Our External Affairs Minister (Dr.Shashi Tharoor) had written an article titled: Save the Sari from a Sorry Fate.. Sadly, his article met with a sorry fate too as it did not receive the usual applause from the fairer sex in India. In fact, the response was so much wrought with anger and outrage that set our dear Minister musing "Where did I go wrong?"
So where does he and all other such birds of a feather who flock together go wrong?
In my perspective, the major problem lies in the fact that our grand moms and grandpas still hold on to their grand opinion that the sari is a traditional attire which protects the modesty of a woman . Well, if you feel that the public display of nearly half of your stomach is a mark of decency, one should also lift the ban on Short Tops!
The Sari is supposed to teach a woman the virtue of discipline. A long piece of cloth tightly draped around a woman's legs would ensure that she walks gracefully with short steps in a manner that bears testimony to the popular phrase : Women should only be seen; not heard. If we are expecting our ladies to attend to their various jobs tightly bundled up in a sari, I'm afraid that India would soon be left behind in our fast paced world .
Come the Indian Summer! and all the men in our neighbourhood resort to the extreme measure (doing a Salman Khan act of going topless) to take refuge from the cruel Sun. Nobody spares a thought for the poor woman silently suffering near-suffocation in her 'modest' Sari.
Everybody feels proud of a 'Saina' or a 'Sania'... No matter what they wear-- only their talent matters. But we must learn to apply the fact that 'Talent overrides Attire' in the case of a common woman too. A woman's modesty, humility, decency and ability is governed by her words and deeds and not her dressing style. A woman clad in jeans and T-shirt is worthy of more respect than a woman who wears a Sari but flaunts her body.
In fact, the Sari also reveals the early man's inability to design comfortable clothes. After the sewing machine was invented, the whole world upgraded its manner of dressing. It is time for us to move on too!
We still wear a Sari on important occasions and the Sari continues to be a symbol of grandeur at wedding celebrations. Therefore, one need not fear the extinction of the Sari.
But a man ( who has long-since discarded the Dhoti and has limited it to the four walls of his house) displays his own backwardness and narrow-mindedness if he expects a woman to continue to wear this traditional costume.
The message is strong and clear to all the men who are still clinging on to the Sari-'Chod Do Aanchal! Zamana Kya Kahega?'
I agree completely. Though I admit that the sari is a very elegant garment, there's really no point in forcing women to wear it simply to protect some outdated notions of Indian tradition, and try to (foolishly) impose ideas of propriety on Indian women. It seems too much of a desperate attempt. Why is it that it's only women who are expected to uphold and perpetuate everything that is supposed to be "Indian culture" and conserve it at the cost of their comfort and personal choice? Personally, I don't feel that the sari is anywhere near extinction. According to what I see there are still plenty of women who wear and will continue to wear the sari.They certainly don't need men and their grand ideas and false concern to teach them to preserve any attire. But of course, the question is not merely of trying to protect a garment with a long historical precedent, or even try and protect Indian culture. Then again, when is it ever?
ReplyDeleteHhaha.. I agree..Chod do AAnchal...Zamana kya kahega..
ReplyDeleteEarly man discovered fire by rubbing stones together; doesn't mean we still follow the practice..we embrace and utilise fire by easier comfortable means.Similarily, clothes in those days were merely spun with the help of the spinning wheel and clothes thus, are just means of comfortable attire.Why restrain ourselves from new designs and new attires for women.Tradition runs in the flesh n blood of the country...it is hardly defined by clothes and coming to the sari facing extinction...Oh please! The Sari is loved and will be loved and will remain a sign of elegance for generations to come. We are in fact, increasing the worth & grandeur of a sari by wearing it on special occasions alone and not by making it a symbol of casual everyday attire. It now, symbolises tradition and culture more than it ever did before.