Gorapan.. Sawlapan.. The great Indian whitening tamasha..

Recently I read an article by Nandita Das, the dark skinned acting powerhouse about her campaign against fairness products.. I was so happy that someone's taking this stand. When I was getting married everyone would ask me one question.. how did he choose you.. He's so fair and you're so wheatish.. Well wheatish was the kindest of the lot.. The bottom line is that our society is very crazy about fair skin.. Every minute atleast two to three channels show infomercials about fairness products. Our superstars make crores of Rupees endorsing fairness creams. They don't give two hoots about the impact of their image attached to these products. We have been brainwashed since childhood that if you are not fair you'll not get good husband, good job, good future... Not true.. I got a good husband..I became a dentist. And I never used fair and lovely or anything..
Yes, I agree for a few months before my marriage I was sort of depressed and got a few chemical peels and all done. But all it did was removed the upper layer of dead skin cells. So naturally the new layer looks fairer.. But after a few hours you look back to normal.. But once I understood that someone's love is not dependant on my skin, I stopped all that. Nowadays even my facials are only skin improving ones not skin lightening.. And honestly I'm happy I'm not predisposed to sun burn or worse.. skin cancer. A little dark skin hurt no one..
Some people say their children were so fair when they were born and then turned dark.. Naturally, sunlight does not reach the womb and the melanin concentration increases with age and exposure to sun. This melanin protects your skin from harmful effects of sun. Same thing happens to children with light hair and eyes. Staying in a tropical country like India, these higher concentrations of melanin is surely a boon. Also fair skin wrinkles more easily. Compare old fair skinned and dark skinned women and you'll know what I'm saying.. I have nothing against fair skin but just that instead of determining your happiness with your skin colour, learn to love yourself as you are.. HAPPY AND DARK or HAPPY AND FAIR.. To each his own..