Musician K.J. Yesudas received a lot of flak from several women’s groups recently for saying that women should not wear jeans because it provokes “undesirable” behaviour. “What should be covered must be covered. Women should not trouble others by wearing jeans,” he said. Is this statement uncalled for, or does he have a valid point? College students across India react.
Aarohi Khare, Christ University, BangaloreStatements like these just highlight the hypocrisy of the elite philanthropists in our country. They think they can take a rightful stand on social issues, but when it comes to something as basic as woman's clothing, all their rationale shuts down. This just shows how futile attempts at gender equality have become in a country where we still can’t accept women wearing jeans but it is, somehow, completely okay for men to roam around in vests and boxers.
Divya Patel, South City College, KolkataI personally feel that no one has the right to judge what other people, especially women, should wear. Also, when a prominent figure like him passes such comments, it brings shame to the entire community. I personally feel that he should take back his comments.
Ankita Gupta, Delhi UniversityHis statement is completely baseless. Any claim that a woman’s clothing is responsible for any kind of provocation, or sexual assault for that matter, is wrong.
Even two-month-old babies and 60-year-old women are raped. What provocation do they cause? It’s the patriarchal mindset that blames the victim rather than the individual.
Andal Srivatsan, MOP Vaishnav College, ChennaiI come from a family that encourages me to be independent; whether it is my education, career or clothing. Such narrow-mindedness and senseless conservatism can never pave the way for progress.
