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When being fair is unfair: The complexion as an inequality standard

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By Vikas Datta
Jaipur, Jan 30 (IANS) It is an automatic. natural but immediately apparent point of difference that may only be skin-deep but creates huge social and economic inequality and has spurred a whole industry of cosmetics that promises to remedy it — for a price and a larger cost in esteem and opportunity.

How can we counter the tendency, an issue which is not new for the Indian subcontinent but has also special importance for the world given the flow of immigrants from the impoverished ‘darker’ Global South to the ‘fairer’ (physically but not always morally) Developed North and the consequent racial tension and violence was the topic at a session titled “Why Being Fair Matters, Especially When it Doesn’t” at the just-concluded Jaipur Literature Festival.

And accompanying the spirited discussion were readings from two poets, who have experienced the problem personally.

In a spoken word performance, which highlighted the “acceptable forms of being black” in the US, American poet Jovan Mays also went into the treatment of black athletes like Serena Williams and LeBron James by the sports industry in his “Black Like: We are not black enough to leave fingerprints, we are not black enough to eclipse your sun”.

Media activist Jyoti Gupta, who in her “The Colourism Project”, defines colourism as “the practice of conscious or subconscious misuse of one’s light skin as an advantage”, said that what started as a research paper turned into an ambitious project with two aims.

“Firstly, to shift the media narrative on skin colour from profitable to equitable,” she said, giving the case of the lucrative Indian “skin lightening beauty industry”, with products like armpit and vagina whitening creams, accompanied by suspect ways of promotion and marketing.

The second objective was to promote the “incorporation of an intersectional approach in the narrative of colourism”, she said, noting caste, gender and class also come into play here. “The oppression faced by a dark-skinned rich, upper-class Delhi girl would be different from the kind faced by a dark-skinned woman in a low-income section struggling to find a job.”

Gupta also noted that in India. caste has historically played a role, citing the ancient art manual “Shilpashastra”, which depicts shudras — “the lowest caste in the strata” — as dark, diminutive and cross-eyed.

Using the example of popular skin lightening cream Fair & Lovely, youth activist Puneeta Roy asked Mays if there was “such overt marketing” of similarly racist products in America. Whilst Mays believes there is no such direct marketing for skin lightening products, he cited the way hair products that Europeanise black women’s natural hair dominate the beauty subculture.

Things are not much better in Malaysia, according to spoken word poet and journalist of Indian-origin Melizarani T. Selva, who pointed out that the Malay word for “white” is equated with royalty, whilst the word for “dark” translates closely to “cute”.

Recalling how her mother had taught her to “put her face on” with two different face creams and a layer of baby powder, she said: “We teach our daughters that being dark is less pretty through this vague kind of beauty.”

She also cited the role of colourism in the mass media, citing “The Dirty Picture”, which cast fair-skinned Vidya Balan to play Telugu actress Silk Smitha.

Gupta called for the people, the direct “consumers” of the media, to challenge such content, suggesting the “3 Ds” test.

“Debunk racist ideas and belief system; Deconstruct what the media or products have to say; Dissent against any and every criticism,” she advocated.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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