Tag: Choice Of Clothing

The Politics Behind Hijab

‘All Women Must Support Muslim Girls’ Right To Wear Hijab’

By LokMarg

Smriti Hegde*, a school principal in Gulbarga (Karnataka), says the politics behind hijab row seeks to fracture the social fabric of the country

It’s sad to see how girls, once again, are being targeted for their choice of clothing — jeans, T-shirts, shorts and now hijab. It’s more painful to see this time, as these girls are being denied of education because they chose to wear a headscarf.

I sense a lot of politics in it. I have the same questions what others have. Since my school days I have been seeing Muslim girls, many of my friends, attending schools in hijab. This issue never came up. One day, we hear that girls in hijab are not allowed in schools. This hijab controversy has been forcefully created.

The purpose of schools was to provide education and not divide children on the basis of gender, colour, caste and religion. This is also affecting the minds of innocent children. The main aim of the education was to develop the thinking and mindset which adopts everyone, but young children are learning something else — differences between communities. I am afraid even among children it’s gradually turning into ‘us’ vs ‘them’ issue, which is extremely bad for the society and the country.

Since this hijab issue started, I am observing our students very closely. This controversy has been going on far from here but I can see the shift in their behaviour. The camaraderie among students of two different faiths seemed to be waned. I sense a kind of cold war among them. It’s extremely disheartening to witness this. We never grew up like that. Some of my close friends are from Muslim community. Religions never came between us.

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I blame the politicians for it. They are destroying an entire generation for their temporary electoral gains. Had the government wanted, they would have nipped the issue in the bud. But it appears that it was rather allowed to spread — from one school to another. Then, we witnessed disturbing videos where students were clashing with police. Kids, who were supposed to be in schools, they were brought on roads with stones in their hands.

I personally believe that women from all faiths should come together and support Muslim women. This is not a matter of hijab. I am afraid that today, it is about hijab; tomorrow, they might force Hindu girls to wear sari.

While this controversy is going on, there’s one group of people who advocate of barring all kinds of religious activities from schools. However, I am of the different opinion. India is a highly religious country. People practise their faith openly and removing the sign of religions from schools is not going to remove religions from the personal lives of students. We should rather teach assimilation and the idea of tolerance to students, who can develop the idea of India where everyone can live peacefully together despite having religious differences.

As told to Md Tausif Alam

*The name of the narrator was changed on request as she argued that “the hijab issue has deteriorated to a level where I can’t even express my opinion freely”

Wearing A Ripped Pair of Jeans in A Flight

‘Mr Rawat, I’m A Mother And I Love My Ripped Jeans’

By LokMarg

Khushbu Singh, 38, a homemaker in Mumbai, has some pointed questions for Uttarakhand Chief Minister who ridiculed a fellow woman passenger for wearing a ripped pair of jeans in a flight

Let me begin by asking this to Tirath Singh Rawat, the newly-appointed Uttarakhand CM: Are all politicians, who always appear in immaculate whites, spotless in their character? Just because they wear white, can we certify them as honest or incorruptible? If this analogy is wrong, then how does he and others like him think that judging a woman’s character from her choice of clothes is right?

Sometimes I feel as if he made that comment on his female co-passenger just to hog the limelight since debatable topics like these get everyone’s attention. But these are not the topics politicians should be debating about; there are so many more important issues to be handled. I would have been happy, if he had pointed at someone not wearing a mask on flight, rather than ripped jeans.

I am a mother to two young children and I absolutely love my various pair of ripped jeans. Many people rip their jeans themselves at home to get the look and I would totally teach my son and daughter to do a DIY (Do It Yourself) for their clothing. It is my prerogative as to what I want to wear.

Khushbu Singh would like Tirath Singh Rawat to concentrate on social issues than a woman’s choice of clothing

I have the thinking capacity to understand that my dress should be comfortable according to the season as well as occasion and event appropriate. It wasn’t like his co-passenger was wearing ripped jeans to a corporate meeting or a government event. She was travelling with her young children. You need to wear comfortable clothes to be able to travel with young kids. Jeans are comfortable. And jeans ripped at the knees make for easy movement in case you have a very hectic day ahead of you.

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Next, tell me if mothers wearing ripped jeans are sending the wrong message to their children. By the way, will they remember my love more or my ripped jeans more? What kind of messages are such politicians sending to their own children? That it’s ok to question and belittle other people’s choices even when it is not affecting you in any way? That a grown up woman doesn’t understand what she wants or is comfortable with? That the society is only dependent on women to keep it moving? Why didn’t Mr Rawat say anything about men, for men also wear ripped jeans?

In 2017, a 14-year-old girl wearing ripped jeans was beaten up and arrested by the Iranian Police on the grounds that it was spreading vulgarity! Are we headed towards that situation? Running a country is a tough job, but putting the onus of morality on women is so easy! I am happy that so many women are standing up to such disgraceful remarks by people in position of power.

A woman wearing a particular item of clothing signifies nothing apart from her need for comfort and her sense of style. There’s a place and time for everything, and I think the female passenger was very right in wearing what she was wearing. These politicians need to be more open-minded and perhaps see more of the world. In towns and cities with cosmopolitan population coming and going, people are more open to differences in personality, looks, dressing, food etc.

As told to Yog Maya Singh