http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/law-student-sues-company-over-racist-crayon/article4793506.ece
Hindustan pencils have a crayon named skin color, and this has hurt the sentiments of an individual who's skin tone does not match the color used in that crayon. Everyone has a right to seek action against someone else's action which has offended them. But the question here is, whether it's worth getting offended here in this situation or not.
Some questions which came to my mind when I read the article are :
a) Does the company endorse the used skin color as a superior one?
b) Does the company say that the used skin color is the only ideal skin color?
c) Does the company say that the used skin color is the only skin color under the sun?
d) Does the company relate an individual's personal attributes to the color of the skin?
e) What skin are they talking about here? Human skin? Animal skin?
f) Which layer of the skin were they referring to?
May be the usage of the word skin can be challenged on a ground that it refers to a human organ(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin) and such reference should not be used. It is like calling a black color car as hair color car. And this can be offensive to some people as they might feel sick using a product which refers to a human part.
The article speaks about how in the USA, flesh color was replaced with peach. Well black and white are two terminologies used to refer to Black skin and White skin humans, would you sue consumer goods manufacturers who have products colored Black and White saying that they are racists?
In India, so far, I have never come across someone distinguishing an other using Black, Brown etc. There is caste based discrimination, language based, region based, but I have never seen color based discrimination.
Why should well educated people waste their valuable time suing companies over this?
There are bad roads, bad drainage, bad governance for which we can sue.
And for the part in the article, which speaks about companies selling skin lightening products, yes if they put up advertisements, which show a person with a fair skin has a better chance to clear an interview or get into a college then yes they should be sued, as such ads are offensive and can affect the mindset and confidence of youngsters.
Hindustan pencils have a crayon named skin color, and this has hurt the sentiments of an individual who's skin tone does not match the color used in that crayon. Everyone has a right to seek action against someone else's action which has offended them. But the question here is, whether it's worth getting offended here in this situation or not.
Some questions which came to my mind when I read the article are :
a) Does the company endorse the used skin color as a superior one?
b) Does the company say that the used skin color is the only ideal skin color?
c) Does the company say that the used skin color is the only skin color under the sun?
d) Does the company relate an individual's personal attributes to the color of the skin?
e) What skin are they talking about here? Human skin? Animal skin?
f) Which layer of the skin were they referring to?
May be the usage of the word skin can be challenged on a ground that it refers to a human organ(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin) and such reference should not be used. It is like calling a black color car as hair color car. And this can be offensive to some people as they might feel sick using a product which refers to a human part.
The article speaks about how in the USA, flesh color was replaced with peach. Well black and white are two terminologies used to refer to Black skin and White skin humans, would you sue consumer goods manufacturers who have products colored Black and White saying that they are racists?
In India, so far, I have never come across someone distinguishing an other using Black, Brown etc. There is caste based discrimination, language based, region based, but I have never seen color based discrimination.
Why should well educated people waste their valuable time suing companies over this?
There are bad roads, bad drainage, bad governance for which we can sue.
And for the part in the article, which speaks about companies selling skin lightening products, yes if they put up advertisements, which show a person with a fair skin has a better chance to clear an interview or get into a college then yes they should be sued, as such ads are offensive and can affect the mindset and confidence of youngsters.
Quite right, and well said. But the question asked against Hindustan Pencil is did they name the color with or without malice or just as a matter of expressions used in the English language. But about your statement on there being no colour discrimination in India, please read this.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?250317
A more updated version of this article appeared in Reader's Digest (India) September 2013. You may also want to read the reactions to that article in their November issue.
1)Thanks for sharing the outlook and RD articles. I was not aware about such skin tone based discrimination. I've noticed the difference in behavior towards Africans here in Bangalore but I felt its inclined towards them and not against them. Maybe its due to the fear that they might cause trouble. There have been various instances of international students creating trouble. But it would be unfair to categorize them as one. The fact remains that most of our country is still obsessed with skin tone and looking fair.
ReplyDelete2)I don't see a reason why Hindustan Pencils should indulge in an malicious act. I guess its for the person filing the case against them to prove that.