Towards Women's Attire

A clash of generations and values.

- Rama Kashyap

Sometime back, a video of a middle-aged woman shaming and rebuking young girls for wearing short dresses in a restaurant went viral on social media. As I watched the video, memories of an old incident, almost forgotten, that took place more than two decades ago flashed across my mind.

Though the setting and time were different, there was an uncanny similarity between the two incidents. The place was the staff toilet of a girls' college where I was teaching. As I entered the restroom, I was shocked to find our no-nonsense, dynamic, energetic Principal scolding a girl. Standing in front of the full-size mirror, she was reprimanding the girl for wearing shorts, saying, "Look in the mirror. You should be ashamed of what you are wearing...exposing your thighs." The Principal was admonishing the girl in her no-holds-barred style for dressing up inappropriately. However, the similarity ends here. It was not a random 'aunty' moral policing the young girls at a public place, but the principal of a college rightfully cautioning the girl for her inappropriate attire on campus.

Evolving Attitudes