SHORT DRESSED NIGHTS

Lalita Iyer Musings

I’m beginning to think I’m very old fashioned when it comes to men's trousers and girls' dresses. I am going to start with the men. They are constantly bending. And I can see their underwear. Gosh! There are some, who are uncomfortably heavy, and even when they sit, I can see their underwear and what is underneath. No, no.

Whatever happened to those men who wore high-waisted pants, with a belt, a shirt tucked in neatly and sleeves folded just so. I have a dear friend, Suresh Alapati, who dresses just like that. He is constantly presentable. And uses Nestama or mithrama to address me. Swoon.

Do wear your jeans, guys, but could you be careful about your lowered waistlines, especially in public.

Now about the girls. The other day at the airport I saw this tiny built girl wearing a pair of shorts and a polka dot short top, frilled above the belly button. I stared at her. I did not notice if others were also staring at her.

She picked her luggage and confidently walked off into the Hyderabad crowd. Maybe she took a taxi, maybe someone picked her up. For a minute there I was worried for her. Then there was this slightly heavier girl in a red dress, mid-thigh, with a slit. Actressess constantly wear tight clothes, have difficulty stepping out of car, stepping up a few steps and then sitting on a chair on a stage. But they are paid to look uncomfortable. But then who's asking us?

But this girl in red dress, confidently bent down to pick her luggage from the belt, picked it, slit flap in the wind, and sassily walked away, heavy hips and all that. I was worried for this girl too. I am glad to the extent that they are confident of their bodies and are handling themselves well in a public place. Because confidence here is akin to thumbing the public. Everyone loses interest quickly enough.

But I am a bit worried when girls start thinking that what they wear is the beginning of independence. And therefore they will get away with it all the time, everywhere, in all situations. Let our mothers bring up our brothers to be more sensitive and we will all walk down the roads in short clothes, staring eyes be damned. Let the men be less rapacious. I am not looking for the word equal, but I would be happy if there was more equanimity between men and women. If that be the measure of freedom and independence.  

Honestly to equate empowerment with dressing is such a sad state of affairs. We will reach there soon enough, hopefully across the board. Instead of just a few urban women arguing for this 'dress freedom'.

I am being careful even while writing, because this is such a sensitive subject (unfortunately), when our entire economy hangs in a balance and women are going to be the worst hit! Forget the skirts, we are going to be very short on funds to run our homes. I think there were protests for equal wages for women at the MNREGA. If we get there, then that is empowerment.

Women in India had voting rights much before any other country. We had a woman Prime Minister in Indira Gandhi. Sri Lanka had Sirimavo Bandaranaike, while Israel had Golda Meir. All of them almost in the same period. Women heading countries, changing policies. We have been there, done that. And yet it is that we are constantly fighting for women empowerment. When is it that we lost it?

I read an op-ed piece in The Hindu by Ragini Nayak, National spokesperson, INC and former president of DUSU. And which is why she made Rahul Gandhi sound like the most sensitive and intelligent man ever. But if Raga spoke that from his heart and not from a written speech, hat's off to him.

This speech was made in Pune's Chaatron ki Goonj, where Raga talks of cages and patriarchy. Ragini or a sub editor of The Hindu had headlined this piece as 'Women should take back the night.'

My only question to Raga is if he would allow his sister Priyanaka, without anyone knowing it is her, to walk the streets of Amethi in the night.

– Lalita Iyer 

  Senior Journalist