here in Hindustan
beauty is not measured
by resilience
here dark-skinned damsels
brew mixtures of lemon
and curd
and yearn for a milky glow
a bleached, bloodless fairness
that a handsome groom
searches for
layer after layer
remedy after remedy
they look at their lighter counterparts
and say
strip me of this melanin
and grace me with the pallid whiteness
that graces your own skin
here in Hindustan
we associate caste with color
where we have this loathsome
inherent hunger
for acceptance
from a society that screamed
colonizer, colonizer
here in Hindustan
we exist in a pretentious irony
where we worship the mighty Kali
goddess of strength
raven-black hair
lions and serpents at her feet
her divine inky complexion
yet never an example
for the sun-kissed daughters
of our land
here in Hindustan
they tell me to pick
a shade of foundation
three times lighter
scrub gram flour on my arms
to erase my so-called tan
here in Hindustan
we eulogise Bollywood
and its vexing
glorified portrayal
of cream-skinned maidens
here we do not teach our women
that bronze skin
that shines like copper
is beautiful
that tomato juice and banana peels
are no longer the solution
to this age-old problem
here we rarely ponder
why we love another’s complexion
more than we love our own
here in Hindustan
we are fair,
lovely,
and shattered.
Earlier this June, a controversy arose around India's most favoured, celebrity-endorsed fairness product, Fair & Lovely. In its decades of existence, it has propagated a message of colourism and the necessity - for women in particular - to have the fairest complexion possible in order to succeed in their occupations, find the right groom for marriage, and be accepted in society. Being subjected to this ideology myself, I have spent years of my life trying to scrub away what I like to call a "tan", and not my natural skin complexion. I think it's time we stop adhering to a custom that has plagued our society for ages and truly accept ourselves for who we are.
Instagram: @akshhhatha
Cover Photo Source: Deviantart
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