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Dress control

UP colleges to ban jeans, set dress code. The people behind this think this will help ‘strengthen discipline’ and check display of ‘indecent clothes’ worn by some of the college students.

If some students are wearing indecent clothes, you can outlaw indecent clothing. Why target jeans – which covers legs? How does jeans become ‘indecent clothing’? Is it because men get dirty thoughts when they see a girl wearing jeans? Some people get more turned on by seeing a woman dressed in saree. So would they demand that women not be allowed to wear sarees?

The other argument is that this will prevent rapes from happening. So this puts the blame for rape on the women themselves – dress stylishly and we will rape you. Oh wait, we won’t rape you, but somebody else will, and I would not bother with controlling that other person. We would rather control the women and how they dress.

Not much different from the approach religious authorities take towards women – dress modestly, and you will be saved from being raped.

On the other hand, Nicholas Sarkozy’s stand of banning burkhas in France is also a similar decision, though in the other direction. When will the people in power give up the illusion that they can and need to dictate what choices people can make in their own personal space? Why can’t the principals of UP understand that the problems of eve-teasing and rapes etc is a product of a sick mentality arising out of too much control and why can’t Sarkozy treat the burkha as another piece of clothing, and respect the choice of women who want to wear it without coercion?

6 replies on “Dress control”

Absolute nonsense, people who even suggest such suggestions should not be a part of the system. Who gives anyone a right to decide what is an appropriate dress for me to wear? Can the morale brigade instead of checking the length of a dress keep a check on those who engage in the indecent activities. And yes, is UP Govt also going to ban guys from wearing jeans? Also are they suggesting the maximum rape/eve teasing cases happen in college/ Univ premises??? If yes, then no matter what the girls wear it will not make a difference to the mentality of those psycho guys.I want to wear a suit without a dupatta, a pair of jeans, a saree or want to be covered from head to toe its my choice! My constitution declares me an adult at 18, when I can vote then I am also mature enough to decide what I want to wear. Moreover it is not about ‘appropriate clothes’ the point is authorities have no right to be in control my freedom.

Such suggestions are nothing new. It’s the result of a insecure power-controlled society, where the oppressed is supposed to take care that she is not molested by the powerful oppressor. If the oppressor decides to have his way, then there is nothing to stop him from doing so, but in the end, the system would look for the victim’s mistakes which would have sparked off the interest in the oppressor.This has been the case in all conservative men-dominated societies since civilization began.

Yeah true! Some time back I had gone to a Gurudwara and was wearing a skirt though my head was covered the priest interrupted the prayers and announced it on the damn mike 'when you enter a holy place make sure you are properly dressed and a long lecture followed' it was so humiliating… Don’t think there was anything wrong with my dress… Will that stop me from wearing a skirt and going to the shrine again? Never! the ones who have an issue can go talk a walk… It doesnot matter to me!

Pardon me for the shameless publicity but I wrote something on similar lines a few days ago http://bitchsena.blogspot.com/2009/06/sick-minds-and-dirty-jeans.htmlI guess the government surprisingly acted a bit sane-er than usual. On a personal note I believe in dressing for the occasion considering it is comfortable. Just like I wouldn't wear jeans for a presentation at work, or a bikini for a walk in the park, I would wear jeans to college because they are the most comfortable to spend all those drowsy hours in class.

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