Abhinav Mukund, an Indian cricketer, has put up a pertinent post about skin colour discrimination.
The young cricketer, who was also a part of the Chennai Super Kings, and is currently the captain of the TN team, said that he was writing about the issue to change the mindset of people.
Tweeting that he was not putting this down to garner sympathy, Abhinav said, "I come from Chennai, probably one of the hottest places in the country and I have gladly spent most of my adult life in the cricket ground."
Stating that he'd been traveling a lot since the age of 15, Abhinav added that he didn't understand "people's obsession" with his skin colour and that he has never regretted becoming tanned because of the hours he has spent on the cricket ground. However, Abhinav noted that the obsession led to name-calling and that he'd laughed it off because he had "bigger goals".
But, the cricketer said, "Today I am speaking up, not just for me, but for many in our country who experience ridicule based on the colour of one's skin."
He also observed that the rise of social media meant that insensitive comments could be made by anyone about something he had no control over and that the magnitude of such comments had greatly increased.
"Fair isn't the only lovely and handsome guys! Stay true, stay focused, be comfortable in your own skin," the cricketer concluded his note.
— Abhinav mukund (@mukundabhinav) August 9, 2017
In his following tweets, Abhinav clarified that he did not mean that someone in the team was commenting about him but that this was for people who were targeting him online about his skin colour.
Guys please don't turn this into something else,it has absolutely no connection to anyone in the team. It is mainly targeted at people 1/2
— Abhinav mukund (@mukundabhinav) August 10, 2017
Who have been posting abuses about colour and saying absolutely derogatory things about the tone of my skin. That s all !
— Abhinav mukund (@mukundabhinav) August 10, 2017
Please don't turn this into something political,I just wanted to make a positive statement hoping to make a change. That s all.
— Abhinav mukund (@mukundabhinav) August 10, 2017