Sarada Muraleedharan, chief secretary of Kerala, who had made empowerment of women, social justice and equal opportunities as her mission in life found late on Tuesday night that the renaissance of the State as claimed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has remained a non-starter and there is large scale discrimination based on colour of one’s skin.
People in the State was in for a shock on Wednesday morning as Muraleedharan took to the social media to give vent to her shock and sorrow over comments made by a section of the society that the last seven months of her tenure as the top bureaucrat of Kerala was a period of black while her predecessor’s stewardship stood out as white. Muraleedharan had taken over as chief secretary from V Venu on August 31, 2024. Interestingly, Venu is her husband and it was a rare event in the State to see the wife succeeding her husband as chief secretary.
Venu happened to be of fair complexion while Muraleedharan was a bit on the dark side. The comments about the colour of Muraleedharan’s skin are yet another proof that the self-styled progressive State is yet to come out of the regressive mindset. The heart-wrenching account by Muraleedharan speaks about dilemma and taunts suffered by her because of the tone of her skin.
“As a four-year-old, I apparently asked my mother whether she could put me back in her womb and bring me out again, all white and pretty. I have lived for over 50 years buried under that narrative of not being a colour that was good enough. And buying into that narrative. Of not seeing beauty or value in black. Of being fascinated by fair skin. And fair minds, and all that was fair and good and wholesome. And of feeling that I was a lesser person for not being that — which had to be compensated somehow,” writes Muraleedharan.
She further stated that it was her children who glorified the beauty of black and she felt happy afterwards about her tone. “Black is the all pervasive truth of the universe. Black is that which can absorb anything, the most powerful pulse of energy known to humankind.
It is the colour that works on everyone, the dress code for office, the luster of evening wear, the essence of kajol, the promise of rain,” she concluded her monologue.
It is nothing new that colour of the skin is given priority over qualifications and efficiency in the State. Kanaka Durga, famous artist who became the darling of film viewers through her sterling performances had told this writer that she got a raw deal from movie makers because of the colour of her skin.
Recently, RLV Ramakrishnan, a Mohiniyattam dancer was removed from the roster of performers of a State-sponsored show due to same reason. The incident created a lot of controversy across the State. In yet another shocking incident, KK Shylaja, the CPI(M) leader and former health minister (2016-2021) was denied a ministership in the second term of Vijayan despite her excellent track record in handling the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of Shylaja, a lady with fair complexion made it to the council of ministers and she has ended up as butt of jokes. This is progressive Kerala in its true ‘splendour’.
