Fair & Lovely for Sikh Youth?
Embracing my new role as a proud Chacha, I recently bought some Sikhi-related children’s books for my niece for her first birthday. I was especially excited about this new book and CD of Sikh nursery rhymes called Ik Chota Bacha. The book/CD is a great way to teach basic Sikh values to kids and help develop their Punjabi skills (all the nursery rhymes are in Punjabi) in a fun way. I played the CD for my niece on the daily when I was visiting for her birthday, and by the end of the week, the whole family was singing along to some of the catchy (and rather cheesy) tunes. (See a full review of the book here.)
My excitement about the release Ik Chota Bacha quickly became muddied with disappointment and frustration once I saw the book’s illustrations. Every single Sikh child and adult depicted in the book looks WHITE. I don’t just mean they’re all fair-skinned on the spectrum of brownness. I mean peachy, rosey-cheeked, white.
Hardly a new issue for our community (and South Asians more generally), obsession with fair skin has been a cultural norm for as long as I can remember (unfortunately, I can’t remember the pre-colonization days). But I was still startled to see these pictures in a brand new Sikh children’s book, written and published here in the United States in 2011.
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, some of the most innovative and popular educational films about Sikhi for kids from the last several years are not much different in their depiction of Punjabi Sikhs. Great animated films like Sundri, Sahibzadey, and Bhai Taru Singh, brought to us by Vismaad Films, consistently portray Sikh historical figures to be extremely light-skinned.
What gets me the most about these examples are that their intended audience is children. While on the one hand these books and movies teach our new generation about Sikhi and our inspiring and revolutionary history, they simultaneously send kids very specific messages about skin color. The heroes and protagonists here are all light-skinned, hardly a reflection of the historical or contemporary realities of our people who hail from the land of the five rivers. In a sense, our kids are left with Sikh history treated with Fair and Lovely.
So, while I still gave the book to my niece for her birthday, I did so somewhat reluctantly, and included a disclaimer/apology to her parents. I want to help my niece learn about Sikhi and be proud of our history from an early age. I also want her to be proud of who she is and to know she is beautiful, not in spite of but because of her brown skin, no matter what shade it is.
44 Responses to “Fair & Lovely for Sikh Youth?”
Very true!!! as a filmmaker and artist.. I plan to balance this issue! keep making more of these and helping us unlock our minds
brown is just a tan. get over skin color.
awal allah noor uppaya kudrat de sab bandy…..ek noor te sab jag upjaya kon bahlay kon mandy while depicting history a film maker/drtr must balance subject viz place religion people sentiments etc
I'm so glad you addressed this. While this is in my daughters book collection, I continue to search for more balanced representation. What I also find disturbing is that even when I read seemingly progressive articles in some Indian magazines about the issue of colorism, the people they display as "dark" are actually still essentially light (on the full spectrum). Vogue India did a cover story on darker models last year (see http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/04/13/vogue-indi…. And while those models are actually darker than most I see in the typical dark vs light articles, I think about the many Indian people I've seen with downright chocolate skin and wonder why their photographs don't even make it onto the pages discussing this problem. There are truly dark-skinned women in the world who are gorgeous!! But they are rarely celebrated.
corrected link: http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/04/13/vogue-indi…
I didn't get into this in my original post, but I think it's worth saying here that I think the roots of this color consciousness (which is certainly not limited to South Asians) lay in colonialism. Internalized racism and colonization runs so deep in the psyche of people of color all over the world. Little India did a good story on this issue a few years ago: http://www.littleindia.com/nri/1828-the-white-com…. In it Vijay Prashad is quoted:
"Race-thinking and racism came to India via colonialism, and they marked the reformulation of caste. In other words, when race-thinking came to India, the worst elements of caste were re-cast, as it were, on racial lines. The meaning of varna, for instance, was seen as a reference to skin color rather than to feudal standards. European racism entered India through the hierarchy of caste; European racism 'modernized' the worst aspects of the caste system."
So as Sikhs, challenging this obsession with fair skin is a part of our spiritual obligation, as it is just another form of caste oppression, which we were created to obliterate. Danielle, you said in a different thread that perhaps our community needs an equivalent of a "Black is Beautiful" movement, and I think you're right on.
sorry, but discrimination based on color did not come into the subcontinent by way of colonialism; it predates colonialism by several thousand years. you can read about it going all the way back to sanskritic sources, the mahabharata, for instance.
it's important not to conflate colonial "racism" with discrimination based on color. people of different shades of brown aren't of different "races" (either biological or social); for instance, you wouldn't argue that light-skinned blacks of a different race than dark-skinned blacks, would you? likewise, caste discrimination is not the same thing as color discrimination, viz. a person could be dark-skinned and "high" caste, or vice-versa. i agree with your general call for fighting oppression in its various forms (e.g., racism, color discrimination, caste discrimination), but conflating everything into a default category only obscures the roots of the problem.
however, i'm with you on the general thrust of your original post. my first thoughts upon watching the recent animated version of Sundri were not about the story or dialogue but bewilderment as to the unnatural skin tone of the characters. i found it even more interesting while watching the "making of" documentary included with the dvd that outlined the animation, and especially *colorization* process that went into the film, along with interviews with the producers and animators (all of whom were very definitely brown). a lot of effort apparently went into the production of "authentic" period costumes and scenery, so one can only surmise that some thought had to go into the coloring process as well (as all of drawings begin as black-and-white). i don't really like to focus so much attention on something so superficial as skin tone, but in this case, the results were so distorted as to make an inquiry into the thought process behind the making of this film, which i believe will be more complex than simply attributing everything to "colonialism".
@brooklynwala – completely with you in spirit of the post brother, but have to agree with @santsipahi about color discrimination predating colonialism. colonialism may have exacerbated the issue, but it existed far before. similar to the vein in my post and critique about the video of the Sikh Activist Network's WLR program, we should not always seek external enemies that absolve ourselves of the core issues.
thanks for your comment. i'd be very interested to see some of the sources that indicate light-skin preference in south asia pre-colonialism. perhaps you're right that the root cause of color consciousness, or colorism if you like, is more complex than colonialism, but even if so, i think it's an important part of the equation. and it's a common thread in most post-colonial societies of color throughout the world — aspiring to be lighter, more straight-haired, more european, more white. fanon's work on the psychology of colonialism and racism comes to mind–black skins, white masks.
fanon's is a brilliant analysis of the psychology of racism in the colonial context, but as far as i remember, he doesn't really probe into the pre-colonial roots of the problem, but begins right with the colonial period. he may not have had access to the kind of historical archive where he was working (algeria, i believe?) that we have in india. in black skin, white masks, he is talking specifically about the relationship (internal and external) between the colonized and the colonizer, whereas with colorism we are talking about intra-racial discrimination.
i don't have time to pick out specific textual sources at the moment, but suffice it to say that references to "fair", "wheatish complexion" maidens and "dark", "evil", (non-aryan) "others" run throughout the sanskrit epics. it's rarely referred to, probably because many people (even today) don't find it problematic. we're very much coming from a newer, modern perspective that sees colorism as an issue.
that said, i agree with both brooklynwala and jodha that colonialism has indeed exacerbated an already existing problem. but, difficult as it may be, it's important to try to disentangle these issues because they can't always be attributed to colonialism alone. for instance, if we were somehow to instantly decolonize our minds (if indeed that is possible), does that mean that colorism would just as instantly disappear? i would argue not, because the problem runs deeper than "just" colonialism.
but thanks for the original post, it's an issue that i've not seen brought up in a public way in our community before (though i've witnessed discussions of it in american black and latino communities, for instance). just looking at recent sikh media, there's obviously something strange going on that merits discussion.
@brooklyn – fanon may have definitely been on to something in the algerian context. for the south asian context, he didn't have to contend with a vedic tradition that belittled the dark-skinned peoples that the aryans displaced and a long indo-persianate tradition lauding the beauties of persia against the 'blacks' of hindustan.
but you are right, and i think there is something to it, that british colonialism exacerbated the situation. i just don't think it is the origin.
thanks sant sipahi and jodha for the insight… i guess this just means what we're up against runs much deeper than i had originally thought–and that was pretty deep to begin with! sigh. while the desi-context does seem to have its particularities given this history you all cite, i still think there's a lot we can learn from how other communities of color have been addressing this…and we all still have a long long way to go. i think the conversation is parallel to the discussion on hair and beards we began a few weeks ago, though even more serious.
@brooklynwala thank you for opening up the discussion on such an important topic. There is a good deal of folk lore in South Asian culture and Punjabi culture around fair skin preferences especially in the context of women. It's hard to trace oral history but I do believe, and to the extent of my knowledge and research to do, it was endemic pre colonialism — certainly exacerbated by colonialism….But the purpose of my post is to say that I believe our current fixation on fair skin has a lot to do with internalized racism. My young south asians, south asian activists and progressives in the US and diaspora have generated consciousness and dialogue around this. However I don't believe we have generated the same amount of dialogue and consciousness around this in the Punjabi (especially Sikh) community. Thank you again for opening the door to this very important langar hall conversation.
“….. you can read about it going all the way back to sanskritic sources, the mahabharata, for instance.” –
Sant Sipahi Ji, I am not so sure about this assertion. One of the central figures, a hero in the epic Mahabharat is Krishna who is dark skinned. Krishna is dark skinned as he is considered avatar of Vishnu, who is himself a dark skinned god. Shiva, another member of the Hindu holy trinity is blue and black from the poison that he is storing. (According to Hindu mythology Amrit was made after all poisons were separated. Poison being opposite of Amrit, was too dangerous to store – like no one wants nuclear waste in their backyards ha ha). Shiva volunteered. He did not swallow it, as he would have died himself. Nonetheless, he became blue and black. Their Goddess Kali (of Kali-yug ie kalyug fame), is dark skinned – ie Kali. Kali is the Goddess of death, darkness and Time. In just about all photographs she is dark skinned. Many schools of Hinduism have given her a key prominent/central role – that of active, divine, creative energy (shakti) manifestation of conciousness. So if their Gods were dark, how could they be discriminating based on color ?
contd…(sorry, comments were too long – had to split them)
@Brooklynwala – Our Gurus laid the seeds for expanding frontiers of Justice and Beauty. Sacrifices of those who came before us, made possible a lot of freedoms many take for granted now. I hope we dont strike out – and keep expanding these frontiers to those still feeling/being discriminated.
Where are we getting this that our Gurus came to build a better Maya for us all to cycle through over and over? The arc of history bending toward justice is not the way our cosmology has generally worked. We believe, or have until I guess we forgot, that existence cycles and the five thieves as well as Akaal are timeless. We have not generally believed in "progress" as much as cycles, but hey, let's all just forget that because…justice and peace and solidarity.
Sikhi is concerned with understanding Waheguru, in the course of that understanding the various falsities of Maya become revealed as false, but that is not the same as implying that Sikhi is specially created to end particular forms of injustice. Progressive movements are created for that purpose and this is a way that Sikhi is not simply a progressive movement. Abolition or a similiar movement was created to abolish slavery for example.
on the contrary, sikhs are very particularly enjoined to fight injustice at all levels and at all times, from the originator of the movement, guru nanak, who established a living community at kartarpur where sikhs would embody the principles of sikhism, to the last living guru, guru gobind singh, who i don't need to tell you fought injustice in deed and word at every turn.
sikhi is also engaged with the understanding of reality, but to reduce it to a religion of apolitical quietism is to distort the intent and the living examples of both the gurus and the living sangat.
so sikhi is indeed a progressive movement, although it may be the only progressive movement.
But I strongly agree with you that people need to portray Punjabis in the way they are and an obsession with fair skin is a problem, and it is a problem that kids books are so inaccurate and you put it well. It’s troubling full stop and we should not continue it. Anyone who can’t get over it needs to fix up quick.
If you think that apolitical quietism is the consequence of Sikhi you are selling the concept of enlightenment in the world which is the cornerstone of Sikhi very, very short. The Guru Granth speaks about salvation from the five thieves, understanding the nature of Maya, and realizing the nature of the Creator through constant thought and recitation. You sell that very short by reducing it to a social movement. Whatever social structures were created during the Guru period were in the service of that more fundamental goal. To consider that Sikhi is just a movement designed to work toward orbring about a more just form of Maya is frankly a mind blowing appropriation.
I don't think anyone is saying Sikhi is "only" a social movement. I (and perhaps guest) am saying that the struggle for justice is an important, fundamental part of Sikhi — The spiritual and political cannot be pulled apart from one another in Sikhi. Miri-Piri. True, Sikhi is not only about fighting for equality (or a progressive movement as you call it), it's about something bigger and deeper — but this fight for equality is absolutely part of what Sikhi stands for. Not the only part, but an important part.
i noticed this with a picture of the 8th Gurusahib in a book by one S.S. Bagga entitled "The Guru's Word & Illustrated Sikh History" – this is a book written with the assistance of ethnically non-Punjabi editors – to normal eyes black&white skin are both strange/freakish and associated with mourning/plague/cruelty &other misfortunes whereas any shade of brown is naturally connected with Mother Earth/fertility/attainment: ketu legend &associated colaration linked with ketu:shades of brown – moksha – "mata dharat mahat" – let's face it – it is impossible to have Sikhi to the max without Punjabi to the max – it is unethical to depict Sikhs as bhuts/prets/pisaaches – again generally white or whitish – focus on actual dhur ki bani rather than 'man gharat' books written by godknowswho and for what purpose – dark hair on the other hand in the dharmic tradition is the beauty standard: All the Goddesses of the Bharat regionare blessed with lustrous black wavy hair. A true Sikh would seek to limit contact as much as possible with freakish humanoids –
Let me know for example how often we are called or enjoined in the Guru Granth to think upon the nature of this world and Creator and Kartar, in comparison to how often we are in your words enjoined to fight injustice. The level of emphasis points to realizing Waheguru in the course of which caste and all other trappings of Maya fall away. its interesting that you read Sikhi as a manifesto of progressive social change
I think in practical terms it becomes difficult to fight and obliterate anything and be free from jam krodh lobh moh and ahankar. That would be my point but I am with you in chardi kala and that justice is Sach
Kam not jam.
don't make the mistake of placing the "world" (maya) and "spiritual realization" into a hierarchy; the gurus enjoined us to realize the nature of maya not by withdrawing from our senses and living as renunciate/ascetics, but by engaging with the world. we realize the true nature of reality through engaging with the world.
thus, seva (service, engagement with community) is not an epiphenomenon that somehow floats over the "real" root of sikhi. sikhi is not an either/or proposition; either engagement with the world or spiritual realization, it's both. embracing that paradox is one of the things that makes sikhi unique and inexplicable in terms of simplistic binaries. seva *is* sikhi.
i'm with you too, chardi kala! i think we're dancing around the same ideas, just different points of emphasis. sikhi is not *only* guru granth sahib ji, it is also sangat, realization of gurbani in sangat. they're both equally important.
I think we are in the same territory. Sangat however is quite difficult to achieve and I do not think much of what we discern as decisions made ostensibly in sangat are actually Guru inspired. So I’d say Guru Granth and Guru inspired sangat yes they are Guru and our flawless guide
agreed.
In the Movie Bhai Taru Singh, his sister has a dark complexion.
Sikhi is a resolution of the abrahamic and dharmic world views in way that is deeply profound and we are here consistently massively selling that short. Even the word resolution is not sufficient for the level of achievement found in Gurubani to reconcile and reveal the underlying way to understand these two worldviews which met most fully in India. I am not sure in history that two opposing worldviews that are as different as these two met and mingled in this way. Please look into this without resorting to platitudes and cliches.
Sikhi is the pinnacle of all Aryan/Dharmic thought and philosophy – there is nothing remotely Semitic about the Sikh Dharm – absolutely nothing – diet/ – transmigration/personal sadhana with an aim to becoming Jeevan Mukt in this very life -/Waheguru is all merciful, kind, generous, beautiful – quite unlike the juvenile jealous vengeful ugly deity of the Semites- contrast the Khalsa Fauj of the 10th Master with the Rakshasic armies that do nothing but rape/murder/torture and tour the globe with a view to stealing others' resources
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Thank you for this post. That`s the first thing I thought when I saw the book.
I am actually very disappointed to see this post bashing the great efforts of our young Sikh community parents who have actually taken the time and responsibility to bring forth some great audio-visual tools for our children to help embrace Sikhi because of its values, not just because they were born in it. As a Sikh mother myself who has struggled to find good quality and clear message material for the Sikh youth and who was so excited to support such great work, I am truly disheartened to see such superficial comments who are completely engrossed in the appearance of things. All they do is discourage the great Sikhi talent from posting anything out there because people like yourself will blog something negative about their work.
If you were not pleased with the "color" depicted in the illustrations, perhaps a comment to the author would have sufficed. Everyone welcomes constructive critism, but what good does it do to completely overlook the Sikh values that a brave aspect of our community is trying to revive? You need to start looking at the glass as half full rather than half empty, Frankly, I did not even notice the "color" of children depicted in this book until you mentioned it because all I could focus on was how my children were joyfully singing these nursery rhymes in place of "old McDonald" and other western popular songs. My hope is that one day as they grow to understand the meanings of these Sikh nursery rhymes, that they will ask me about Seva, Sach, Simran and not be bogged down by the "color" of the kids in the book.
my point was not to bash this book, and i made that quite clear in the first paragraph. i have recommended the book to many friends, and i played the CD for my niece daily when i was visiting her. it is most definitely a great resource, and i'm glad that it exists.
that doesn't mean that it should not be critiqued. as i (and other commentors) stated, the illustrations in this book reflect, and perpetuate, a much deeper problem in our community.
I humbly disagree. Constructive criticism should be shared, especially on a forum such as this one where other leaders in the Sikh community can discuss ideas. This idea is a sound one, and fair. Not only does the author address the amazing aspects of this book, and its contribution to the Sikh family structure, but it also peeks at other aspects that should be addressed for later versions of this book. This author would only be at fault if s/he were to be insulting to the creators of Ik Chota Bacha. I do not believe that was the intention of "brooklynwala".
It is important to remember that this is a book designed to develop a child's development. One can only imagine how much of a sponge a child's brain is. Early cognitive development has been known to have significant influence over their subsequent adult personalities. Portraying only one skin color of a child in a book expressly to influence on their personality development and how they see the world should be treated sensitively. In a world where vastly different skin colors exist, any sort of slip-up may inadvertently and inconspicuously, yet still influentially, affect the way that child develops in how they see the world. Specifically towards this book, a child may not look at darker skinned children as particularly bad or less Sikh, but would much more easily see lighter skinned children as good, and better Sikhs. While this may not be the most direct form of racism, it is still something that I feel should be corrected in the next line of books. This is something that should be treated seriously.
This does not mean that I do not highly praise the makers of Ik Chota Bacha. What they have introduced is a line of books explicitly for the developing Sikh child in an era where Christian-based child development books flood the market, leaving minorities overwhelmed with possible inferiority complexes. However, the Sikh community should remember that this is only one of the first major attempts at Sikh-oriented child development books. We shouldn't expect perfection, nor immediately have virtually no criticisms regarding it. In fact, providing constructive criticism, when applied respectfully to the authors, is our way of showing its importance to the Panth.
Thanks Jeevan, I agree with you completely.
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