WORLD PEACE
Peace is not the product of a victory or a command. It has no finishing line, no final deadline, no fixed definition of achievement. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions. ~Oscar Arias
Archive for January 4, 2011
Kabir : The Man, The Myth, The Mystic, The Master and … More …
Posting an excellent article on KABIR by Maalok.
Kabir was one of India’s leading spiritual saints who lived in the northern part of India in (and around) the holy city of Benares (also called Varanasi). He is widely renowned for his pithy couplets and songs that connect life and spirituality in a simple yet powerful way. Kabir’s genius has been in that he has inspired the scholars/poets like Rabindranath Tagore and the common masses. His words were in a universal language that, literally and figuratively, broke down barriers to experiencing the divine.
It is intriguing that there continues to be many unknowns about Kabir’s life despite the extensive and global awareness of his verses and sayings. In fact, even basic information on his life – for instance, when he was born, who his parents were, what his family life was like, and when he died – is shrouded in mystery. Indeed, very little appears to be known about him with any degree of certainty. Perhaps, these controversies can be attributed partly to the parochial manipulation of his life history by various religious sects. Hindus want him to be a representative of their religion. They claim that he was born to a Hindu woman, even though he was raised by a Muslim family and that he was a disciple of a Hindu Guru, Ramananda. Some dismiss theories of Kabir’s illegitimate birth by claiming that his birth-mother, even though unmarried, had an Immaculate Conception. Muslims tend to emphasize his Muslim upbringing and his initiation into the Sufi traditions. The celibate/ascetic sects claim that Kabir never married and if evidence of his marriage is presented, they retort that he never had an intimate relationship with his wife. Proponents of tantric traditions point to Kabir’s songs to show that he was influenced very much by the Kundalini practices. Sikh and Shabad-based traditions say that the essence of Kabir’s practice was based on tuning in to the internal sounds, even though they vehemently deny that Guru Nanak was Kabir’s disciple and tend to support the theory that Kabir died before the birth of Guru Nanak. In summary, each sect’s claim on Kabir appears to be self-serving and, hence, cannot be considered as providing reliable information on his life. Indeed, it is likely that divergent viewpoints and claims on Kabir’s life will continue to exist despite the efforts of historians, philosophers and literary scholars to reach consensus.
In my opinion, it is ironic but no coincidence that such conundrums on Kabir’s physical existence persist. Perhaps, Kabir would have liked it that way? He was quite unimpressed and even irreverent to the dogmas of organized religion and society. His essence was far more subtle, pervasive, unconstrained and universal – in short, beyond the boundaries laid down by religious, sectarian and social traditions. In this article, I attempt to humbly share with you my personal understandings and experiences of Kabir that, despite my own biases and limitations, continue to have a life of their own within me.
Kabir, The Man
We can safely say that Kabir lived during the 15th or 16th century. Even though his exact birth and death times cannot be ascertained reliably, it is quite likely that he lived beyond the age of 50. It would be reasonable to assume that he was not formally educated because his songs and couplets lack the erudite tone and have a refreshing rustic quality. That he may have been a weaver is evident from his songs and couplets that draw inspiration and metaphors from the weaving profession. It is also likely that he was born and brought up poor and continued to work throughout his life as he strongly upheld the working-to-earn way of life.
It is clear from his songs and teachings that he was a very observant and thoughtful person, who questioned everything that was taught or presented to him. It is likely that he spent considerable time observing nature, as his teachings also draw inspiration and learning from the trees, animals, birds and the ocean. Long-standing traditions of Kabir in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bengal, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh1 indicate that either Kabir or his leading disciple(s) traveled to those parts, and/or his popularity drew seekers from these parts to come and learn from him and later returned to establish a following in their native areas.
What distinguished Kabir from other “gurus” were his inner conviction and an undying trust in his own self and experience. He seems to have questioned and challenged all scriptural teachings, traditions and rituals, until he himself was able to validate their truth. This, however, should not be taken to imply that he rejected all teachings and practices. To the contrary, given his familiarity with, and his use of stories/teachings from, a variety of traditions, he appears to have openly embraced and accepted any path that could be validated by his own experience. Perhaps, this is why it is so difficult to typecast Kabir into this or that faith or tradition. Sometimes, he was this, sometimes he was that and at other times he was neither this nor that!
What is clear is that Kabir was courageous enough to speak his truth even in face of societal pressures and coercion. From his work, we know that he was quite critical of hypocrisy especially among religious leaders. Even though we cannot ascertain whether he was tolerant of genuine devotees who worshipped physical forms of God, we can be reasonably confident that his own spiritual path was focused more on an internal form of devotion to God and Guru – terms that he often used interchangeably to convey the cosmic force. In essence, the core of Kabir’s life and teachings are based on honesty, truth, conviction and simplicity, renewed continuously by inner experience and propelled by an unceasing detachment from the web of physical and mental realities.
Kabir, The Myth
As we discussed earlier, many controversies exist about Kabir’s birth, upbringing, family life, teachings, practices and death. In my opinion these “myths” are irrelevant to the essence of Kabir. Indeed, I would say that those who are enamored or engaged by these myths are, probably, missing the point. Still, for the record, I would now like to propose clarifications on a few other widely-held beliefs about Kabir.
Kabir is often considered to be a social or religious reformer who tried to bridge the gap among various castes and religious sects. Even though Kabir showed a healthy disregard for conventional boundaries of society and organized religion, his intrinsic pursuit was rooted in spirituality and spirituality alone. In the process of conveying the innate spirituality of all of creation, Kabir, in all likelihood, had to deal with and overcome prevalent parochial barriers. But this ought not to be misconstrued to imply that his intent was to reform society or religion.
Another prevalent myth is that Kabir was primarily a literary figure, a poet and an orator. But, Kabir’s life was deeply ingrained in spirituality, and in the process of conveying his teachings he probably used poetry and metaphors. Therefore, his magnificent contribution to Hindi literature is only secondary and, indeed, a testimony to the fundamental spiritual message of his teachings.
Finally, there are many written or sung verses attributed to Kabir in circulation in the commercial/spiritual marketplace. It is my opinion that many of these are altered, modified, embellished or corrupted. After an extensive study of Kabir’s work, it is my understanding that Kabir did not use the name “Ram” to imply the deity, Rama. Rather, to Kabir, Ram is a symbolic representation of the inner sound or experience. Similarly, it is unlikely that Kabir used any reference to Krishna or any of the other Hindu gods, as his practices were primarily inwardly directed2. Indeed, we should be careful not to mistake the use of the signature line “Kahat Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho…” to imply authenticity. In fact, this signature line makes it easy to create “believable” altered/corrupted writings.
One could lament, “What a pity! We can’t really ascertain the truth from the untruth”. But, isn’t this exactly what Kabir is really trying to teach us here? Wasn’t his life about not taking anybody’s word as the truth until we could validate it ourselves? The experience of Kabir is likely to unfold when we are impelled to put aside the irrelevant myths and instead, focus on an honest and intense quest for the truth.
Kabir, The Mystic
Kabir’s uniqueness and ingenuity is that he communicates his message through the use of easy-to-understand metaphors, drawing inspiration from day-to-day life. Whether it is comparing God to a weaver, body to a cloth, Guru to a washerman, ignorance to a crow, cosmic experience to the ocean, senses to the deer, humility and steadfastness to the tree, grace and beauty of solitude and completeness to a swan, longing for God to the longing of a newly-wed bride, he is able to establish a very vivid and instantaneous channel of communication with his audience. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why Kabir’s followers and admirers come from a wide array of backgrounds.
However, Kabir’s true mysticism becomes apparent only when one starts living the words. The authenticity of Kabir’s words is rooted in the depth of his own experience that has a seed-like latent quality to it. That is, through one’s care and nurturing, Kabir’s words have the potential to flower into a variety of experiences that are not immediately obvious in the first engagement. For instance, it is one thing to intellectually understand the meaning of “Chalti Chaaki Dekh Kar Diya Kabira Roye, Dui Pataan Ke Beech Mein Saabat Bacha Na Koi”3, but totally a different thing to experience the truth of that statement. I have found that if a couplet or song of Kabir engages me, it is likely to have much more in store if I further introspect on it. In other words, what is obvious in Kabir’s words is often suggestive, but what’s veiled is significant. Kabir himself describes this mystical instruction as – “Gunge Ki Sain Jin Jani Un Mani” (Those who recognized the indication of the mute, found the truth).
Besides his more obvious teachings, Kabir sometimes poses (seemingly) illogical riddles to his audience (e.g., A child was born before the mother’s birth, the Guru is touching the feet of the disciple, the fish are swinging on the trees, or the lion is riding the waves of the ocean), challenging them to find a solution. In my opinion, these riddles do not necessarily have any solutions or meaning per se, but, perhaps, are intended to draw us into a deepened state of introspection. They may make one question the direction of flow of time. They may enable us to experience the ability of the human mind to create any reality. Or, they may make one realize suddenly that the flow-based creativity within us is like a fish. In my limited experience, the meaning of these riddles or words is exactly and precisely the experience they generate within us, and it is futile and even counterproductive to look for the right answer.
Kabir’s true mysticism is in his personalized instruction for each one of us – which is likely to reveal in its fullness when we abandon ourselves to the search for the ultimate truth that Kabir so completely personified.
Kabir, The Master
Kabir speaks to us in a direct and uninhibited tone that invariably shakes us out of our slumber-like existence. His candid and frank style is so beautiful and refreshingly crisp. The instructions are simple yet deep, obvious yet multi-layered, challenging yet caring, powerful yet empowering, irreverent yet deeply devotional. Indeed, Kabir, lived what he preached, or, more accurately, preached what he lived. Like a true master, he always spoke the highest truth regardless of the circumstances. Kabir’s completeness and humility becomes obvious in how he addresses every seeker as a Sadhu and himself as the commoner, Kabira. Sometimes one gets the feeling that the conversational teachings of Kabir, are actually a dialog between Kabir, the Master and Kabir, the disciple, inside of him. Despite his open criticism of dogmas and sects, Kabir is very embracing of every seeker and includes himself in that category. It’s a bond of friendship that Kabir extends to everybody by his simple calling – “Kahat Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho…”4. In this simple way he affirms the intrinsic divinity in each of us and opens up an intimate and direct channel of communication with each one of us.
In conclusion, I would like to share with you my personal encounter with Kabir – one that changed me profoundly:
I was visiting my parents in India on vacation. One of Kabir’s songs was playing in the background on the portable boom box. I walked into the kitchen and noticed that the middle-aged maid, who was cleaning the utensils, was using her saree to wipe her tears. I could not understand why she was crying and I did not feel it appropriate for me to ask her. After a few minutes she herself spoke softly in her village Hindi dialect – “Bhaia, yeh theek hi toh bolta hai. Bhagwan ka kare jab hum hi bhul gai usko?” [Brother, he (referring to Kabir’s words) is speaking the truth. What can God do if I myself have forgotten him?]. Intrigued by her comment, I asked her if she understood the meaning of what he was saying. She simply replied, “Haan bhaiya, theek bolta hai” [Yes brother, he speaks the truth]. Her simple reply instantaneously threw my intellectual understanding into insignificance. The words of Kabir became less important than the truth of her realization. Kabir had manifested himself through her. In that moment Kabir Das taught me Truth-101 through that divine lady. I got a true introduction and initiation to the experience of Kabir.
May 20, 2002
(Maalok is a PhD in Engineering and is currently on the faculty at a large public university. His passions are teaching and self-discovery.)
Amazing World of Needle Work
Embroidery is making a life’s dream turn into a reality, stitched by the colorful threads of imagination on the cloth of life.
It is better to live in Hell with embroidery than Heaven in rags.
The Toy Cart
A BEAUTIFUL replica of one of the toys excavated from the ruins of Moenjo Daro a part of the Indus Valley Civilization hand crafted by a local artisan in Karachi, Pakistan.
I salute the wonderful indigenous craftsmen from the subcontinent.
P.S.Thanks to Shahid Batalvi and his daughter’s aesthetics that it could adorn my blog.
QUOTE 1
“Far far away high in the sky are my tall aspirations. I may not reach them but I may ‘look up’ to their dream, see their vision, believe in them and try to rise up to reach them.”
~It’s me.
TO 2010 I PART WITH A HEAVY HEART…
As the aroma of the gun powder still smells
As the echoes of the suicide bombs still reverberate
As the blood stains of target killings still stay red
As the dismembered bodies from the blasts still ooze blood.
.
As the pain from the daylight robberies still stays strong
As the frustrations from the cricket scandals still hurt
As the drenching sweat from the loadsheddings still stinks
As the earth from the summer floods in Pakistan still lays soaked
As the ashes from the Iceland volcano still stay suspended.
.
As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer
As men hunt for jobs but women stay back in fear
As the shops long for business and the factories stay closed
As the kids perish before age and the youth stay unclear.
.
With this baggage of rough memories
From you 2010 I part, with a heavy heart.
And I welcome you 2011, the NEW YEAR
With less of a hope and more of a fear
As to what will you unfold in the future near.
.
But I stand in prayers with the folded hands
That this test of hardships, my planet stands.
For the entire humanity, North South East or West
May the coming months, weeks just unveil the BEST.
.
HAVE A HAPPY AND SUSTAINABLE NEW YEAR
http://www.zmqsoft.com/nyc.html
Ilmana Fasih
31 Dec 2010
FOR CENSORSHIP AGAINST AN ETHICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VULGARITY
Just a couple of weeks ago I came across a fairness cream ad being posted, and then shared several times on FB. Most of those who shared, attached their valid comments to ridicule the clip.Thank God the fb community in which I socialise are ‘enlightened in this matter’.
But I wonder if we really felt the serious need to go beyond this condemnation and create awareness based on scientific facts about the psychological and physical ill effects of these fairness creams.We probably are not aware of the magnitude of the menace both in terms of their popularity and then the huge health costs that may result due to it’s prolonged use for over three, four or five decades.
Such ads are in no way a rarity. This particular clip was of a couple of minutes. If you happen to click to the telebrands channel or even some of the renowned entertainment channels, you may see them running half an hour ads on fairness creams. I have been observing these ads since the time these private tv channels have cropped up almost a decade ago.
The whole psychological process through which they create grounds for their product is worth a research. A good 10-15 minutes are dedicated to first narrate the ills and curse associated with the dark skin—from unable to make friends in the childhood, to getting a good job , to ultimately unable to grab an enviable rishta.
And then is offered the panacea of a glamourously packed, distatefully named cream pack. How do these cream applications transform in the ads—a dark skinned ‘bhains’ complexioned (buffalo complexion attained by the make up using a shoe polish ) low self esteemed girl in to a glowing ‘gori’ gaye (cow complexion) is a tragically comical sight to witness and worth the torture of a half hour long ad. (This was a comment I heard from an uncle years ago).
Alas how does this skin dark and cadaveric textured on an ‘always rejected’ girl transforms, in weeks into a radiant moonlight complexioned much ‘sought after’ princess! And lo, there comes the ‘prince charming’ who had been hunting for such a ‘fair beauty’ for ages. And soon the wedding bells ring.
Are these manufacturers and the advertising agencies all that smart? Who they think are they bluffing? I cant help but feel disgusted of what intellectual capacity do they estimate of us viewers to possess when making such ads or creams. They think we all are idiots inhabiting this earth.
But the sad state of affairs is that they serve as a’ perfect recipe’ to turn any low self esteemed girl, unsure of herself into a nervous wreck. One sees a lot of mediocres around us who actually get swayed by the actors and actresses endorsing those products and their claims.They feel compelled to actually spend a bulk of their their energies and money on these products with an eye to start looking like the ‘beauty’ who’s endorsed for that cream in the ad..Then there is those class of pseudoenlightened who secretly try the products in a hope that there must be some grain of truth in their claims. After all how much can those creams or ads tell lies?
Unfortunately, for generations, a bias has worked in our subcontinent towards a fair complexion. We may have emblazoned the mantra ‘without distinctions of caste, creed or colour’ and we may have pioneered the world’s opposition to apartheid, but the fact remains that we are a notoriously colour-biased people.
“It is a pity that the Article 15 in the Indian Constitution, which lists discriminations on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth, has left out colour. ” mentioned a placard I saw in India.
“The advertisements are everywhere – over bus stops, on giant billboards, interspersed throughout mainstream magazines, in stores, on TV…almost everyday I run across some Bollywood celebrity advertising some shit that is supposed to make you pasty.
It’s shameful. Sickening. And the actors (using that term loosely –if you’ve ever seen a Shahrukh Khan movie you understand) that endorse these products ought to feel ashamed and beg for the forgiveness of their fellow Indian citizens for insulting them.’ Writes Wil Robinson in his blog .
In South East Asia, not only women but men are also keen on becoming fair. Asian men no longer believe that fairness is only for women. Desi men, as well as their counterparts in other Asian countries, including Korea and Japan are turning to fairness cream.
Several times I did even write, out of rage, in the newspaper’s letter to the editor or directly to the TV channels or even to the companies. But to no avail. Not just about the vulgar ads, but the cries on fairness creams and their harmful effects too, seem to have fallen on deaf years . No letter ever got published nor any response of acknowledgement from the channels or the manufacturing company.
Probably I rub irrelevant and petty issues a bit too much.
I talked to a friend journalist and a TV person, and he explained this is the way they earn good ’revenue’ to keep their channels on air.
Attempts to debate the menace during private parties does lead most of the times to a fruitful discussion. But a few times I have to eat back my own words with reactions I had never anticipated.
About three occaisions I have recieved the following nasty answers not from aged aunties but young girls aspiring for a ‘prince charmng’ by remarking:
“Auntie, you probably dont feel the need so you dont realise the desperation behind those who arent that fortunate.If some one tries to get fairer by spending money then what’s the harm.”
Or even mention the reference to various matrimonial ads, “we find people asking for a fair skinned wife for their able son.”
“If you were lucky with a wheatish complexioned to have gotten a gora guy doesn’t mean all women will. Why didn’t you choose a dark person yourself.”
Well what do you say to those arguments—I never chose the one I chose for his complexion. But who has the patience to argue with their illogical logic. Sometimes one has to really hold on tight to ones self-control to avoid an unpleasant debate.
And then my straight dagger like talk leaves a lot of these women wounded. You talk of unfairness of the ads or color discrimination and they make you feel guilty of having a fair-complexioned husband.
But yes I know how can one be ridiculed for one’s complexion, being repeatedly labelled ‘kaali’ by some disgruntled aunts of my husband’s, out of love for their ‘gora’ nephew. And about their own complexions…let’s not go there. 🙂
The most serious and basic ethical issue of fairness creams advertising is making false or misleading statements.
In a test at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Honk Kong on 36 fairness cream brands made all over the world, it was found that eight of them made in China and Taiwan had more mercury contents than prescribed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The study results show that fairness creams sellers overstate the product benefits, which actually are not delivered. Results showed congruity between the literate and illiterate, poor and middle class girls responses in terms of product performance and social issues raised by fairness creams TV Ads.
Most creams contain harmful ingredients that can result in side effects ranging from irritation, allergies to sun sensitivity. It may be advisable to test out a fairness cream by using it first on a small portion of your skin to find out your sensitivity to the ingredients.Even creams branded as ayurvedic also contain chemical and harmful alloy of metals.
Mental and emotional health can be corroded by the steady destruction of self-esteem and demeaning to women and further promote the already rampant complexion prejudices.
These unashamed advertisements of products are an assault on the fragile minds of women in what is called the ‘marriageable age’. The unceasing flaunting of cosmetics with the supposed quality of lightening the complexion would have been aesthetically vulgar if it was not also a matter of serious psycho-sociological or health concern.
Thanks to a great number of people around the world who have a fixation with the fair skin that this industry flourishes.
For generations, a bias has worked in our subcontinent towards a fair complexion. We may have emblazoned the mantra ‘without distinctions of caste, creed or colour’ and we may have pioneered the world’s opposition to apartheid, but the fact remains that we are a notoriously colour-biased people. It is a pity that the Article 15 in the Indian Constitution, which lists discriminations on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth, has left out colour. “
Although Government, Consumers and Industry self regulations could be used to regulate these unethical advertising practices in both India and Pakistan. But due to absence of rules and regulations against deceptive advertising, raising the issues by consumers in front of government or regulatory bodies, absence of the consumer groups, widespread illiteracy and lack of awareness in the consumers about their rights thwarts any efforts towards it’s realisation..
The only possibility is the industry’s self regulation, which could work well to protect the consumers and society from the negative aspects of these advertisements.
In the contemporary world most of the organizations talk about the corporate social responsibility, but in case of fairness creams television advertisements, there is a clear divergence between the social welfare and companies economic goals.
It is time that the media, the business corporates and even the concerned health activists take up this cause not only to stop the ads but also create awareness about the unfairness of the ’fairness creams, and then plead for the censorship of this ethical and psychological vulgarity.
Ilmana Fasih
2 January 2011
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FACT SHEET ON FAIRNESS CREAMS:
Statistics:
INDIA: According to the infobharati.com the information website for India top 10 fairness cream companies include the giants of the cosmetic and toiletry industry—Fair and Lovely, Garnier, Olay, Ponds , Nivea among the top 5.
The Rs 650-crore fairness creams market is led by Hindustan Lever’s Fair & Lovely which has a dominant 75-80 per cent share. Other significant players are CavinKare’s Fairever, Godrej Fair Glow, and Emami Naturally Fair, all of which spend significantly on television advertising.
Fair & Lovely’s television ad spend for the October-December 2002 period was Rs 3.3 crore, Emami’s was Rs 2.5 crore, Fairever’s Rs 2.2 crore and Godrej FairGlow, Rs 20 lakh in the same period, according to media tracking agency Current Opinion & Future Trends.
According to trade analysts in India, men’s fairness products is valued at Rs 30 million, and constitutes 35 percent of the market.
PAKISTAN: ”Many renowned cosmetic stores say 80 percent of the customers demanded fairness creams. The demand was particularly high in girls.
A cosmetic shop owner Shahbaz Ahmed in Defense Housing Authority said that all his customers bought fairness creams to improve their complexion, irrespective of whether they had dark or fair complexion. “Not only women but men are also obsessed with becoming fair,” he said.
The popular , inexpensive creams in Pakistan are generally not from the big brands but from the small time companies and the risk of these creams having even more dangerous and unregulated ingredients.
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The Ill Effects Of Skin Lightening or Fairness Creams
These beauty products aim to change melanin, a pigmenting agent that is determined from the time of our birth. No unnatural material can change melanin levels or whatever.
According to researchs done on these skin lightening products shocking revelations have come to light.
main ingredient of these fairness lotions is bleach, Hydroquinone, a chemical used in the fairness creams is actually a bleaching element which badly harms the skin.
At the most these creams contain sunscreens that help them prevent from further darkening of the skin.
Ingredients like koiic acid and retinoic acid make the skin more intolerant towards the sun’s harmful effects. Koiic acid is a derivative of Vitamin C and retinoic that of Vitamin A. Users can also have severe skin rashes if they keep on using it.
The high mercury levels are much more than the levels prescribed by the US FDA which may cause hazards even to the nervous system.
Some of the skin lightening products( especially the less expensive ones) contain strong steroids like cortico steroids and clobetasol propionate, which is strictly a prescription drug. The prescription-strength steroids help to give the costumers ‘better’ and ‘faster’ results but such products with steroids have the chances to suppress the body’s natural steroids. Using the creams with steroids may end up with some other side effects like permanent stretch marks, pimples, darkening of the skin, skin-allergy and disfiguration, etc.
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Unlearn the myths :
Fairness creams can make you fair — All fairness cream or skin whitening creams are effective ony if the pigment is in the epidermis. If the pigment is deeper, the product canot help or make changes. Thus, fairness cream can help remove a tan or discoloration due to some pigment in the top layer of the skin. It cannot make a dark person fair.
Manufacturers list al their ingredients on the product label— This is not true. Manufacturers are not required by law to mention all the ingredients on the product label.
Fair skin is better than dark skin — Medically, dark skin is believed to be less vulnerable to skin diseases than light skin. More melanin in dark skins provides protection from the sun and, in turn, disease. Light skin contains less melanin and thus less protection.
Ayurvedic or herbal fairness creams have no chemicals — This is a myth. Only home remedies for fairness can be free of chemicals. All commercial products have chemical bases that give them the texture and consistency and preservatives that prevent them from going bad.
Herbal ingredients have no side effects — A person can be allergic to plant based herbal ingredients also. It is advisable that they apply the cream to a small area on their hands before using them.
Read more:
Addicted to fairness creams? Not fair – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/Addicted-to-fairness-creams-Not-fair/articleshow/5973021.cms#ixzz19ltTTZk.
http://www.internationalpoliticalwill.com/2010/01/indias-popular-fairness-cream-a-sign-of-deep-racism/
http://www.indiantelevision.com/tamadex/y2k4/aug/tam74.htm
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008730story_30-7-2008_pg7_40
Blind to Bounds 
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