[chhattisgarh-net] Digest Number 1796

[chhattisgarh-net]

Title: chhattisgarh-net

chhattisgarh-net Messages In This Digest (2 Messages) 1. Skimming Off The Cream : Adivasi teenagers are boosting fairness cre From: Shubhranshu Choudhary 2. Human shield : After Nendra, it is the turn of Lingagiri now From: vcadantewada ashram View All Topics | Create New Topic Messages 1. Skimming Off The Cream : Adivasi teenagers are boosting fairness cre Posted by: "Shubhranshu Choudhary" s...@cgnet.in Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:27 pm (PDT) *Skimming Off The Cream* *The bug has been sold hard in Jharkhand. Adivasi teenagers are boosting fairness cream sales, says **ANAND ST DAS* [image: Cover Story] *Creamy liars* An adivasi girl holds up a Fair & Lovely imitation cream *Photo:* SUNIL KUMAR *EVER SINCE* Nilam Kachhap, an Oraon teenager from the remote tribal village of Kalamati, started attending college in Ranchi last year, she has been worried about her skin colour. Conscious that she is a few shades too dark, she has been slathering on whitening creams and fretting every time she glances at the mirror. She is not alone. Across Jharkhand young people from the indigenous tribes that belong to the pre-Dravidian proto-Australoid racial group, that once had no trouble with their dark skins, are now using creams like Fair & Lovely in the vain hope of growing lighter. “The demand for our fairness products has been growing across Jharkhand, especially in the tribal-dominated districts. With more shops opening in remote areas and greater awareness, the demand will keep growing,” says S Shah, the Ranchi-based territory sales officer of Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL), which owns the Fair & Lovely brand. “It is only natural to want to look fair. For too long we’ve been perceived as uncivilised just because of our skin colour,” says Mukut Aind, a Munda from Dasmail near Khunti, who works as a chef at a Kolkata hotel. Mukut has been using Fair & Lovely cream for a few years now. Tribal researchers say this longing to be rid of their archetypical skin is an indication of the tribals’ deep-seated urge to throw off the yoke of oppression and dispel the general perception that they are an exotic community. “Dark-skinned tribals in India have been depicted as non-humans in ancient Hindu scriptures and have been called rakshasas (demons), vanaras (monkey) and nagas (snakes) in epics like the Ramayana and the *Mahabharata.* So they have always wanted to look fair. Now they have a viable means to fulfill this desire,” says Dr Ram Dayal Munda, president of the Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal People of India. As the tribal people’s isolation decreased in the last few decades, partially due to access to education, their awareness of the modern world’s manners too grew. The formation of a separate Jharkhand state as the homeland of the tribals in 2000 also increased their self-awareness. But it was television which made its way into remote hamlets for the first time during the Kargil War in 1999 that hastened the tribals’ headlong dive into the fairness flurry. “The aggressive manner in which these products are advertised in the media is taking a toll on tribal youth. But after their dalliance with fairness products, these young people will realise that beauty is not skin deep,” says Kumari Basanti, head of the tribal languages department at Ranchi University. http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=Ne210309skimming_off.asp *From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 11, Dated Mar 21, 2009* Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) 2. Human shield : After Nendra, it is the turn of Lingagiri now Posted by: "vcadantewada ashram" vcadantew...@gmail.com Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:06 pm (PDT) Dear friends, Lingagiri was a very prosperous village in Awapalli block of Bijapur district. It was famous for its trade in forest produce through nearby market of Basaguda. This was probably biggest market for lakh, honey and chironjee apart from other minor forest produces in the state But everything changed with the start of Salwa judum. After repeated attacks by Salwa judum goons accompanied by SPOs and police, the villagers of Lingagiri left the village one by one. Today Lingagiri is a deserted place and most of the villagers live a life of refugee in border villages of Andhra Pradesh. You may recall the story of a girl who was killed after being raped in Lingagiri by SPOs. There are numerous stories of loot and killing from Lingagiri by Salwa Judum. People of Lingagiri have contacted Human shield volunteers of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram with the help of volunteers in Andhra asking for our help for them to go back to their village. VCA has given a notice to district administration that from 16th of March Human shield volunteers of VCA will live in Lingagiri and will help people of Lingagiri now living in Andhra to return to their homes. If there is any attack by SPOs/Salwa Judum/police on villagers or Human Shield volunteers then administration will remain responsible for the same. We have also reminded in the letter that according to letter written by Govt of Chhattisgarh to Honourable Supreme Court, govt of Chhattisgarh has taken the responsibility of rehabilitating Salwa Judum affected families and administration should extend all possible help to the people of Lingagiri and Human Shield volunteers. As in Nendra, we will request all of you to please join the Human Shield volunteers in Lingagiri from 16th of March. I will keep you posted with developments from Lingagiri from time to time Sincerely Himanshu Kumar Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, Kawalnar, Dantewada +91 94252 60031 ( Moderators Note : The letter from VCA is uploaded at files section and you can access the file at the URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chhattisgarh-net/files/Lingagiri.jpg If you do not have a yahoo account, pls use Username : group36garh@yahoo.co.in and Password : raipur or write to us at cg...@cgnet.in) Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity  14 New Members  6 New Files Visit Your Group Yahoo! Finance It's Now Personal Guides, news, advice & more. Y! Messenger Want a quick chat? Chat over IM with group members. 10 Day Club on Yahoo! Groups Share the benefits of a high fiber diet. Need to Reply? Click one of the "Reply" links to respond to a specific message in the Daily Digest. 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