Colorism:The stigma that we are accepting

Hate and ineqaulity is not new to this world. It existed since the beginning of time and one such hate is, colorism. Perhaps the least discussed hatred but not the one that have least impact.

Colorism can be dated back to the time of colonism and slavery. There were practices such as crossbreeding nigger and brown paper test, where people with lighter shades are given better opportunity than the darker ones,but what is more alarming is that,it's still prevalent across the world and it's boosting the cosmetic industry that comes up with tons of skin lightning products.Worst thing is, we even have products to lighten the private part.

What started of as white people showing superiority over the balck people, as now become an individual feeling inferior over himself/herself. This thunder storm hit our country too, which led to many controversies of north versus south and most recent one being, former BJP MP Tarun Vijay's controversial statement on south Indians,when he tried to defend “India against charges of racism”.

Before we(south Indians) lash out our anger towards these controversial statements and actions by so called “Fair” people, lets ask ourselves few questions. What is our attitude towards black people (bascially ourselves)? Why skin lightning products is a $450 million market? Why do we see lighter toned faces in our TV screens, mostly?

Most of us are discriminated inside our very own homes, well not directly though but we do it. We give nicknames to our very own siblings,friends and cousins based on the skin tone, (you know what I am talking about) names such as kaka (which refers to crow), Karrupi, karuppa, Kali, Kariya and so many such names which mostly represent anything that is “Dark”. Our TV screens are filled mostly with lighter shaded faces and added to that we humiliate ourselves in movies and TV serials, where dark shaded comedians are made fun of, based on the tone of their skin and there are songs that idolize “white” beauty, and dilogues that refers “dark as ugly”. When are we going to stop saying things like “I am dark, but.....,..”, why do even need to add but? Why are we ashamed of our very own identity?. When are we going to come out of the baseless notion, that is instilled in our mind, that makes us feel ashamed our very own self?.

If we show discrimination against our very own people, then it's not justifiable to question the outsider who know nothing about us and if we are accepting this stigma with our heads down then we have no rights to be furious on others.