Dark is Beautiful

A fresh stream in India, promoting the beauty of all skin colours is throbbing hard against the nation’s obsession with dark skin.

“Dark is Beautiful” is an awareness campaign that seeks to draw attention to the unjust effects of skin colour bias and also celebrates the beauty and diversity of all skin tones.

Launched in 2009 by Women of Worth, the campaign challenges the belief that the value and beauty of people (in India and worldwide), is determined by the fairness of their skin. This belief, shaped by societal attitudes and reinforced by media messages, is corroding the self-worth of countless people, young and old.

The desire for lighter skin in India is ignited by a widespread belief that dark-skin is ugly and inferior. Fair skin is not only perceived to be a key definer of beauty, but is considered to be an essential element of self-confidence, success,vis-a-vis happiness.

According to The Guardian, India's obsession with fair skin is well documented: in 1978, Unilever launched Fair & Lovely cream, which has subsequently spawned numerous whitening face cleansers, shower gels and even vaginal washes that claim to lighten the surrounding skin. In 2010, India's whitening-cream market was worth $432m, according to a report by market researchers ACNielsen, and was growing at 18% per year. Last year, Indians reportedly consumed 233 tons of skin-whitening products, spending more money on them than on Coca-Cola.

The campaign hopes to halt India’s huge appetite for the so-called skin whitening products.  Cricket players and Bollywood stars regularly endorse these products. But recently the film star Nandita Das has taken a stance against the craze and given her support to the Dark is Beautiful campaign which challenges the belief that success and beauty are determined by skin colour. "I want people to be comfortable in their own skin and realise that there is more to life than skin colour."

Nandita agrees that there is a long history behind the obsession with skin colour, owing to caste and culture; she thinks the current causes should be targeted first. Das says, "Indians are very racist. It's deeply ingrained. But there is so much pressure by peer groups, magazines, billboards and TV adverts that perpetuate this idea that fair is the ideal."  

The campaign is being promoted actively across social media and has caught the eye of mainstream media as well as has generated a huge discussion ranging from debates about attitudes towards fairness and fairness products. There is a hope that the campaign will be able to change the way people view beauty and start a conversation that will help alleviate prejudices related to skin colour.

{Published in Style Hut Magazine, Volume 2, September, 2013 } 

By- Varsha Singh (A Research Scholar, Poet, Translator, Reviewer & Blogger from the city of coal Dhanbad, Jharkhand)

Book Review: Shobha Nihalani’s Curse of the Kalingan- NINE (Book One) by Varsha Singh

Shobha Nihalani’s Curse of the Kalingan- NINE is a fantasy thriller which churns up an astonishing tale from the depths of ancient times. The novel is a mix of fact and fiction with an imaginary plot, while its foundation is based in historical fact. Nihalani has named the book after the legend of 'The Nine Unknown Men,' which is also the inspiration for the story. In the 3rd century BCE, this secret society was founded by King Ashoka. It is often cited as one of the oldest secret societies in the world, and is believed to still exist today, with the Nine holding tremendous powers and knowledge, which were handed down through the ages.

The historical background of this story is engrained in the famous War of Kalinga. When Ashoka, the son of the Mauryan emperor Bindusara and the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, ascended the throne of Magadha in 273 B.C. treading in the footsteps of his forefathers he set out to expand his empire. In the 12th year of his reign, he sent a message to Kalinga asking its submission, but the Kalingaraj refused to submit to the Mauryan Empire.

As a result Ashoka lead a huge army against Kalinga. This took place in 261 B.C.; the freedom loving people of Kalinga offered a stiff resistance to the Mauryan army. The whole of Kalinga turned into a battle arena. History offers us but few examples of such fiercely fought wars as this. The Kalingaraj himself commanded his army in the battle field. However, the limited forces of Kalinga were no match for the overwhelming Magadha army. Contrary to Ashoka's expectations, the people of Kalinga fought with such great valor that on number of occasions they came very close to a victory. The soldiers of Kalinga perished in the battlefield fighting till their last breath for their independence. The victory ultimately rested with Ashoka.

The war took a tremendous toll of life and property. The 13th rock edict of Ashoka throws light on this war. Atleast 0.1 million Kalingans were killed while another 0.15 million were taken prisoners. And almost equal numbers of Magadha soldiers were also killed. There was not a single man left in Kalinga to live a life of slavery.

This is the singular instance of a war in history which brought about a complete change of heart in a stern ruler like Ashoka. The scene of the war presented a horrible sight, the whole terrain was covered with the corpses of soldiers, wounded soldiers groaned in severe pain, vultures hovered over their dead bodies, orphaned children mourning the loss of their nears and dears, widows looked blank and despaired.

This sight overwhelmed Ashoka. He realized that his victory at such a cost is not worthwhile. The whole war resulted in Ashoka's deviation towards Buddhism and after two and a half years he became an ardent follower of Buddhism under Acharya Upgupta.

From the corpses of the Kalingan warriors rose an angry spirit bent upon avenging the Kalinga empire, destroying the Nine and using their hidden knowledge to rule the world and change its destiny. In the fictional narrative of the present time (21^st century), the bloodthirsty warrior possesses the body of a young man, making him hunt down and kill the Nine one by one. Vayu King is the Kalingan possessed by a vengeful warrior spirit. Being a Kalingan, he is an arch enemy of King Ashoka – the founder of the secret society of the Nine. With a network of kala yogis, the Kalingan wants to exact his revenge by destroying Ashoka’s legacy. Vayu easily targets three of the Nine with his Kalingan force and energy. The location of the rest remains unknown to him. But can the Nine be destroyed? It is the essential question being raised in the story regularly. These eternal yogis are the custodian of the secrets of knowledge the all-powerful knowledge – Knowledge that could change the destiny of every living being on earth. The legend continues…when Tara, Akash and Zubin are brought forward as the chosen ones named as the “Trinity” in order to carry forward the secrets of the society. Empowered with the knowledge, they get the responsibility to fight Vayu and his alter ego – the powerful Kalingan. Lise is a Dutch woman who carries the secret locations of the nine ancient texts from her mentor, who communicated telepathically before he died. Tara, Akash and Zubin are from different parts of the world, they meet Lise in North India where a monk brings them into awareness of their true purpose and guides them on how to use their superhuman abilities. They fight harder to battle with the Kalingan and make it possible to protect the secret of the ancient society.

Shobha Nihalani

Shobha Nihalani’s vast research is clearly visible in the narrative where she has gone through brilliant detailing of each and every aspect as well as the very contexts used in her story. Must say, this is an exceptional genre to conceive and emulate by an Indian author. The writer deserves all accolades for serving a historical fantasy thriller for the readers of all around world. 

About Shobha Nihalani

Shobha Nihalani is an author who previously worked as a copywriter and journalist. The writer’s debut novel was Karmic Blues and her other novel is The Silent Monument. Shobha Nihalani is known as a writer of thrilling fiction. Her books are spiced with murders, chases, fierce characters, and storylines that draw a lot from ancient Indian history.

Nihalani has worked as a copywriter, bookkeeper, teacher, salesperson, and journalist before becoming an author. Apart from writing novels, Nihalani also writes a humour column and blog posts. She and her family reside in Hong Kong.

In Conversation with the Budding Author: Yamini Prashanth

Meet the budding author, Yamini Prashanth.

Yamini with her parents 

"Mishti" is a children's novella written by this 12 year old author, which is going to be published by Unicorn Books private limited and will be launched very soon. Yamini wrote "Mishti" when she was 11 years old. Her second book, which is a collection of short stories, is expected to hit the readers' desk shortly.

 Here is an interview with this young talent, Yamini Prashanth, for our readers.

Varsha: A warm welcome Yamini!

Yamini: Dear Varsha didi, first of all I would really like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your help and support.

                                 

Varsha: In today’s context when everyone of your age group is moving to read the stories like Harry Potter series; it’s encouraging to see a young and talented writer like you. However, are you ever tempted to any other genre of writing? 

Yamini: Yes, I am very tempted to try other genres, in fact I am currently writing a book titled "Daughter of Diana" which is completely different from "Mishti" and is for children who enjoy reading fantasy and action.

Varsha: Tell us what is ‘Mishti’ to you? How did you conceive the idea of writing Mishti?

Yamini: To me "Mishti" is just the life of a normal girl. It is my imagination of a perfect childhood and a perfect life. "Mishti" is inspired by Ruskin Bond. I am a huge fan of his and love the way he makes an ordinary person's life look so extraordinary and lovely. I wanted my main character to be simple yet, fun and interesting.

Varsha: How does it feel to achieve so much at such a young age?

Yamini: I am very thankful to God, for he bestowed such a wonderful talent upon me. I just feel extremely honoured to have gotten this opportunity … as the very thought of some child picking up my book and reading it is so thrilling. I want to thank my family, Unicorn Books Pvt. ltd. and every single person who has been with me in this journey.

Varsha: Tell us how did your interest in fiction develop?

Yamini: The credit goes to my father. He was the one who used to {and still does} tell me stories, carefully chose and buy lovely books for me to read. He encouraged me to read books belonging to different genres. He used to ask me to write the summary of every book that I finished reading. This helped me a lot. He got me the movies of the books that I had read, like Oliver Twist, Mary Poppins, and Treasure Island etc. and took me for a lot of musicals in London. All this helped me develop a love for reading and fiction.

Varsha: You were all of eleven when you started writing. Tell us more about your story?

Yamini: Yes, I was eleven, when I wrote my first book, "Mishti". There are many children like me, who don't like Harry Potter and who would enjoy reading simple, heartwarming stories. I am not averse to mystery/adventure/fantasy. In fact I love Percy Jackson. I finished reading the entire series in one month and am eagerly waiting for the new book to arrive. But before I got introduced to Percy Jackson books and developed a liking for them, I used to make many trips to various book shops and would get frustrated on not finding any book to my liking. Many of my friends said the same thing. I had finished reading all the classics, Enid Blyton books, Ruskin Bond books, Shakespeare, Arabian Nights, Greek, Roman and Indian mythology, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, R.K. Narayan, .......but what next??  That’s when one evening, after my 11th birthday, during my summer vacations, I decided to write a story of my own. That's how "Mishti" happened.

Varsha: From where do you get the passion for writing? Tell me which facet of writing excites you the most?

Yamini: My passion for writing comes from my love for English and books. It gives a lot of satisfaction when you are able to convert your ideas into words and when you write you just get transported into another world. Your characters are moving all around you and you are both the spectator as well as the wire puller. I love to use different words, especially to express humour. Sometimes, sheer boredom steers me towards writing. When I've finished reading all the books at home, when my studies and homework are all done and dusted, when there's nothing even mildly interesting on television and the weather is awful outside- that's when I sit on my laptop and start working on my book. Being the hyperactive girl that I am, the only option left is some sort of creative work.

Varsha: Name one historical and one contemporary novelist whose works inspired you?

Yamini: Historical- Enid Blyton and Shakespeare are my favourite authors and my biggest inspirations {Comedy of Errors is my favourite!} contemporary- Ruskin Bond and Rick Riordan.

Varsha: Apart from novels, what are your other interests?

Yamini: The only books I like besides novels are comics. I love reading Calvin and Hobbes.

Varsha: Would you tell us something about your upcoming anthology of short stories?

Yamini:  The book is about two children spending a most memorable weekend with their granny who lives in a beautiful beach house, but all alone. The children and granny undertake some pretty routine outings- to the grocery store, library, and the sandwich shack- but what is, most touching is the stories that granny shares with the children. This book is meant for 7-9 year old kids.

Varsha: I am sure there are many more plans; many wonderful creations to come through your creative mind. Tell us what is next in the list?

Yamini: As I have mentioned earlier, I am currently working on a book called "Daughter of Diana". It's going to take me quite some time to finish writing this because it isn't as simple as my earlier books. I have to do a lot of thinking as the story is a little complicated. I am also writing a book called "Mulberry Meadows" which is a story about 5 horses living in a stable.

Varsha: That was very nice talking to you Yamini. Thanks for sparing some time for us and Best Wishes for your future endeavours.

Yamini: Thank you.

The Hidden Silence !

I don't speak much

these days ...

I enjoy being serene

these nights ...

I am not wordless

at all ...

I muffle myself in tranquility

to keep our talks

fresh forever 

which makes my thundering heart

placid from within,

peaceful and satisfied !

-(c) Varsha Singh

Book Review: Silent Days: Poems by Jaydeep Sarangi

“I love your silences, they are like mine. You are the only being before whom I am not distressed by my own silences. You have a vehement silence, one feels it is charged with essences, it is a strangely alive silence, like a trap open over a well, from which one can hear the secret murmur of the earth itself.”
― Anaïs Nin

This is something exact to quote about Silent Days, a collection of poems by Jaydeep Sarangi. This collection is like the garland made up of varieties of flowers from the experiences of life. Poetry, after all, is to be found in the thick of life's activities and experiences; Sarangi is a keen observer of the same. His poems give the sense of familiarity to the readers which are most of the times ignored in the haziness of life. His simplicity is the weapon of his writing spirit, which touches the soul of the readers. Recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, Sarangi gives a fresh signification to everything. Silent Days is a collection of 50 poems expressing the ideas and emotions of the lived moments of the poet. Hailing from the city of Joy, Sarangi writes about his childhood days on his native land, collages of rural life, personal emotions, social pangs, modern lifestyle and much more.

His love for the native land, where he was born, is very significant in his writings. The poems like 'The Red Soil Allure' 'I'm On Your Side', 'Refugee', 'Small Rivers of the Mind', 'My Family Tree' etc. portray the deepest connection with his homeland artistically.  

MY FAMILY TREE

The sap of History of the land is a long pedigree.

My forefathers settled near the temple of Kanakdurga

Near the bank of a rivulet

Flowing gently in a soothing pace.

Where I sit and whisper in history forgotten

Like long barren trees in late autumn

Calm as history books

Where dry hard facts are written in black ink.

Sarangi's concern for his city and modern busy life comes out as beautiful verses through his pen when he describes 'Morning' and 'Missed Calls'

The day in Kolkata opens, delayed by

A dim sun, to the haze of 

Last  night's fervour. The note of

Church bells and twittering seep into every derails.

Yogic chants follow a

Rhythm of bridge between a noisy head and a calm mind.

The day poisons night's lullabies,

As my little daughter paints

Shiva's poison-green neck.

MISSED CALLS

"In Tollygunj auto line", "In a crowded bus"

"Will you call back a little later?" "In the metro"

"...calling later" "call back little later"...

The cell phone can erase boundaries 

Between meeting up or not.

Some calls can be received

Others are missed calls

In the buzz of the auto or the metro tunnel

Its not always possible to call back.

Promises hide their faces

Amidst crowds of everyday duties.

With the aroma of chanachur and puffed rice

I remember...

The pleadings of the boy back home -

"Bring me colour pencils today". 

Being an observer of life and society, Sarangi pens the tensions and pressures prevailing in society with a personal touch. 

A ROSE IS A ROSE

She has returned to the dark womb

Of silence and eternity

With lleaves green

And blossom red and white.

Blue wings of my imagination.

Run wild among my ruined terrace

Of sad history of women in our country

Sarangi has given a splendid tribute to his friend Niranjan Mohanty through his poem 'Friendship'.

There is a door in the deep heart of my private chamber

It opens at times, sometime in midnight when the clock marks

'twelve'.

With a descent key

When it does, it takes all of me in.

Your Tiger poems haunt me like

Rhododendron for flies in the upper Himalaya.

My imagination shines with colours

Red and blue

On the banks of Beas.

I register my random thoughts

In my urn of tears. 

At last, it would be better to say, that, this book is a collage of emotions and sentiments uprooted in the poet's silent days; which he lays bare for the readers to witness their own-selves through this book, Silent Days.

About Jaydeep Sarangi:

Jaydeep Sarangi is a bilingual writer, academic, editor and translator with several seminal books as well. He has delivered keynote addresses in several national and international seminars and conferences and read his poems in different continents. He has been anthologized widely in several shores. One of the reviewers has made an honest observation by calling him Bard on the Banks of Dulong . Sarangi is the Vice President, GIEWEC (head office at Kerala) and one of the founder members and the Vice President of SPELL (Society for Poetry, Education, Literature and Language), Kolkata. Anchored in Kolkata, his poetry defies boundaries and resonates with glocal experiences.

Politics of the Moon !

The fading moon

within the murky clouds

plays hide and seek

with each move

beneath gloomy desires

testing the patience

of you... 

the common beings

Without gloomy collisions !

- (c) Varsha Singh

Cloudy Coronation!

When you fall like droplets 

on my windowpanes !

And then come dribbling

on my basking face !

I become the queen

with my new found fame!!

- Varsha Singh