On Sunday, three cousins stood on Church Street, opposite Matteo Coffea, holding placards to start a conversation about the prevalence of colourism, and bias against Indian wear.
Australian resident Adah Sha, and her cousins Taseen and Roohin Sha from Bengaluru, were seen with these messages: ‘Dark is also beautiful’, ‘You won’t look any less cooler if you wear Indian’, and a reminder to be nice whenever you can saying ‘Pass smiles at each other’. Adah wore a blue sari.
During a recent trip to a clothing store, Adah, who was born in Bengaluru and raised in Australia, overheard a conversation about someone being “10 shades darker”.
She realised the perceptions around skin colour haven’t changed since the time one of her cousins told her she was bullied in the school for her dark skin tone. This inspired the street campaign.
She said, “I want people to understand that white skin is not superior.” And neither is it a universal notion as “people go to the beach (in Australia) to get a tan”, she pointed out.
Adah also recalled the judgement that comes with wearing saris, something which she enjoys: “On this visit to India, I was wearing a sari and headed somewhere when a guy asked me if I was dressed up for an occasion!”
She said Western outfits don’t “necessarily reflect a progressive outlook to things” and that Western countries appreciate Indian skin tones and culture.
“Indians are not willing to step away from such beliefs. I want everyone to embrace their Indian tradition. It’s time we move forward and not backwards,” she added.
Gladly, the trio got an “overwhelming” support from passers-by that day.
“Many stopped by to recollect incidents that had happened to them. Some said when they wore Indian outfits, they were addressed as ‘Behenji’ (used to refer to a woman who is not modern enough),” she informed.
Adah hopes to return to Church Street. “I observe and understand human behaviour a lot. This is why I would like to spread positive messages wherever I can,” said Adah, who works as a counsellor in Melbourne.