INDIA

In the summer of 2013, I went to the land of the extreme rich and the extreme poor. My home country. Even though I’ve never lived here for more than 4 months at a time, there’s something about going back to India that I don’t particularly enjoy.

The majority of this feeling may be due to the fact that the first thing people notice about me is the colour of my skin. It has gone from, “Don’t stand outside too long, your skin will get darker than it already is.” to “Wow you’re a lot lighter now than you were before”. As a young girl, I was scared to say anything back as I was taught to respect my elders, however as I got older I have learnt to speak up and stand up for myself and others when it comes to skin colour.

Having said that, there are many aspects of this gorgeous country that makes me proud to be an Indian. The breath-taking views and the intricately designed monuments still sends shivers down my spine.

The way women are treated is another factor which disheartens me from going back to India. The lack of organisation and commitment to punish those who carried out the dreadful rape incidents in Delhi and many other states of India and the inequality women still face needs to be changed. But that is something that will take years or even decades to change…