Fairness Fixations

With the huge sales of fairness creams and soaps flooding the market it is difficult to fathom the society and the thoughts prevalent. And the quintessential question of 'ladki gori nahi hai kya'? during the bride selection process is still rampant around. I call it selection process because fairness is one important aspect in our 'Indian' society to market the bridal package. Ladki fair toh all set. Where are we getting from here? what is the crazy obsession with fairness? A matrimonial column talks about a rich business family with son from the very great IITs and IIMs wanting an extremely beautiful and fair bride. That is their first criteria. Whatever happened to her character, her personality and education?

In a society where aggressive marketing and advertising directs the choices and views of consumers, it is important to realise the damage they are creating. The structure of the society as it is crippled by weak governance and poor public consciousness will weaken more by such kind of mindset. That we are a democratic country and we should be allowed to choose and behave as we wish is completely acceptable but the question is finding out what is wrong or not acceptable in ourselves. Why as a society are we not able to accept the dark dusky skinned? do they look lesser mortals than anyone? isn't it time we move on in life in this fast paced era and ignore such petty thoughts of 'gorapan'? We can easily manage to ignore the climate change which will actually affect us. We can easily manage to ignore the rocketing food prices but we still manage to bother about fairness. I have a dusky complexion. Some call it 'wheatish' and i hate to categorize it. I have had half my relatives fussing over it as they worry that i may not get married due to me 'kaali moti nati' features. I seriously don' t care and give a damn to this kind of mentality. And if i were to be reborn i would always choose a dusky tone.

I dont want to get a preachy tone here and call an action for such things. There is no point banning advertising agencies or marketing companies as they are doing their job at the expense of a slackened society and everyone has a right to do what they want. There is no point telling the twenty four year old brides to stop buying fairness creams.They are adults and very well know what they are doing. But all i want to ask these people is that why are they even thinking that their dusk look is not in vogue or not acceptable. What compels them to reach out to methods of donning a conventionally created beauty picture. Why can't twenty year olds take bold decisions and redefine the definition of beauty and set their own trends?