Kerala Chief Secretary Challenges Colorism and Gender Bias in Leadership
Sarada Muraleedharan's Facebook post addressing discriminatory comments has ignited a broader conversation on systemic biases and the need to redefine perceptions of blackness.
- Sarada Muraleedharan publicly addressed a comment comparing her leadership to her husband's as 'black' versus 'white,' emphasizing the intersection of colorism and sexism.
- Her initial Facebook post was deleted due to overwhelming responses but was reposted after encouragement from well-wishers, including her husband V Venu.
- Muraleedharan reflected on her lifelong struggle with societal biases against dark skin and credited her children for helping her embrace her identity and redefine blackness as beautiful and powerful.
- The post has drawn widespread support from Kerala politicians, including Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan and ministers V Sivankutyy and MB Rajesh, who condemned discrimination based on skin color and gender.
- Muraleedharan's statements have catalyzed a larger public discourse on the persistence of color and gender biases in Indian society and governance, with calls to challenge and rewrite societal narratives.
Free Press Journal 
