Are Indian deliberate racists?

Are Indian deliberate racists?

Introduction:

We Indians love everything that's fair, not in the sense of unbiased fairness but in its whiteness we bow down. When British colonial era ended, we proclaimed freedom but failed to see that they left behind their idea of superiority judged by complexion. We adapted it by all means. We are happily racists though we do not like to talk about it but deep inside we so wish that we could all look transform into white clinging to fairness products and beauty salons for complexion bleaching and other such treatments. We are just not going to accept our diversity in skin colour for we believe that if the West can look fair then so can we. Why do we fail to see that we cannot alter what's natural? Well, that's because we don't want to see it that way; we are deliberate racists.

Yes:

1. Recently an entire row on racism was started when Giriraj Singh got bored and decided to offend some people just for the fun of the aftermath. He believes or decided to believe one fine morning that Sonia Gandhi is accepted in India because of her white skin. Had she been an African, we would have thrown her back to her homeland long ago. Badly criticized though his comment holds the truth about how obsessed we Indians are with complexion. A minister known for nothing more than offending people with his derogatory remarks dares to make such racial comments because for us it does keep into our skin literally when complexion comes to light.

2. Ever wondered why all advertisements in India have white people flying on billboards? Even children in ads are all white skinned. The problem lies deep within. It won't be wrong to say that there are lesser opportunities for the dark skinned people to prosper. We unknowingly judge people by their complexion, giving the second priority to credentials.

3. We Indian grow up listening to racial comments at home. Less fairer girls in the family are advised not to drink tea as they would turn darker though I fail to understand how the English people never turned any dark despite being more afflicted to caffeine that us. Parents stop girls from playing outdoor sports for they would darken their skin tone and getting a good groom for marriage would be difficult. And the most ridiculously irritating feeling comes to a girl when the parents of a prospective groom who is himself dark complexioned taunt a girl for her not-so-white colour.

4. Even when India -Nigeria ties have been friendly on various levels, our ministers fail to understand that the colour of skin has nothing to do with the nature of person beneath it. Nigerian High Commissioner OB Okongor reacted to the comment and called it "unfortunate" for a minister of highest level to make such remarks. In January 2014, Somanth Bharti, who was then Law Minister in the Delhi government was taken to court when he detained and harassed a group of African women from Nigeria and Uganda in their neighbourhood, alleging that they were part of a prostitution and drugs racket.

5. Xenophobia is not a new term to Indians for he has long been in the fear of our own skin complexion. A few black students were badly beaten n passed lewd comments in Delhi. Few days back Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar told nurses not to stage strikes and protests in the sun as it would make them darker and marriage prospects will get lesser. Former Goa minister Dayanand Mandrekar once caught headlines for saying that Nigerians are like cancer and wild animals.

6. We lack acceptance for our own people and the fact that we Indians are brown skinned. We grow up with morals that teach us equality and how great leaders fought for human rights against caste system and untouchability. But the fact is that we keep these values only to books. We believe that we are great people with moral and ethical value inscribed in our veins but in reality we fail to apply them in real life context.

No:

1. It would be wrong to say that racial discrimination prevails in India alone. While I do not by any means support this kind of intolerance and biasing on basis of colour, I feel driven to state that even the most elitist of nations experience racism in one way or the other. It is not the concept of black and white skin that makes people discriminate the darker people with hatred but the idea with which we associate these colour. White stands for peace and austerity and we associate black with evil and sins. The same is not true when we prefer black dresses. We need to come out of our shell and see diversity with humane eyes.

2. British ruled us for a long long time giving us the impression of their superiority over us. We felt low before them and the feeling continued. We see white people of prospered nations as successful, contended and rich while nations of black people are poor and underdeveloped. We fail to see that changing skin colour will not bring prosperity, hard work will.

3. While some professions may prefer employing fair complexioned people, it is the not the same everywhere. Most of our celebrities are brown skinned and we love them the way they are. People like artificial tanning but do not like their natural skin tone, all credits to our fairness cream ads that promises of good job and even love with lightening skin colour. However, over the years people have become more sensible to these nonsense and have started cherishing their natural colour.

4. Viewing Nigerians as a threat, or Xenophobia as we call it is more due to their associations with drug dealing that have been known to be their occupation for years. Even at schools during counselling in the final year, students are made aware not to fall into the company of Nigerian students. While not all Nigerians are drug dealers but the fear is still intact.

Conclusion:

Giriraj Singh may have crossed limits once again, being totally pleased as he was in the video about the remark which he obviously thought was very smart-headed, he has in the process revealed what we Indians think of dark skinned people. We talk of democracy and unity in diversity but are yet to admonish the fact that we cannot judge someone by his look, religion, culture or choice of profession. This problem needs to be addressed, all eyes turning to PM Modi for his opinion on his minister's yet another lewd comment.