Page 16 - Here and Now – Apr 2024

The oppressor becomes blind to the ways and means by which they
discriminate against others, while the oppressed 'victims' internalize

the oppressor so much that the oppressor begins to live within them.
The 'lesser human' with internalized discriminatory ideology, such as
pigmentocracy, racism, or varna-caste behaves in a way that
promotes the power of the oppressor and reinforces the oppressive
structure. A few of the oppressed who are coopted by the powerful
begin to act like the oppressor themselves, perpetuating discrimination,
and inflicting 'horizontal violence' towards others of their kind. This results
in blaming the victim.

The process of internalisation instills in the minds of 'lesser humans' that they cannot
become ‘human beings’, and they cannot imitate the so-called ‘human beings’ (white, male,
exploitive castes, etc). This leads to the use of phrases like ‘A horse is a horse and a donkey is a
donkey’ and ‘a crow is a crow and a swan is a swan.’ Human-made discrimination is often
disguised as ‘God-given’ systems and religion, further perpetuating the oppression of human
beings.

Manifestation of Pigmentocracy

Cosmetic companies cash in on this internalisation of the ‘white ideal’ and rejection of the ‘dark
other,’ leading to a lucrative market for skin lighteners and fairness creams. However, colour
discrimination was prevalent in societies before these creams and lotions surfaced.

Manufacturers of fairness creams (glow, whitening, brightness, radiance, snowy, silvery etc.)
offloaded a cancel culture under the guise of conscience keepers and thus kept their customers
safely strapped, and stayed on course (Gupta, 2020).

Hannah Daniel argues that poverty and colourism in India go hand-in-hand, as people with
darker skin tend to be lower in socioeconomic status (Daniel, 2006). Colourism makes social
mobility harder for Indians in general, and there is systemic discrimination against dark-skinned
people in education systems, the labour market, match-making and advertising companies.

Hierarchical systems and structures are operationalized through various means, such as
safeguarding power and privilege by minimal use of violence through co-opting a few of the
‘lesser humans’ but keeping their lot at a distance. These lesser humans will, in turn, control
the other ‘lesser humans’ on behalf of the ‘humans’. These may be ‘middle wo/men’, and in
common parlance ‘chamchas’ or informers, ‘bhakts’ or agents, who will guard the powerful,
‘manufactured consent’ (Naom Chomsky) and manage the media.

pg. 15