#duskyskin

Which DUSKY SKIN INDIAN GIRL has not heard people discussing about her skin tone?

Which DUSKY SKIN INDIAN GIRL has not heard any racist jokes? 

Which DUSKY SKIN INDIAN GIRL has not heard bad reviews if she wears black attire?

I am sure more than half of Indian girls would have experienced it and have heard people saying bad things about her dusky skin tone from the society or friends or even her own family members. 

One fine day, I met one of my high school teachers in a shopping mall and approached to greet her. The first question she asked me was “Why do you turn so dark? You look good when you are fair. Do something and become fair again.” I was shocked. R-E-A-L-L-Y was shocked. I have never heard such a sarcastic compliment from anyone like this. I giggled as if I heard a joke (but deep inside I was disappointed *&^^!!@$**) I replied to her nonchalantly, “I was born like this. I have never been fair in my entire life.” The moment I bid goodbye to her, there was this one particular question running through my mind. How can someone become fair all of a sudden when you have a dusky skin tone since birth? Unless you did plastic surgery all over your body. I answered myself to feel better.

What’s wrong being dusky, man? After all fair or dusky, they just come under colour categories. They are just like any other colour that we all love - purple, pink, green, orange and a few to name. It won’t make anyone beautiful just because they are fair and it won’t make anyone ugly just because they are dusky or dark. From my viewpoint, beauty comes from our acts of kindness.

So, this is a story that happened a few years back. There was a boy who proposed to me back in high school. I still remember my friends told me to reject him just because he looks dusky. Well, it’s not their fault. I won’t blame them. It’s how movies and our cultures shaped them. SHAPED THE ENTIRE SOCIETY. 

Definitely, we would have listened to our mothers telling us to not play under the sun because we might turn darker. It was taught to us like any other moral values since we were small. 

I said movies. MOVIES!!!! 

Being an Indian, I used to grow up watching a lot of Tamil movies. Most of the movies will portray a slim and fair girl. That is how stereotypical our society is. Even if they chose a dusky skin actress, they will edit in such a way that she looks fair on the screen. I have watched quite a number of scenes in movies whereby the boys (usually) reject girls with a dusky skin tone. And not to forget, they make fun of her saying “Dei karuvaachiye yaaru da paarpa?”(Who looks at dusky skin girl?). If a kid grows up watching these kinds of movies, it will definitely be fixed in their mind that dusky skin girls are not pretty and fair skin is the definition of beauty. It’s not that. We should not bring up kids in such a way. Let’s defy this norm. Trust me, you will still find a better guy with your own skin colour.

Getting bad reviews for wearing black attire is a common thing for dusky skin girls. The kind of compliments that I will personally receive is I can’t be seen or black is not for girls like you. Let me clear this friends, black attire is not invented specifically for people who are not dusky. So, girls don’t feel twice wearing black attire. Wear it, show it, rock it and flip your hair with style.

It would have been a very good joke among high school friends and college mates when it comes to dusky skin tone. Which dusky skin people have not heard people saying that they cannot be seen in a dark room? Till to an extent saying blacky or charcoal. Those words were honored and awarded as a good joke among teenagers and those who talk against them are labelled as non-friendly or sensitive. 

Let me share with you another incident, I went to the hospital the other day to visit my cousin who just delivered a baby boy. I was shocked when one of my relatives called me and asked whether the baby is dusky or fair? Again, her question nearly gave me a heart attack. She doesn’t even ask about the baby’s health. I won’t blame her or either her fault because this is how she was raised in this society. This is how our society is giving importance to skin color. 

I used to be called “karuppi”(black) by my friends, relatives and even my family members. When I was young, I felt very bad about it. I always asked my mom, 

“Why, am I dark? Why do I have to be born like this? I look ugly.” 

I still remember crying and running to my parents when my uncle compared me with his daughter’s skin tone and saying that I will face difficulties to search for my life partner as most of the boys only prefer fair skin girls. I was just 10. ONLY 10. At that time, I cried (like a baby. Pfffftttt, I was still a baby to my parents. Even till now) because he made me feel like I am the ugliest person in this world.                   

When I was young, I used to have low self esteem. I always compare myself with my fair skin friends and actresses and always complain to my mom regarding this. 

To people out there who used to or still feel bad about your skin color, don’t worry about it. Beauty doesn’t come in colors. It comes from your actions. It comes from your heart. Avoid those people who discourage you for being in your color. Be in a place where your presence is appreciated, not in a place where your beauty is admired. 

BEAUTY BEGINS WHEN YOU START TO FEEL ABOUT IT IN YOU. 

But I am so happy that I realized(like finally) my mistakes lately. I have started to embrace my own skin color. I will NEVER EVER buy any whitening skin products as I just l-l-l-o-o-o-v-v-v-e-e-e my skin color. Skin color is a unique and a beautiful thing gifted by GOD. Be grateful for everything that you have. And most importantly, be CONFIDENT with your skin colour.