One morning, when I was skimming through the news updates on my phone, an article popped out, whose title piqued my curiosity. It was: 'Fair and Lovely changes its name to 'Glow and Lovely' for women and 'Fair and Handsome' has been renamed as 'Glow and Handsome' for men'. I earnestly plunged into the article for further details because there were several questions running in my mind regarding this upheaval. For what reason Hindustan Unilever Ltd had to remove the word 'Fair' from one of the most successful brands that has always minted money and shot up to instant fame ever since its foundation? Why was there a sudden change in plans without any prior notification? With these train of thoughts, I read the article and several interesting details came to light.
Fair and Lovely (or rather Glow and Lovely) was launched in the year 1975. In fact, it was the only fairness cream in the market during those days and the product had given a tough competition to the business tycoons since it had earned a lot compared to the standards then. It was the king of the stock market and no other brand of creams could ever shine or gain popularity. Presently, there are many new fairness creams available in the market every now and then. People are preferring variety in their choice and they do not want to be monotonous i.e. selecting the same every time. They have become experimental and started trying everything new.
Now, the reason Hindustan Unilever Ltd. has given for the renaming is that they support the # 'Black Lives Matter' movement and do not want to indulge in any discrimination. So they have decided to rename their highest-grossing product to show their solidarity to the fight against racism and the brutality committed against dark skinned people.
That is just one side of the story and not the complete one. After the barbaric homicide of George Floyd-who was accused for producing a counterfeit bill in a shop and was ruthlessly killed by cops who strangled him to death by placing their knee over his neck- the company received lots of backlash from people across the world for upholding the practice of apartheid through their discriminatory ads. Not once or twice, but many a times their ads conveyed the message that dark-skinned people have no chance to grow in life and become entrepreneurs. According to their ads, men are considered to be handsome and women flock around them only if they are fair. Also, it was shown that people priorly look only at the skin tone while offering jobs. All this was considered a prejudice against the dark skinned people. In fact, many celebrities who endorsed the brand were trolled badly on online platforms. There were even threats to boycott the product. So listening to all the melodrama going on, they decided to part with the earlier name. But, I really don't understand one thing. Rechristening doesn't actually change the purpose of the product right? Just adding a different synonym is not going to make a sky-to-earth difference.
But whatsoever, this has made people realize that outer beauty is completely superficial and it is the inner beauty that actually matters. Handsome doesn't mean external appearance; it means 'giving your hand to some' in dire need.
But sadly, it was a late realization in the US. The momentary pleasure the police obtained by harassing a black man and showing their superiority and autocracy cost them very huge. The cops were many a times stopped by the bystanders who told them not to give oneself up to manslaughter. They were reprimanded, but never heeded to the onlookers' advice. Their one action cost them to lose their privilege in the society. What is worse is that, Mr. Floyd already suffered from coronary artery disease! Due to the choking near the neck region, he faced a cardiopulmonary attack and died. This inhumane killing spread like wildfire across the globe and everywhere across the US, people started protesting and demanding that justice be delivered for him. The place where Mr. Floyd's body was placed-near the car door by the cops that day-was flooded with bouquets and letters. Also, videos taken by the witnesses during his execution went viral on all kinds of platforms. The entire world was aghast and completely shaken by the killing. There was not even a single person whose conscience did not prick after getting to know that Mr. Floyd had repeatedly begged the officers and told them "I cannot breathe", but the officers cold-heartedly watched the play. Although out of the four, two were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and the other two were charged of second and third degree murder respectively, this was a wakeup call for the world and all the questions regarding racism resurfaced again.
This incident opened everyone's eyes and people realized that deep-rooted evils like racism can never get completely vanquished. It is hidden behind a very thick veil and breaching it is totally difficult. You can unveil it for some period, but later on, somehow or the other, it creeps into our thoughts. You can do away with ideologies of apartheid completely in a place, but it really doesn't last long.
One such place that could achieve mammoth victory against apartheid was South Africa. Not that it is totally non-existent there now, but it is comparatively lesser because people have borne immeasurable hardships during those days. There was racism to the fullest with blacks being considered as outlaws, to imprisonment, if one raised their voice. Their life was a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion. Also, atrocities were perpetrated on them very heartlessly. I really don't understand why other countries of the world don't learn from the bitter past of Africa and how they preached that blacks and whites are the same and color is just a trivial matter. Racism is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
But in India, it is the complete opposite. Dark color is considered something that dampens your enthusiasm. Even in matrimonial sites too, there is more demand for only fair skinned people. Light-skinned people are called 'beautiful' and dark skinned people are called 'ugly'. Most of the South Indians are really bothered about color and go to any extent to obtain fair skin. I would like to tell of those fair-skin-frenzy people one thing. Dark is Divine. Dark is Naturality. Not all fair-skinned people are beautiful. All the Gods too are dark skinned. Lord Krishna who is loved by one and all, too, has a dark complexion. Many great achievers too are swarthy textured. Please understand this, fairness lovers, - DARK IS ELEGANCE.
Many a times, it so happens that dark-hued people go into a shell of self-pity and curse themselves as to why they are not fair because lots of times in school, they are color-shamed. Although mostly it is done out of innocence, sometimes, such minor incidents cause a deep psychological impact on the child. The child feels cornered and fit for nothing. Also, few parents of dark-skinned people are against their kids venturing out in the sun because they are scared that they would lose the skin color they already have. They ask their children to apply each and everything on their face, so as to get glow because they feel dark-skinned people have less respect in the society. Also, the habit of teasing dark-skinned kids is developed at a very young age in those kids who bully.
When these children grow up, they unknowingly turn into racists and the habits they learn at a tender age becomes a bad practice. If dusky skinned people don't come out of the barricades they have made for themselves, they will be very easily stamped in the society. This is all just a matter of time. But if the same kid through emotional support plunges out of his sadness, he will make a big difference in the society and will not allow others to undergo what he had to face. Remember, a child's mind is like sponge; whatever good or bad he/she learns is forever absorbed in that stage. So, a child must always learn good things so that when he grows up he can be the catalyst of change in the society.
So, on account of Nelson Mandela's birthday- the apostle of love who achieved political emancipation for his country from apartheid through his actions and changed millions of lives diametrically- on the 18th of July, let us show that WE CARE! Let us all accept each other's differences and not deprive anyone of their rights. Let us put in our sincere efforts to stop R.A.C.I.S.M- a process that REDUCES AND CRUMPLES your IDENTITY and SELF-CONFIDENCE to the MAXIMUM. Let us embrace inner beauty and stop supporting discriminatory advertisements. Let us all- the youth of today, bring in awareness among people that even though blacks and whites have different skin color, all of them have the same blood running within. All of them are sons and daughters of Mother Earth- the mother who is never partial towards anyone. Let us all leave behind bygones and work towards building a rational society that welcomes differences among people and considers everyone the same with out any bias.
- Anusha Sridhar
Fair and Lovely (or rather Glow and Lovely) was launched in the year 1975. In fact, it was the only fairness cream in the market during those days and the product had given a tough competition to the business tycoons since it had earned a lot compared to the standards then. It was the king of the stock market and no other brand of creams could ever shine or gain popularity. Presently, there are many new fairness creams available in the market every now and then. People are preferring variety in their choice and they do not want to be monotonous i.e. selecting the same every time. They have become experimental and started trying everything new.
Now, the reason Hindustan Unilever Ltd. has given for the renaming is that they support the # 'Black Lives Matter' movement and do not want to indulge in any discrimination. So they have decided to rename their highest-grossing product to show their solidarity to the fight against racism and the brutality committed against dark skinned people.
That is just one side of the story and not the complete one. After the barbaric homicide of George Floyd-who was accused for producing a counterfeit bill in a shop and was ruthlessly killed by cops who strangled him to death by placing their knee over his neck- the company received lots of backlash from people across the world for upholding the practice of apartheid through their discriminatory ads. Not once or twice, but many a times their ads conveyed the message that dark-skinned people have no chance to grow in life and become entrepreneurs. According to their ads, men are considered to be handsome and women flock around them only if they are fair. Also, it was shown that people priorly look only at the skin tone while offering jobs. All this was considered a prejudice against the dark skinned people. In fact, many celebrities who endorsed the brand were trolled badly on online platforms. There were even threats to boycott the product. So listening to all the melodrama going on, they decided to part with the earlier name. But, I really don't understand one thing. Rechristening doesn't actually change the purpose of the product right? Just adding a different synonym is not going to make a sky-to-earth difference.
But whatsoever, this has made people realize that outer beauty is completely superficial and it is the inner beauty that actually matters. Handsome doesn't mean external appearance; it means 'giving your hand to some' in dire need.
But sadly, it was a late realization in the US. The momentary pleasure the police obtained by harassing a black man and showing their superiority and autocracy cost them very huge. The cops were many a times stopped by the bystanders who told them not to give oneself up to manslaughter. They were reprimanded, but never heeded to the onlookers' advice. Their one action cost them to lose their privilege in the society. What is worse is that, Mr. Floyd already suffered from coronary artery disease! Due to the choking near the neck region, he faced a cardiopulmonary attack and died. This inhumane killing spread like wildfire across the globe and everywhere across the US, people started protesting and demanding that justice be delivered for him. The place where Mr. Floyd's body was placed-near the car door by the cops that day-was flooded with bouquets and letters. Also, videos taken by the witnesses during his execution went viral on all kinds of platforms. The entire world was aghast and completely shaken by the killing. There was not even a single person whose conscience did not prick after getting to know that Mr. Floyd had repeatedly begged the officers and told them "I cannot breathe", but the officers cold-heartedly watched the play. Although out of the four, two were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and the other two were charged of second and third degree murder respectively, this was a wakeup call for the world and all the questions regarding racism resurfaced again.
This incident opened everyone's eyes and people realized that deep-rooted evils like racism can never get completely vanquished. It is hidden behind a very thick veil and breaching it is totally difficult. You can unveil it for some period, but later on, somehow or the other, it creeps into our thoughts. You can do away with ideologies of apartheid completely in a place, but it really doesn't last long.
One such place that could achieve mammoth victory against apartheid was South Africa. Not that it is totally non-existent there now, but it is comparatively lesser because people have borne immeasurable hardships during those days. There was racism to the fullest with blacks being considered as outlaws, to imprisonment, if one raised their voice. Their life was a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion. Also, atrocities were perpetrated on them very heartlessly. I really don't understand why other countries of the world don't learn from the bitter past of Africa and how they preached that blacks and whites are the same and color is just a trivial matter. Racism is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
But in India, it is the complete opposite. Dark color is considered something that dampens your enthusiasm. Even in matrimonial sites too, there is more demand for only fair skinned people. Light-skinned people are called 'beautiful' and dark skinned people are called 'ugly'. Most of the South Indians are really bothered about color and go to any extent to obtain fair skin. I would like to tell of those fair-skin-frenzy people one thing. Dark is Divine. Dark is Naturality. Not all fair-skinned people are beautiful. All the Gods too are dark skinned. Lord Krishna who is loved by one and all, too, has a dark complexion. Many great achievers too are swarthy textured. Please understand this, fairness lovers, - DARK IS ELEGANCE.
Many a times, it so happens that dark-hued people go into a shell of self-pity and curse themselves as to why they are not fair because lots of times in school, they are color-shamed. Although mostly it is done out of innocence, sometimes, such minor incidents cause a deep psychological impact on the child. The child feels cornered and fit for nothing. Also, few parents of dark-skinned people are against their kids venturing out in the sun because they are scared that they would lose the skin color they already have. They ask their children to apply each and everything on their face, so as to get glow because they feel dark-skinned people have less respect in the society. Also, the habit of teasing dark-skinned kids is developed at a very young age in those kids who bully.
When these children grow up, they unknowingly turn into racists and the habits they learn at a tender age becomes a bad practice. If dusky skinned people don't come out of the barricades they have made for themselves, they will be very easily stamped in the society. This is all just a matter of time. But if the same kid through emotional support plunges out of his sadness, he will make a big difference in the society and will not allow others to undergo what he had to face. Remember, a child's mind is like sponge; whatever good or bad he/she learns is forever absorbed in that stage. So, a child must always learn good things so that when he grows up he can be the catalyst of change in the society.
So, on account of Nelson Mandela's birthday- the apostle of love who achieved political emancipation for his country from apartheid through his actions and changed millions of lives diametrically- on the 18th of July, let us show that WE CARE! Let us all accept each other's differences and not deprive anyone of their rights. Let us put in our sincere efforts to stop R.A.C.I.S.M- a process that REDUCES AND CRUMPLES your IDENTITY and SELF-CONFIDENCE to the MAXIMUM. Let us embrace inner beauty and stop supporting discriminatory advertisements. Let us all- the youth of today, bring in awareness among people that even though blacks and whites have different skin color, all of them have the same blood running within. All of them are sons and daughters of Mother Earth- the mother who is never partial towards anyone. Let us all leave behind bygones and work towards building a rational society that welcomes differences among people and considers everyone the same with out any bias.
- Anusha Sridhar
