Society needs to change dialogue at home to get rid of skin colour bias: Chhattisgarh HC
Bilaspur, Dec 22: The Chhattisgarh High Court has observed that society needs to change the dialogue at home to eradicate discrimination based on skin colour and cited a study to bemoan that dark-skinned women are likely to be portrayed as under-confident and insecure.
Incentive cannot be given to a husband to promote society's preference for light skin over dark, ruled a Division Bench last month while dismissing an appeal filed by a man, a resident of Balodabazar district, seeking divorce from his wife.
The respondent wife asserted in the HC that her husband sought to abandon her due to her dark skin tone.
The appeal was filed by the man against an order of a family court judge in Balodabazar on July 30, 2022, dismissing his application for divorce.
The bench, comprising Justices Goutam Bhaduri and Deepak Kumar Tiwari, said, "Evaluating the evidence, facts on the preponderance of probability and the allegations of husband and counter- allegations of wife, the reasons assigned by the wife appears to be more logical. The wife without hesitation has come up with a plea that the husband wanted to desert her on the ground that she has black colour skin."
In the judgement, the HC referred to a study on skin-colour preference to decide the suitability of a person as a potential partner.
"In a study in this subject indicates there appears to be a skin-colour preference with regard to making decisions about suitability of an individual as a potential partner. The study further indicates that attractiveness and competency is controlled in a manner to minimize their influence, which attributes to the skin-colour variation. Dark skinned were rated lower than their highly competent light-skinned counterparts and the majority of skin-lightening cosmetics target women. They are likely to portray a dark-skinned woman as an under-confident and insecure person who is unable to secure success in life until someone suggests the use of a fairness cream," the HC said.
The judges went on to note that the choice of skin colour cannot be incentivised.
"Entire society of the human race needs to change the dialogue at home, which may not promote the fairness preference of skin. Therefore, the incentive cannot be given to a husband to promote such a mind set of the society for preference of light skin over dark," they added.
The HC noted no ground of cruelty has been made out by the husband to get the decree of divorce.
According to case details, the couple got married in 2005 and resided in their home in the village of Dharashiv. Later, they moved to Hyderabad for six months to earn a livelihood before returning to the village.
The husband said his wife subsequently went to her paternal home and refused to return, citing financial difficulties.
The husband, in the appeal, narrated certain incidents and claimed quarrels were picked up by the wife, who at one point, threatened to commit suicide.
A social meeting was convened to address their matrimonial issues after which the wife returned to her parental home. She did not go back to her husband's home after April 14, 2017, prompting him to file an application for divorce.
In reply, the wife contended she faced torture and abuse, and driven out of the matrimonial home, prompting her to stay at her parental village since April 14, 2017. The woman further alleged she was abused over her skin colour and subjected to physical assault.
She claimed her husband wanted to remarry and therefore filed for divorce.
The counsel for the husband pleaded in the court that the wife, without any reasons, abandoned his client and evidence on record would show all efforts at reconciliation failed.
"After cumulative reading of the evidence, we are of the view that no ground of cruelty or desertion has been made out by the husband to get the decree of divorce which are under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955," the HC said and dismissed his appeal.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
