The recent episode of black cheerleaders being asked to not participate in the IPL T20 match made news. However it never made as much news as it would have had it happened in America or Europe. Why? Simply because racism isnt very well understood or is rather understood differently in India. The colour of skin isnt nearly as important. The caste, gotra and well.. money seem to be far important for us. I seldom come across incidences where a person’s skin colour is considered immportant. Yes, I can think of few jobs like air hotesses , stewards, the receptionists , basically low-profile-but-high -on-visual-appeal kind of jobs seek “a clear complexion”. That clear complexion is just another way of saying light skinned. And it is advertsed so blatantly and in your face kind of way. Yet nobody really cares. It is like an axiom. Fair skin, light skin is beautiful period. And dark skin almost always guarantees a lesser amount of fussing around you at restaurants, pubs, etc. Having said that, with the exception of jobs that involve direct interaction with customers like the ones I mentioned above, there is abolutely no preference for colour which is quite unlike the western countries where the colour of the skin matters almost everywhere.
Th second point that “elite” people just adore to point out is the preference for light skin in prospective bride and to a lesser extent a groom as a form of racism. I so disagree with this one. Some people just dont find dark skin attractive whereas some others have a clear preference for dark skin. It is not racism. Is it superficial? Yes ofcourse it is. But then wouldnt you rather marry or date some one you are physically attracted to? Would you date a fat person unless you find fat people attractive? No you wouldnt. It is essentially the same thing. Infact if physical characteristics were not important for selecting a potential mate a staright man might as well date another straight man or lesbian woman would date a gay guy and so on.
