Dark is Beautiful

For a typical Indian family, marriages are the one occasion to which every member of the family looks forward to. It starts from the day when the boy’s mother starts lamenting about how the household chores has been increasing day by day and asks the boy’s father to find a suitable girl for their son. At the same time the girl’s father will be running after brokers and giving ads in matrimonials to find a prospective groom for their daughter. These days, people don’t need to have much creativity when writing out ads for matrimonial. The only thing which needs to be different is the family background of the bride and the bridegroom and their occupation. But one thing which sure needs to be in common is whether the girl is fair and pretty or whether the boy is fair and handsome. Well, you’ve seen what I meant.

Fairness is one big rage that has caught up with every Indian, especially an Indian. The booming cosmetic industry and the variety of Ayurvedic treatments that we seek help from are two major examples of the common man’s race to embrace Western culture without ignoring the past. Cosmetic creams and talcum powders have turned out to become huge money spinners. No wonder such products flourish in the market. Commercial advertisements that endorse such products churn out notions that can develop stereotypes in the society. They say that if you’re not fair-skinned, you aren’t going to be successful in life. The way they make us believe that you can be fair in one day by just applying the cream clearly makes it evident that the whole thing is just a farce. But here too, the same Indian attitude of cashing in on the latest new fad repeats itself.

Even when we still haven’t solved the dilemma of dealing with prejudice and discrimination based on race and colour, the media further instills the ideology that if you aren’t fair, you aren’t beautiful. We go hammer and tongs when our fellow Indians are being mistreated in other countries. But when they are being ill-treated in the same Indian soil, we feel that sometimes, rules can be altered. 

When one part of the media builds prejudices, some have tried to ward off these misgivings.  The prominent jewellery brand of India, Tanishq created an ad which raises social awareness on remarriage. It features a dusky young bride who is getting ready for her wedding. During the ceremony, her daughter signals to those seated next to her that she wants to join the couple. Her mother who is the bride hushes her up and continues with the ceremonial rites. Sensing the girl’s disappointment, the groom lifts her up and the three continue to make their rounds around the sacred fire. This heartwarming video soon went viral on YouTube.

This isn’t a grave issue among the vast other problems that we are drowned in. But in a way, it needs to be taken seriously. Mark Twain, the wittiest writer of all time once said, “The finest clothing made is a person’s own skin, but of course society demands more than this.” Touché!