There is one line that is repeated by many during any national festivals in India and that is "India has Unity in Diversity". True. It has Unity in diversity. But why am I writing this post?
The recent episode of a judge and a couple of lawyers who were denied access to set foot into a party in a club because they were wearing Dhothis made me think a little bit and I thought that I should write this down.
The media has infused and planted strongly, certain stereotypes in people's mind and that is the reason for many problems. Should a college student always be shabby, dressed funny and speak only English with words like "dude" or "whats up"? If the college story is around a boy from village should it portray the protagonist as an innocent, English free boy/girl who gets humiliated by the rest? Should a business man always wear a suit? Should a grandmother always be superstitious? Should Ministers and government officials alone wear clean white shirts and dhothis? (Pertaining to Tamilnadu). It has gone so deep that a brand of white shirts and dhothis has the name "MINISTER WHITE". Of course the white ambassadors with lal battis accompany them. But to really think... White and white shirt and dhothi because that is TN's official dress like Thamizh is its official languages. But well before ambassador production stopped, the politicians shifted to luxury sedans/MUVs/SUVs. So the point I want to convey: People think that it is ridiculous to wear something and do something that are not always shown on TV/Media together.
I see a lot of boys play cricket/football with shorts on the streets and some uncles also wear dhothis and lungis, folded halfway, while playing. But will people accept if Dravid went to the pitch wearing a dhothi? NO! But will it be weird if somebody from his family/friends wearing lungi come to the pitch to congratulate him after the match? NO! Cricket is a game with too much physical activity and it is not indegenous. So the gear and everything that goes with it descends from the country/culture that invented it. If that is the case, why should a guest to a party hosted in a cricket association not be allowed to enter because of a dhothi? He is not going to the pitch to play. He is not a member of the association and hence is not bound by the rules of the association. The premises might be that of the association but the event is not under the control of the association. How would it be if everybody turned up at a Birthday party with full cricket outfit including the pads, gloves and helmet just because the party is held in a place that belongs to a cricket association?
There are so many things that I feel need to be learnt from the West and those things might be really useful for the society. Things like individual freedom, freedom to choose one's career, freedom from being afraid of third person/societal opinion, freedom to live one's life. We can still stick to our culture but only change certain things that were valid practices once upon a time but invalid in the present scenarios. Leaving all that, people are so strict about following the clothing and looks of the west, remaining the same centuries old person within.
The government of Tamilnadu has proposed to ammend laws to make Dhothi the dress of TN officially and that nobody can stay someone from entering somewhere within the jurisdiction of the government because they wear the official dress. All this shows that to save cultural elements, India must resort to laws and legislatures. This is a very terrible and pitiful state.
Coming to schools and colleges. Western education has become inevitable as it has become universal and it would only be foolish to go back suddenly to vedic learning. But should children wear the uncomfortable polycot shirt, pants, skirts, necktie and shoes to school in India? Is that the only discipline? Why not an Indian Kurta pyjama or even dhothi; made of cotton? Most of the places are hot and not all schools are air conditioned even though the fees are exorbitant. At least for girls, there is some Indian touch in the uniforms. Shouldn't law make it clear that western forward thoughts and not clothing be taken up by us Indians? Should there be a law to make India realise something like that?
The recent episode of a judge and a couple of lawyers who were denied access to set foot into a party in a club because they were wearing Dhothis made me think a little bit and I thought that I should write this down.
The media has infused and planted strongly, certain stereotypes in people's mind and that is the reason for many problems. Should a college student always be shabby, dressed funny and speak only English with words like "dude" or "whats up"? If the college story is around a boy from village should it portray the protagonist as an innocent, English free boy/girl who gets humiliated by the rest? Should a business man always wear a suit? Should a grandmother always be superstitious? Should Ministers and government officials alone wear clean white shirts and dhothis? (Pertaining to Tamilnadu). It has gone so deep that a brand of white shirts and dhothis has the name "MINISTER WHITE". Of course the white ambassadors with lal battis accompany them. But to really think... White and white shirt and dhothi because that is TN's official dress like Thamizh is its official languages. But well before ambassador production stopped, the politicians shifted to luxury sedans/MUVs/SUVs. So the point I want to convey: People think that it is ridiculous to wear something and do something that are not always shown on TV/Media together.
I see a lot of boys play cricket/football with shorts on the streets and some uncles also wear dhothis and lungis, folded halfway, while playing. But will people accept if Dravid went to the pitch wearing a dhothi? NO! But will it be weird if somebody from his family/friends wearing lungi come to the pitch to congratulate him after the match? NO! Cricket is a game with too much physical activity and it is not indegenous. So the gear and everything that goes with it descends from the country/culture that invented it. If that is the case, why should a guest to a party hosted in a cricket association not be allowed to enter because of a dhothi? He is not going to the pitch to play. He is not a member of the association and hence is not bound by the rules of the association. The premises might be that of the association but the event is not under the control of the association. How would it be if everybody turned up at a Birthday party with full cricket outfit including the pads, gloves and helmet just because the party is held in a place that belongs to a cricket association?
There are so many things that I feel need to be learnt from the West and those things might be really useful for the society. Things like individual freedom, freedom to choose one's career, freedom from being afraid of third person/societal opinion, freedom to live one's life. We can still stick to our culture but only change certain things that were valid practices once upon a time but invalid in the present scenarios. Leaving all that, people are so strict about following the clothing and looks of the west, remaining the same centuries old person within.
The government of Tamilnadu has proposed to ammend laws to make Dhothi the dress of TN officially and that nobody can stay someone from entering somewhere within the jurisdiction of the government because they wear the official dress. All this shows that to save cultural elements, India must resort to laws and legislatures. This is a very terrible and pitiful state.
Coming to schools and colleges. Western education has become inevitable as it has become universal and it would only be foolish to go back suddenly to vedic learning. But should children wear the uncomfortable polycot shirt, pants, skirts, necktie and shoes to school in India? Is that the only discipline? Why not an Indian Kurta pyjama or even dhothi; made of cotton? Most of the places are hot and not all schools are air conditioned even though the fees are exorbitant. At least for girls, there is some Indian touch in the uniforms. Shouldn't law make it clear that western forward thoughts and not clothing be taken up by us Indians? Should there be a law to make India realise something like that?
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