Kerala’s Chief Secretary, Sarada Muraleedharan, recently sparked a debate with her Facebook post responding to a comment about her tenure. The anonymous remark stated that her leadership was “as black as her husband’s was white”.
This statement, apart from being factually inaccurate, exposes a deeper issue—society’s persistent obsession with skin colour. She is not black, nor is her husband, V. Venu, whom she succeeded, white. If anything, both of them fall somewhere in between, in the vast spectrum of grey.
However, judging a person’s ability or character based on complexion is not just absurd but also regressive. It reflects a mindset that should have been discarded long ago. Unfortunately, Kerala, despite its high literacy rates and social progress, is not immune to such colour biases.
Swami Vivekananda, one of India’s greatest thinkers and saints, faced discrimination in Kerala due to his dark complexion and was even questioned about his caste when he tried to enter a temple in Kodungallur, where St Thomas arrived in the first century and the first mosque outside of Arabia came up. This led him to famously call Kerala a “lunatic asylum”.
Even in Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna, revered as an incarnation of Vishnu, was dark-skinned. His complexion, described as Shyam (dark or bluish), never diminished his stature among Hindu deities.
Yet, in modern India, skin tone continues to dictate social attitudes, particularly in areas like marriage, where matrimonial advertisements still demand “fair” brides. This colour fixation may be a colonial hangover from nearly two centuries of British rule, which associated fair skin with power and privilege.
Ironically, in Western countries, particularly in Britain and the US, tanned skin is considered attractive, and children of interracial couples are often admired for their unique beauty. There is also a historical perspective to consider.
Ancient religious texts frequently describe rakshasas (demons) as black, reinforcing a negative connotation. Some scholars argue that these descriptions were attempts by the invading Aryans to demonise the native Dravidians, further embedding colour prejudice in the social fabric.
Black is not inherently bad. Henry Ford, the pioneer of modern automobiles, once remarked, “All colours are good if they are black.” His reasoning was purely functional—black paint dried faster and reduced manufacturing costs. Similarly, millions of Sabarimala pilgrims wear black clothing, not just as a spiritual practice but also because black hides dirt better.
Ultimately, what matters is not the colour of one’s skin but the quality of one’s work. The Chief Secretary has far more important tasks than responding to petty, colour-based remarks. Kerala would be better served if its people moved beyond such outdated prejudices and focused on merit, governance, and progress—things that are neither black nor white but simply right.
