remarks because they weren’t fair enough! In a country where the sun reigns, one would expect dark skin to be the norm and not the exception, and hence accepted. But this is not the case! We are obsessed with the fairer tones. Although we have had famous individuals speaking out against this irrational infatuation, we still have countless companies promoting their ‘fairness creams’ and ‘recipes to get lighter’ through TV, billboards and campaigning in different institutions. Our grandmothers will whip up organic pastes to somehow make that tan go away; they will try out new methods just to make sure the girls of the family are fair and so ‘pretty’.
So that sums it up: being fair means you’re prettier than the darker girl sitting next to you on the bus. Being fair means you’ll have lots of admirers and friends. Being fair means you’re blessed with beauty.
Revels is a Pakistani student, blogger and contributing writer at The Conversation Room
You can visit her excellent blog here:
https://identity17.wordpress.com/
