ADVERTISEMENT

Even in this day and age, there are a few in the country who are obsessed with skin colour. It is believed that this preference for ‘fair complexion’ is a colonial-era hangover exacerbated by companies that market ‘fairness solutions’ as a means to move up in life. While traditionally dusky women have had to face the brunt of this hangup, an incident from Barielly, Uttar Pradesh has come to light which proves that even men are impacted.

According to the Times of India

The incident took place on April 15 at 5.45 am. The victim (20-year-old Satyaveer Singh) was asleep when the accused (Prem Shri) set him on fire. The victim succumbed to his injuries and the accused also suffered burns on her legs. The couple had tied the knot over two years ago and also have a 5-month-old daughter.

The victim’s brother Harveer Singh had this to say about his sister-in-law,

“She always commented on my brother’s dark complexion but we never thought that she would take such a step.”

Inspector Sehdev Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Kurh Fatehgarh said that a case has been registered under section 302 (murder) of the IPC.

It is high time that all of us get over our obsession with lighter skin and embrace the ideology that dark is also beautiful, don’t you agree?