Chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan speaks out on racial insult and colourism before retirement
T'puram: In a striking revelation just a day before her retirement, chief secretary
Sarada Muraleedharan
said she was subjected to a racially charged insult from a senior during her tenure. Speaking in a televised interview, she recalled being humiliated over her skin colour by a person in a high position. Although she interacted with him on several occasions after the incident, she stated that he never offered an apology. When asked whether the individual was a politician, Muraleedharan declined to comment.
The statement came in the wake of an earlier controversy triggered by a personal Facebook post, in which Muraleedharan opened up about the emotional impact of a derogatory remark comparing her leadership style to that of her predecessor — her husband, former chief secretary V Venu. The comment, which described her term as "as black as her husband's was white," left her visibly hurt and prompted her to reflect on the racial and gendered undertones often embedded in public discourse.
In the post, which was initially deleted and later reposted, she wrote candidly about struggling with internalised
colourism
and the societal fixation on fair skin. She recounted asking her mother, as a four-year-old, whether she could be born again with lighter skin — a memory that reflected the deep-seated prejudices she grew up with.
Muraleedharan also noted that the remark seemed to carry an implicit gender bias, suggesting that her identity as a woman may have contributed to the scrutiny she faced. Rather than let the insult define her, she chose to reclaim her identity, embracing the strength and symbolism of her complexion. She described black as "the all-pervasive truth of the universe… the most powerful pulse of energy known to humankind."
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She also credited her children for helping her shift her perspective and closed the post with a resounding affirmation: "That black is beautiful. That black is gorgeousness. That I dig black."
Her post sparked widespread discussion online, drawing messages of solidarity from across the country. With her retirement set for tomorrow, Muraleedharan's final days in office have not only underscored her distinguished career in administration but also cemented her role as a voice against entrenched social prejudices.
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