Huffington Post, October last year.

A campaign challenging prejudices against skin colour in India is gathering pace.

Dark is Beautiful seeks to redress the hierarchy of skin tone in India's social caste system and eventually halt the sale of controversial skin lightening products.

Actress Nandita Das is a poster girl for the campaign and tells AFP: "Magazines, TV, cinema, everywhere being fair is synonymous with being beautiful.


"I started getting tonnes of emails from young women pouring their heart out about how they were discriminated against.

"Some wanted to commit suicide because they couldn't be fair."

In India Dalits, formerly known as the Untouchables, tend to have darker skin, are said to be the bottom of the social hierarchy and are often ostracised and forced into menial jobs.

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The fair-skinned Brahmins are generally considered to be the highest caste group, although laws banning discrimination on these terms have failed to make much difference.