Why the fight between 'gora' and 'saavli' does not die down

Even as JD(U) MP Sharad Yadav's 'saavli' women comment continues to anger people across the country, his daughter, Subhashini Bundela has come out and defended her father's remarks saying that 'what he said was not wrong.'

It all began when Yadav, during the debate on the insurance bill in the Rajya Sabha last week, spoke on India's obsession for fair skin. "Your god is dark like Ravi Shankar Prasad, but your matrimonial ads insist on white-skinned brides."

Referring to the complexion of south Indian women, he said: "The women of the south are dark but they are as beautiful as their bodies. We don't see it here. They know (how to) dance."

The issue was raked up even in the Parliament, where our women MPs did not spare Yadav for his sexist comment and demanded an apology. But Yadav stood firm and refused to apologise [Under attack, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav unapologetic over 'dark-skinned' women remark]

What did Yadav's daughter say?

Defending her father's statements, Bundela said that what her father said was not wrong. "He didnt say anything wrong. In fact if I was also not fair, I wouldn't have got the right match for myself," she said.

She added that this is how the society is and this is how people think. She says 'pati toh milta, but if I was dark, I wouldn't have found the right match.'

So if we go by her words, all fair women find the perfect match for themselves, whereas the duskier women would end up with the 'wrong guy'.

Why there is a hue and cry over the 'saanvli' complexion

Whether we agree or not, India is a country that is obsessed with fair skin. Pick up any matrimonial ad in your newspaper, these are the main criteria; 'Seeking a fair, slim, well-educated girl.'

How about those inumerable ads on television that promote fairness creams? What those ads depict is the stereotype that has been passed from generation to generation. What makes it worse is that these ads term you are a 'failure' in life if you are not fair.

The fight between the 'fair' and the 'dark' has been going on for ages. While there are many Bollywood actors who do endorse fairness creams just for the moolah, there are some who have taken a stand and have refused to endorse these products.

Kangana Ranaut, Upen Patel, Ranbir Kapoor and Nandita Das are some who have been quite vocal about their stand on the issue.

Yadav, Bundela represent the society's mindset

Even though people may continue to argue over Yadav's statements, it is necessary to note that the bias against skin complexion still exists in our society. What Bundela says is actually a fact that even today, people prefer fair skinned people.

The author (a dusky individual herself, who has faced many situations in the past with respect to dark skin) feels that the battle fighting prejudices against skin colour still has a long way to go. Till the time we have a booming market of fairness creams guranteering you fair skin within weeks, the mindset of people won't change.

It is necessary that we embrace, fair, dusky, dark, wheatish people as one. Your colour of the skin does not define you as an individual, it is your mindset and your personality traits that make you a person.