Culture and clothes...
Today I feel the need to discuss the topic which people keep raising every now and then, Culture! And along with it comes Clothes too. Though not cognitive, yet somehow always get transpired!
My belief is that Culture is in my heart. It's my ideas, customs,and my social behavior. Culture to me is not related to how I am dressed. In other words, my dressing sense doesn't define my culture neither the opposite!
I am an Indian, born into a Axomia family. I love the traditional attire of my place - the very gorgeous Mekhela Sador. It's unique in its own way. I love them. And I do have a huge collection of Mekhela Sador. But I see no reason as to why I cannot wear trouser, half pants or a bikini! Does it make me lesser Axomia/Indian because I prefer to keep myself dressed in other ways?
The beliefs in the heart, do they change because I am wearing a hot pant and a t-shirt? Can a lady adorn in her traditional attire not have illicit thoughts? Can a man for that matter, wearing a dhoti kurta be having all great thoughts? If that's so, why do we have so many rapes in our country? Why this issue even needs to arise? If your thoughts are pure when you are wearing a dhoti kurta than why do you waste your immense knowledge in thinking about what someone is wearing? Or is it that Jeans wearing men do not have pure thoughts?
Why do we have so many dowry episodes in our great country? In most of these cases, the mother in law's are also involved? Why and how then a lady wearing traditional attire and sindoor and mangalsutra have such disgusting thoughts? Isn't our women trying to pull other women into the pits of disgrace? I do not understand this concept of relating clothes with culture, anyways!
Culture could mean beliefs, values, experience, notion of time, spatial relation, knowledge but never clothes! Culture could mean social learning, communication, behavior but never, ever what someone is wearing!
What is our culture really? Is it keeping women enclosed, not giving them the freedom to wear what they want? Is it really culture that wants women to be dressed in some particular way? Or is it some sick humans, who still thinks they are in someway ruling the society? Who wants everyone to be under their command! And when nothing follows, they bring it in the name of culture!! These small brained humans need to actually expand their horizons; get some knowledge. Because it's only knowledge which takes you forward. Intelligent minds do wonders; not think about someones accoutre!
My definition of culture is simple. It's what comes out of your mouth in the form of words! I am not bothered if you are wearing some traditional attire or Western wear or even leaves! If you talk sense and I can assess that your brain has some depth, you are cultured to me! If you behave well with the surrounding people and nature, you are cultured. Seriously, your dress would be the last thing I would look at!
I am an Indian. I wear whatever I want. My daughter would still wear whatever she wants! No one's definition of culture needs to fit in. I know what's there in my mind and heart. And I follow accordingly!!
My belief is that Culture is in my heart. It's my ideas, customs,and my social behavior. Culture to me is not related to how I am dressed. In other words, my dressing sense doesn't define my culture neither the opposite!
I am an Indian, born into a Axomia family. I love the traditional attire of my place - the very gorgeous Mekhela Sador. It's unique in its own way. I love them. And I do have a huge collection of Mekhela Sador. But I see no reason as to why I cannot wear trouser, half pants or a bikini! Does it make me lesser Axomia/Indian because I prefer to keep myself dressed in other ways?
The beliefs in the heart, do they change because I am wearing a hot pant and a t-shirt? Can a lady adorn in her traditional attire not have illicit thoughts? Can a man for that matter, wearing a dhoti kurta be having all great thoughts? If that's so, why do we have so many rapes in our country? Why this issue even needs to arise? If your thoughts are pure when you are wearing a dhoti kurta than why do you waste your immense knowledge in thinking about what someone is wearing? Or is it that Jeans wearing men do not have pure thoughts?
Why do we have so many dowry episodes in our great country? In most of these cases, the mother in law's are also involved? Why and how then a lady wearing traditional attire and sindoor and mangalsutra have such disgusting thoughts? Isn't our women trying to pull other women into the pits of disgrace? I do not understand this concept of relating clothes with culture, anyways!
Culture could mean beliefs, values, experience, notion of time, spatial relation, knowledge but never clothes! Culture could mean social learning, communication, behavior but never, ever what someone is wearing!
What is our culture really? Is it keeping women enclosed, not giving them the freedom to wear what they want? Is it really culture that wants women to be dressed in some particular way? Or is it some sick humans, who still thinks they are in someway ruling the society? Who wants everyone to be under their command! And when nothing follows, they bring it in the name of culture!! These small brained humans need to actually expand their horizons; get some knowledge. Because it's only knowledge which takes you forward. Intelligent minds do wonders; not think about someones accoutre!
My definition of culture is simple. It's what comes out of your mouth in the form of words! I am not bothered if you are wearing some traditional attire or Western wear or even leaves! If you talk sense and I can assess that your brain has some depth, you are cultured to me! If you behave well with the surrounding people and nature, you are cultured. Seriously, your dress would be the last thing I would look at!
I am an Indian. I wear whatever I want. My daughter would still wear whatever she wants! No one's definition of culture needs to fit in. I know what's there in my mind and heart. And I follow accordingly!!
Culture is not what you wear! But there's a certain mindset of people who are judging girls by their dresses... Don't know about other parts of the world but in India, if the girl is wearing traditional attire or salwar kameez she is a best eligible bahu...& if not, there will be many questions on her character...she is considered not a good wife material or something..blah blah!!!On the contrary, girls wearing traditional dresses are considered behenjis :-P
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your thoughts. Obviously we all have faced this at some point of time. But what really rages me is that even the educated chunk have similar thoughts!
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