No matter how forward the nation is, there still remains a small percentage of people who favour Fair-skinned brides for their sons. And sadly, this habit prevails in the educated sector of the society, who otherwise come across as broad minded and chilled out. Call it orthodox or succumbing to societal pressures, this trend does prevail even today and here’s the reason why.

1.  The role played by media

Media plays a huge role in our lives, especially when it comes to beauty and fashion. Commercials claim that girls who use fairness creams are sure to get better jobs and husbands. And if this is any less, they also rope in a famous celebrity to endorse the brand and it is very likely that the fan following of this celebrity will get influenced to do the same.

2.  Matrimonial ads

Ever seen the matrimonial ads in the newspaper? The specifications of the bride will be something like this- Looking for a tall, fair, beautiful, educated and good-natured girl, for a tall MBA boy. Now, isn’t this wrong at so many levels? Well, sadly, nothing much has been done about it and women tend to succumb to the pressure from their Family and the society. It’s high time such advertisements get banned.

3.  Fairness is a matter of pride

Yes, this is true. Look around and you will definitely spot that one pammi aunty who simply cannot stop about how fair her new bahu is. It is spoken off as a matter of pride and status. And on the other hand, if the girl turns out to be a little dark, she is considered a disgrace to the family and even worse, the mother-in-law leaves no stone unturned from making her life hell.

4.  The children will be fair too!

And how can we forget this! If wanting a boy was any less, he should be fair too. And if it ends up being a girl, then she has no choice but be fair, for which it is important they get a fair bride. After all, fair parents only give birth to fair children. What’s even worse is that parents start of on beauty treatments for their babies right after they are born. Haldi, milk, almonds, coconut oil and a whole lot of other homemade remedies are tried and tested on the baby’s skin to ensure she is fair.

What happens if the groom is fairer?

Firstly, this situation is extremely rare. And when it happens, the girl’s life is plain hell.

1.  She gets ill-treated

This is the fact, even in educated families. The bride gets to hear sarcastic comments from her husband’s family. The mother-in-law does not leave any opportunity from making her feel like a punching bag or a scape goat. And all of this only because she is dark or does not match up to the society’s expectations.

2.  They are forced to dress in a certain way

To compensate for their not-so-fair skin, women are made to dress up in a certain way. They are expected to wear a lot of makeup, dress up in a certain way and be presentable, even when they are at home. After all, the neighbours need to know how fair and beautiful their daughter-in-law is!

3.  Her parents are taken advantage of

And if at all, the family accepts a dark-skinned groom, her parents are taken for a ride. From demanding dowry to being looks down upon, the bride’s parents are made to fulfil a whole lot of demands just because she has a dark complexion.

We feel the society is far from all these conditions, but sadly the condition prevails even today. What are your thoughts on the same? Leave your views in the comments below.

Feature image source: Youtube.com