Pics of the new Ms. America "It's time for the kala". (a Cecil Pinto quote)
http://www.thestar.com/photos/2013/09/16/miss_america_nina_davuluri.html Tim de Mello ---------------------------------------- > Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2012 13:41:27 +0530 > From: cecilpi...@gmail.com > To: goa...@goanet.org > Subject: [Goanet] Black is back > > http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1139 > > ----------- > > Black is back > Jumping skin-deep into politics > > By Cecil Pinto > > > In a stunning declaration at a crowded press conference today > columnist Cecil Pinto declared his candidacy for the North Goa > Parliament seat. A huge banner in the backdrop has the campaign > slogan, "Dark brown is the new black!" > > Frederick: Let me get this clear. Your main plank is going to be skin colour? > > Cecil: My only plank will be my dark skin and the dark skins of my > supporters seated here on the dais with me. Will someone please make > the lights brighter? Anyone is free to join my campaign as long as > they are dark complexioned. > > Nigel: How do you measure dark complexion? > > Cecil: Do you see this lump of clay here on the table? This is pure > 'chikol' from the bed of the Mandovi River, with of course a few > unavoidable mining rejects mixed in it. If your complexion is darker > than this chikol please feel free to join us in our fight. > > Aarti: But what has skin colour got to do with electoral politics? > > Cecil: What has ethnicity, caste or religion got to do with choosing a > candidate? But they are brought up every time to garner votes. I was > inspired by Obama. If a black man could become the President of the > USA why not a dark brown man represent North Goa in Parliament? > > Lisa: But Obama did not use his skin colour as his only qualification. > > Cecil: That's his problem. You must have heard of the Beauty > Contestant who answered the question round saying, "I will use my > breasts to fight for world peace", well I am going to fight colourism > using my dark skin. > > Vidhydhar: But is colourism that big an issue in India as compared to the > West? > > Cecil: Please understand that in the West the bigger problem is > racism. When they say 'black' or 'white' they are referring to race > rather than skin colour. Racism is another ball game all-together. > Here in India within the same race we discriminate based on skin > colour. See how many matrimonial adverts mention fair skin as being > desirable. Show me one matrimonial advert that has someone actually > searching for a darker skinned partner. > > Govind: Any other examples you have of Goan colourism? > > Cecil: Sure. Mention a newborn child and the second question after > gender, baba or babee, is "Nitov asa?" which is a euphemism for "Is it > fair?" In fact many years back when I was dating a lovely dark skinned > girl my friends at the time used to tease me that if we married our > children would have to be named 'cavlo' (crow) or 'koalso' (charcoal) > or 'khapri' (negro) or 'kalia' (blacky). Of course they were fair > weather friends. > > Prakash: Since you are contesting only the North Goa seat do you have > a strategic alliance with some candidate in South Goa? > > Cecil: Actually I am looking for a sort of 'running mate' in South > Goa. A dark skinned female, so we can have the gender angle also > covered. I have found an interesting woman named Melanin in Agassaim > who fits the bill. Her mother's name is Melissa and father is Menin. > > Melwyn: Do you have any specific demands for dark skinned people? > > Cecil: Of course. Discrimination should be fought with reservations. > We demand 30% government jobs to be reserved for dark skinned people. > And we should get discounts on the Kadamba buses and on the Konkan > Railway and 50% of all actors in Konkani movies should be dark > skinned. > > Nilesh: Why movies? > > Cecil: Check out our movies. All the actors are either light skinned > or use extensive make-up to appear fair. This is not at all > representative of real life where there are as many, if not more, dark > skinned than light skinned people. This portrayal leads to false > aspirations and that is why we have this curious anomaly in India > where more fairness cream is produced and sold than life saving > antiseptic cream. > > Alister: Have you actually yourself faced discrimination because of > your dark skin? > > Cecil: Well at many restaurants waiters tend to ignore me. > > Alister: That could be because of your belligerent attitude, your > sloppy dressing and unattractive personality rather than because of > your skin colour. > > Cecil: Ok. Before marriage in dating situations I rarely got to score > with the good looking girls. > > Alister: That probably had to do with your looks, approach, talk, > clothes, money etc rather than specifically your skin colour. > > Cecil: In beach picnic photos only my eyes and teeth can be seen. > > Alister: Salt water and direct sunlight on the skin have the effect of > extra darkening. Foreigners use it all the while for a darker tan. A > naturally dark person is a healthier person and less likely to develop > skin cancer. > > Cecil: Really? And what about the fact that I can't get a tattoo > because it doesn't show and ….Oiiiee! Hold on you're supposed to be > asking the questions and I have the answers. Look at Rama, Krishna, > Vishnu, Kali, Draupadi… all described as dark skinned in the Vedas but > portayed as light skinned, or even blue, today. The Aryan invasion, > followed by centuries of Western colonialism, have made us apologetic > about our dark skinned heritage. I intend setting the record straight. > > Sandesh: I hear you have a secret initiation ceremony for your close > supporters behind closed doors. > > Cecil: Nothing of that sort. We have to check if the wannabe > supporters are truly dark skinned or just sun tanned. We therefore > check the skin on their buttocks which is a true measure of skin > colour as opposed to other parts of the body. This behind checking > obviously has to be behind closed doors. > > Derek: Any slogans you intend using for your campaign? > > Cecil: Oh yes. "We put the coal in coalition". "We can see in the dark > – but you can't see us". "Pretend we're pre-tanned". "That's not dirt, > it's my skin colour". "Dark complexions vs mega complexes". "We're > dark skinned not thick skinned". "It's time for the kala". "The kala > has come". "Ab tera kya hoga paklia?". And when we win the elections > with a massive majority our victory slogan will be, "Ailo re ailo, > kalia ailo!" > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The above article appeared in the February 5, 2009 edition of the > Gomantak Times, Goa > > ========= > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Protect Goa's natural beauty > > Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve > > Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- >