[WSMDiscuss] Casteism, Colourism and Racism

[Umakant]

Dear Friends

Greetings! The Black Lives Matterprotest has generated solidarity and support in different parts of the world.But at the same time it has also led to fault-lines being opened forintrospections on the inbuilt cultural/religious practices which allows severalstereotype with pejorative connotations to thrive in South Asian socities wherecaste/creed, skin colour etc. plays a very important role in deciding personalas well as public relationships. 

 

On the links given below you couldread about persistence of caste/colour superiority attitudes and tendencieswhich refuses to go away even during the pandemic time. 

 

Do pass it on to others in yourcircle/network. 

 

HUL dropping the ‘Fair’ from ‘Fair and Lovely’ is achange that only goes skin deep

Ipsita Chakravarty, Scroll, June 26, 2020 

https://scroll.in/article/965716/hul-dropping-the-fair-from-fair-and-lovely-is-a-change-that-only-goes-skin-deep

 

The change, by all accounts, remains at the level of branding.

 

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In Pakistan, a community descended from East Africans isstill fighting prejudice

Zofeen T Ebrahim, Thomson Reuters Foundation/Scroll, June 25, 2020

https://scroll.in/article/965553/in-pakistan-a-community-descended-from-east-africans-is-still-fighting-prejudice

 

The darker-skinned Sheedis are considered inferior by the rest, says thefirst lawmaker from the community.

 

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Why Dalit Lives Do Not Matter?

Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, Opinion, CounterCurrents.org, June22, 2020 

https://countercurrents.org/2020/06/why-dalit-lives-do-not-matter/

 

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In Bengal,Colourism Hides Behind the Veneer of Bhadralok Culture

Monobina Gupta, Opinion, The Wire, June 19, 2020 

https://thewire.in/society/in-bengal-colourism-hides-behind-the-veneer-of-bhadralok-culture 

 

The famous sense of "enlightened Bengaliexceptionalism" did not quite extend to people with darker skincomplexion.

 

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South Asians for Black Lives: A Callfor Action, Accountability and Introspection

Thenmozhi Soundrarajan, Opinion, WearYourVoice, June 03,2020 

https://wearyourvoicemag.com/south-asians-for-black-lives-a-call-for-action/

 

South Asian Americanshave to go beyond performative activism and embrace solidarity, empathy and reparations.

 

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In the movies, fair equals lovely while dark equalsbackward, villainous, savage (take your pick)

Damini Kulkarni, Scroll, October 22, 2016 

https://scroll.in/reel/819289/in-the-movies-fair-equals-lovely-while-dark-equals-backward-villainous-savage-take-your-pick

 

The social preference for fair skin is played out on the screen innumerous ways – most of them unflattering. 

 

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With Regards 

Umakant, Ph. D 

New Delhi 



 






My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality. 
B.R.Ambedkar
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