We Indians have tended to lose sight of a problem we need to tackle: we are still in denial that we are a deeply racist country. Often, we are racist although we are not conscious of being so. (It's time we were.) We, with our fondness for light skin tones, tend to be prejudiced against those with darker ones. We don't think of it as racism. But the world does. And it is. It can't go on. We need to grow up.

The festishisation of white skin in a brown-skinned country comes bound up with an irreconcilable sense of contradiction and a notion of, often unconscious, self-loathing. Creams and lotions that claim to lighten one's skin have for years comprised an industry worth many millions in India. Look at the matrimonial ads. Listen to some of the conversations in educated, affluent, urban households.

Soumya Bhattacharya

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Reference: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/334413.html
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You have completely missed the point. Racism is not only about calling someone black or white, racism has much deeper meaning than this. Racism means denial of someone's rights on the basis of his color or ethnicity. Tell me how many times you have been denied of a job just because you are not that fair, handsome whatever you have just said. FYI in India you do not loose a job just because your color is black. If something like that would have happened then no southindian would have found the eminent position in various research centers across India. On the other hand, western countries have always been the countries who deny the fundamental rights of a human being on the basis of his/her color or ethnicity. I am sorry but I do not agree with you fully. I would say that if you call someone black would be ok sometimes but denying his fundamental rights just because he is black would hurt me deeper and that my friend is racism.
vinayjoshi (guest)
Oh my gosh, I am sorry but you are such a loser. I mean if you've ever been out of India yourself you'll probably see how racist the rest of the world is, India is definitely one of the more polite countries in the world. Trust me, I know what these other races think of each other. India is certainly more polite.
Master S (guest)

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