Delhi's Dark Heart: Is White the Beauty Standard?
"Discrimination between human beings on the ground of race, colour, or ethnic origin is an offence to human dignity and shall be condemned...as a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights..."
On 20 November 1963, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It recognized that in spite of progress, discrimination based on race, colour or ethnic origin continued to give cause for serious concern.
Delhi- the traditional and present capital of India, well known for its beauty and cultural vibrancy. Be it innumerable shops and street markets in INA, Karol Bagh or Lajpat Nagar, luxurious shopping malls, dazzling gems such as the India Gate and Qutub Minar or the delicious Jalebis and Gol Gappe of Chandni Cowk, this city has all it takes to capture the heart of every single person visiting it. It is also the political and diplomatic hub of India, housing the Parliament, reputed educational institutions and foreign embassies. One which never sleeps, Delhi is home to over 18 million people including foreign students from every nook and corner of the world.
Yet, the million dollar question that remains to be answered is: Are the people living in the city and its surrounding regions of Noida and Gurgaon really progressive? Do they, besides taking pride in being Indian and chanting " Hail the Motherland", overlook barriers of race, color, ethnicity and maintain human dignity? Ominously enough, NO, they do not.
- He was 29, from Congo. He resided the Vasant Kunj area of New Delhi and taught French at an institution. On the evening of May 20th, 2016, he hired an auto rikshaw to head home. Three Indian men came and started a brawl, insisting that they wanted to hire the same vehicle. He argued. They assaulted him. He tried to run in an attempt to save his life, but it was to no avail. He was beaten and stuck on the head with a huge stone. He died. His name was Masonda Ketada Olivier. He was BLACK.
- In 2014, at Rajiv Chowk metro station, the police watched in silence as a group of foreign students were harassed and beaten. They were BLACK.
All black guys are drug dealers and criminals? Well, all Delhiites aren't rapists, are they?
Thinking that Africans are the only ones who face discrimination in Delhi would be wrong-completely wrong. The Indian constitution is a beautifully written document, which gives equal rights, freedom and dignity to each and every person in the Indian territory. However, Indians in the capital region seem to discriminate against not just outsiders, but their own fellow countrymen. South Indians who settle in Delhi NCR are discriminated against just as much as the Blacks, as their complexion is dark.
In conversation with me over the issue was Mrs Karuna Prakasam, a Pastor at Bethel City Church in Gurgaon. Pastor Karuna comes from Nainital and is married to Pastor John Prakasam, who hails from Coimbatore. Both of them are settled in Gurgaon where they lead the church. When asked about racial discrimination, she readily agreed to share her views with me.
" It is hard for a South Indian man to adjust here. North Indians are comparatively fairer to South Indians. I have met many people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu who are as fair as north Indians, but the mindset is if you are dark you are from South India and if you are fair you are from North India. North Indians are obsessed with being fair. We are probably racists. I am from North India and I am married to a South Indian man, who is dark and absolutely handsome. But the general issue that flows around the country is that dark is bad and must be avoided."
" It is hard for a South Indian man to adjust here. North Indians are comparatively fairer to South Indians. I have met many people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu who are as fair as north Indians, but the mindset is if you are dark you are from South India and if you are fair you are from North India. North Indians are obsessed with being fair. We are probably racists. I am from North India and I am married to a South Indian man, who is dark and absolutely handsome. But the general issue that flows around the country is that dark is bad and must be avoided."
The obsession with fair skin runs deep in Delhi. From skin whitening beauty products to fairness creams, every other company sells the idea of 'white beauty', promoting the opinion that the fairer our complexion is, the more beautiful we are. This fails to acknowledge that every skin tone is naturally different. Our skin color is determined by our genetic lineage which in turn determines the amount and structure of melanin in our skin cells. Thus, dark or black skin is in no way inferior or ugly.
The fact remains, although India has a mix of races, cultures and languages, its people are obsessed with fairness and white supremacy, particularly in Delhi NCR. Where being dark or black is a shame, one can imagine what being seen with black people would be for someone with a lighter skin tone.
I come from Mauritius and I study in rural Gurgaon. I am often confused for a South Indian because my Indo African ethnicity gives me a dusky complexion. Most of my friends are black and it is normal for me to associate myself with them as I come from the African continent.
I still recall every single time I have been stared or commented at, looked down upon and prejudiced against for walking around with black people.
I once was at the HUDA City Center metro park, waiting for my male Angolan friend to join me so we could head back to school together. Both of us resided the University's on-campus hostel along Sohna-Palwal road in Haryana. The area, being remote and rural, is termed as unsafe for women. That day, I was dressed in a decent long sleeved blouse and a pair of blue denim jeans.My friend wore a sports jersey and a track suit as he had just come from basketball training. As we headed towards the pre-paid booth, one auto rikshaw driver stared at me. The look on his face reflected the astonishment and disgust he experienced on seeing a comparatively fairer, Indian looking girl with a black guy. I did not bother to start an argument.
As we walked by, the driver commented: " Yeh to randi hai" / "She is a prostitute"
Those words sent shivers down my spine. All I wanted to do was ask the following: Would you dare to call your mother, wife, sister or daughter a prostitute? I too, am someone's daughter and sister.
The next moment, I took a deep breath and let go. Dealing with the prejudices and nasty comments of local residents had already become habitual to me, I guess.
India's reflection in the outside world is one of harmony, love and great expectations. Delhi, being the capital city, gives us an overview of how the whole country is likely to be. I made sacrifices, left my comfort and family behind, and came to this country with a goal in mind- to achieve success through hard work and determination. All I expect is for the people here to open their hearts, welcome me and people from other races alike, and treat us with human dignity and respect.
Singer Zayn Malik was once called 'curry scented bitch' because his skin colour is brown, and many Indians took to twitter to fight racism in the UK. Ironically, the same people are the ones discriminating against those who are dark and black in their country. A lot of people, from Delhi especially, work on contract basis in different African countries, and never do they face racism or disrespect. They are treated very nicely. However, those who are darker in complexion or have black skin do not feel welcome in their city.
The key is to be open to new ideas and realize that just because some people are different from us does not mean that they are wrong. White is not the beauty standard and our skin colour does not define us. We should accept people for who they are. We are all one and when similarities are accepted and differences are respected, our society will be beautiful.
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