Mera Gora Rang Le Le,
Mohe Shyam Rang De
(Oh Lord, Take away my fair colour,
Give me your dark complexion!)
These are words from a
popular song written by poet Gulzar, but the sentiment expressed in the song is
quite ancient. Radha has been singing it for quite a long time. The dark
complexion of Lord Krishna has lured the Indian minds for ages. When socialist MP
Sharad Yadav praised the South Indian dark complexion, he ignited a storm of
protests. Union Minister Smruti Irani got so much enraged that she ridiculed
him for his views
The anger of Smruti
Irani is quite understandable, but why Kanimozhi and Mayawati should should
feel enraged about reference to dark complexion as compared to fair complexion.
The pride of dark complexion was a major part of the Dravidian movement.
Leaders like Namdev Dhasal, inspired by thoughts of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, had
taken motivation from Black Panther movement in America and established Dalit
Panther on similar lines to inculcate self-respect among Dalit youths. In the
eighties, Ambedkarites academicians like Arun Kamble were paying tributes to
dark complexion and challenging western concepts of beauty.
The South Indian politics even today is
sustaining on the pride of Dravidian movement. It is really unfortunate that Kanimozhi,
daughter of doyen of Dravidian politics Karunanidhi has developed some kind of
inferiority complex due to dark complexion. After the sad demise of Bahujan
Samajwadi Party (BSP) founder Kanshiram, there is none to guide Mayawati in
dialectics of Indian politics based on Ambedkar's revolutionary thoughts.
The aggressive Hindutva
is based on the superiority of fair complexion of Aryans who arrived in Indian
hinterland from North and forms the basic understanding of socio-political
conditions by RSS and Savarkar. Vast population of Indian who do to
geo-climatic conditions of Indian peninsula are dark complexioned. There are
numerous odes to dark complexion in history, culture languages, sculptures
paintings and music of Indian subcontinent. So when Shard Yadav appreciates
dark complexion in his speech delivered in Parliament what wrong has he
committed. One will never know what the issue is and why so many stalwarts are
upset by Sharad Yadav's observation by watching shrill and uninformed debate on
TV channels. Except few, most of the participants have very scanty knowledge of
Indian culture and its ideological basis.
Smruti Irani is a minister for human resource development
and obviously someone from the government who speaks with authority on cultural
issues. The question she posed to Sharad Yadav and enrage she exhibited is part
of the ideology she represents shows racial bias. Thanks to the continued
British rule in India, the inferiority complex based on our skin colour and
culture is deep rooted in Indian psyche, especially among educated urban
majority who always looks to West for every aspect of life. So we have to peep
within to know why we are so obsessed with fair colour and no point in just holding
Smruti Irani responsible for that kind of bias.
Sharad Yadav is an
erudite politician espousing socialist teachings of Dr Lohiya and known for
giving an ideological touch to whatever he says in the house or in a public meeting.
He is accustomed to controversies but is not known to backs track whatever he
has said. He is an accomplished orator, knows his responsibility and never
takes back his words. When there was too much of pressure to apologize he said,
“Chahe Dharti Phat Jay, Hum Mafi Nahi Mangenge.”
Sharad Yadav is not an
anti-feminist leader. He is known for his participation and support to various
agitations launched for rights and dignity of women.
He sought to know what
wrong he did say. “Humne Galat Kya Kaha?” Were Ram and Krishna
not having dark complexion? Why is the song “Mera Gora Rang Le Le, Mohe
Shyam Rang De De,” is sung? Most of the population of the country –
men and women are having dark complexion. Actually, South Indian women are more
beautiful, more beautiful than their North Indian counterparts. Not just
because of their dark complexion, but also because of their sculpted figures
and features. The fair complexion has logged in our head, and that is why you
read in matrimonial advertisements the expectation of fair complexion. Men
having dark complexion also want fair wives. What is so objectionable in this
statement of Mr. Sharad Yadav?
What Ram Manohar
Lohiya used to say? It is not that dark complexion has always been ignored, at
least in India it has not happened. In Sanskrit literature women having dark
complexion have been regarded as beautiful. It was not necessary that she must
be dark, but she was regarded as Shyama even if she was young and beautiful.
i.e. youth and beauty was treated as one and the same.
Sharad Yadav is a hard
core Lohiya follower. You will always find quotes from Lohiya in his
statements. After Madhu Limaye, Sharad Yadav is the only speaker in the Indian
Parliament of the democratic socialist thought. The supporters of
male-dominated society are trying to label Yadav an offender. The roots of
country’s social degradation lie in the male-dominated mentality and the caste
system. Sharad Yadav is a true follower of Lohiya who propagated gender
equality. Sharad Yadav is included in the category of those whose thoughts are
amply clear as against discrimination on the basis of caste, complexion, race
and gender.
What shall be the
criteria for treating a woman beautiful? Sharad Yadav finds the South Indian
dark complexion more appealing than the fair one. Actually, Sharad Yadav should
have been congratulated for daring to raise the issue of politics based on
pride of fair complexion. In his essay titled, “Complexion and Beauty,” Lohiya
has analyzed this politics of fair complexion:
“This perverse
perception about beauty must have originated from political impressions.
Europeans, having fair complexion are ruling the world for about three
centuries, they have become rulers and they always ruled over power and
prosperity. Others, however, lacked power and prosperity as well. Had the Africans
ruled the world, just like Europeans did, the perception of woman’s beauty
across the globe would have been different. Poets and authors have mentioned
that the skin of Africans is silky like satin. They would have felt the touch
and look of their skin not just silky, but also a matter of pride. They would
have found the thick lips of Africans beautiful and their broad noses pleasing.
Politics also rules over beauty concepts. Power, especially, the unfettered
power always appears to be alluring.”
In classical Indian
literature one finds fair complexion having praised by way of an exception. The
Indian concept of Shyam rang is the best complexion, was wiped
out with the advent of British rulers and during the past 250 years, the Indian
mind got dominated by the fair complexion. Empowered by the Maxmuller’s Aria
Theory, the Aryan racial political Hinduism has further brightened the fair
complexion. The superiority of Aryan got a new support through complexion. The
Black Prime movement was started in America in the sixties raising slogan of
“Black is Beautiful.” However, at that time, the Indian newspapers were filled
in with advertisements seeking fair-looking wives. When America and Africa was
witnessing revolt of Blacks after centuries of inhuman exploitation, racial
discrimination and barbarous insult, Indian woman, who was insulted because of
her dark complexion was being pushed in further denigration.
Now, two hundred years
have passed after Raja Ram Mohan Roy stood against the Indian tradition of Sati
after hearing his sister-in-laws cries. One hundred fifty years have passed
after Mahatma Phule opened school for liberating women. Half a century has also
passed after Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar brought in the Constitution prohibiting
discrimination on the ground of caste, creed, religion, race or sex of a
person. Even today, people are being taunted, rejected for having dark
complexion. The discrimination based on complexion has just become more “dark”.
Those who hold
Gandhiji’s broom for their own political convenience don’t want the thought of
Gandhiji or the path shown by him. What Gandhiji had said about the women’s
complexion? Gandhiji was initially in South Africa. He has written a
full-fledged book on the history of South African Satyagraha. Valji Govindji
Desai has translated the book in English.
“In 1914, in this vast
region, the population of Habshas was about 50 lakh and that of Europeans about
13 lakh. In Habshas, Zulu are regarded as hefty and beautiful. I have deliberately
used the word ‘beautiful’ for Zulus. Our notion of beauty i.e. white
complexion, and fine and straight nose. If you keep this notion aside for a
while, you will find the God has created Zulus without any deficiencies. Both,
men and women are heighted and having equally broad chests. Their legs and arms
are rounded, filled-in with muscles. You will hardly find any Zulu bent-down.
Their lips are broad and thick, but at least I will not term those
disproportionately broader than their overall physic. They eyes are round and
bright. Nose, is broad, but perfectly befitting a broad face. Their curly hair
perfectly match with their black, Negroid and shining skin. If you ask a Zulu,
as to which of the tribes in African Habshas are more beautiful and he will
stake claim of his own tribe. And, I do not find any lack of knowledge in it.
Zulus have naturally got muscular figures without making any specific attempts
to sculpt their arms and legs, as the ones being tried by Europeans in
attempting to make their hands and legs muscular. The skin of the people
residing on the Ecuadorian line is bound to be dark. That is natural, and if we
believe that whatever the nature creates is beautiful, we will be saved from
the wrong notions about beauty. And, will also be freed of the feeling of shame
and the dislike if in India our complexion turns dark.
There is no possibility
of Mrs. Irani having read this freedom song sung by the Father of the Nation. Gandhi liberated India from the British rule.
But, Indians are yet to be freed from the discriminatory notions and slavish
mentality.
Kapil Harishchandra
Patil,
Member, Maharashtra
Legislative Council,
President, Lok Bharati
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