In a country obsessed with fairness, being dark-skinned or dusky is a ‘stain’ most people spend their entire lives getting rid of. It isn’t entirely their fault, this compulsive need to be ‘fair’. The society we live in favours particular standards of beauty and endorses fairness creams and treatments.
What’s worse is when parents succumb to this pressure and force their children to adopt harsh methods in pursuit of an idealised ‘fair skin’.
In a case echoing a similar sentiment, a five-year-old boy in Madhya Pradesh has been rescued from the clutches of his adoptive mother who allegedly scrubbed his body raw with a black stone to make him fair.
As reported by TOI, Child Line and Nishatpura police came to the rescue of the boy, after his cousin sister complained to Child Line about what was going on.
About a year and a half ago, Sudha Tiwari had adopted the five-year-old from Matruchhaya in Uttarakhand. She is a government school teacher in Nishtapura, and her husband is an employee in a private hospital.
The complainant, Shobna Sharma, alleged that her aunt, the boy’s mother, was unhappy with his complexion since the day he had been brought to Bhopal.
“She started treating him with various things. A year ago, after someone suggested her a treatment through a stone, she started scrubbing the child’s body with black stone. This left the kid badly bruised with scars and injuries on his wrist, shoulder, back and legs.”
Shobna, who is the daughter of Sudha’s elder sister, tried to stop her aunt from this madness, but in vain.
Shobna hoped that Matruchhaya, from whence the boy was adopted, would conduct a follow up on him, as is the rule with adoption cases. However, when that too didn’t happen, Shobna decided to make the call.
“I tried to stop Sudha several times, but when she did not stop harassing and torturing the kid, I had no other option except seeking help from Child Line and police.”
On Sunday, Child Line and Nishtapura police managed to rescue the boy and take him to a hospital for treatment.
The boy was taken to Hamidia Hospital. Post his treatment, he was brought to the the Child Line Centre pending further inquiry. He would be produced before the Child Welfare Commission panel on Monday.
It is indeed disturbing to find out that a little child had to undergo so much merely because his mother did not appreciate the colour of his skin. It was fortunate that his sister intervened and managed to save his life, but we cannot imagine what other horrible things this stigma might be forcing people to do in the name of ‘becoming fair’.
Here’s hoping appropriate punishment is meted out in the case. But here’s hoping even more that we are rid of these dogmatic beliefs soon.