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Via Nature blogs, I came to know about this challenge jointly being promoted by the Government Department of Science & Technology and P&G – and what is it, but another goodie for us brown-skinned masses – a “better” skin whitening product.
The issue is not about whether companies should manufacture fairness products. Personally, I believe that they are totally unnecessary, but I’m not sure if they promote a craze for white skin or capitalise on an existing prejudice. In any case, I’m not for banning products unless they are physically harmful – beyond that, in a free market economy, it is up to users to banish poor products by not opening their wallets.
The issue is whether a government owned department, which runs on our tax money – should be spending any money at all to help develop a product that privileges one skin type over another. While the market may have its own verdict on fairness creams, certainly the government should not be using our monies to endorse them.
The issue is not, unlike what the current DST secretary contends, about “how much” money is going into the project; if the aim of the DST is to promote scientific research and education in India, I fail to see how development of a fairness cream fits into that – so any money is too much. Yes, the individual researchers(s) working on it may learn something, but does it have any potential for larger application?
The fundamental definition of a public-private partnership is that both come together to build something that benefits the private party (usually in the form of revenue) and the public (in the form of a common resource/skill/ asset).
While it is clear enough how the company would benefit, it looks like we, the public, can look forward to the dubious benefit of yet another “new and improved” fairness cream.
Founder & Chief Editor of Women's Web, Aparna believes in the power of ideas and conversations to create change. She has been writing since she was ten. In another life, she used to be read more...
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No matter where one’s fandom lies, if one saw the clip of you visiting your son in jail, the sheer dignity would have one converted to 'being yours'!
Dear @iamsrk,
I have done enough stuff in my journey making my son and husband often exclaim vexedly, ‘Aap Zara Sa Tham Jao Ji!’
But never in my dreams did I imagine that I would be writing an open crush-puff-piece at this stage of my life!
We say that we live in modern times and talk on subjects like feminism, supporting your loved ones, encouraging them to follow their dreams. But how many of us can really say that they actually do that?
We live in a world where there comes times in everyone’s life when one has to make choices which will leave a long term impact in not just their life but on the lives of those attached to them.
Giving the ones you claim to love the freedom and space to make their own choices and the wings to fly is not only the right thing to do but sometimes its also the thing they need the most; without having to face the ‘guilt’ of living the life they want.