I’ve been hearing obout the brouhaha over the clothing slip-ups (pun intended) at Lakme India Fashion week. Reading about the perturbations it’s causing is so much more fun though – I haven’t laughed so much in some time. Looking through the dailies on the web, I came across this gem :

Probe ordered into Mumbai wardrobe malfunction

“We will inquire if the (wardrobe malfunction) incidents were accidents or deliberate acts,” Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil told reporters.
. . .
Patil has already directed city Police Commissioner A.N. Roy to check all video clips of the fashion show and find out if the malfunctions were a “deliberate, indecent act”.

Now reading the above, one could be forgiven for thinking this was a matter of state importance, you know, akin to the other problems of starvation, malnutrition deaths, abject poverty, bride-burning, dowry, eve-teasing, molestation etc. But no, this is a case of a model losing her clothing while on the ramp. And it’s got Patil all hot and bothered, enough to pull the police commisioner into investigating the task. Does Mr. Patil have no other work rather than order investigations into wardrobe malfunctions in fashion shows, where let’s face it, models aren’t exactly covered from head to toe in the first place ?

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said the incident “hurt sensibilities”, especially those of women.

Wow, all this concern for women’s “hurt sensibilities” ! Reality check Mr.Deshmukh – try asking a few women and see if this even figures in the top 100 causes of “hurt sensibilities” in India. Is the woman on the road really bothered about Gauhar Khan’s exposed bottom more than about being grabbed in the local bus which she must take to get home ? Apparently being molested/raped or subject to vulgar music videos or films on TV, isn’t hurting sensibilities. One model loses her top (or her skirt) and it becomes big debate for the Maharashtra Assembly ! CM Deshmukh should look closer to home to find causes of “hurt sensibilities” – he might find that his son’s antics in films like “Kya kool hai hum” (and indeed the film itself) is one of them.

However, the imbecility doesn’t end there. There’s more :

Earlier Tuesday, the issue was raised in the state legislative council by Shiv Sena legislators Pramod Navalkar and Neelam Gorhe, who demanded an inquiry into the wardrobe malfunctions.

Makes me wonder, do the esteemed legislators not have other legislative matters to make a hue and cry over – I don’t know – the condition of the roads, or the non-existent supplies of water/electricity ? Could they order inquiries into those matters ? Could the city Police Commisioner be better employed in pursuing ACTUAL CRIMINALS ?

All this talk about “protecting culture” is to say the least, hypocritical. Culture ? What culture ? The culture which is so tenuous that one peek at a woman’s exposed breasts and we corrupt an entire generation ? The culture that assumes that all men are wild beasts with no control over their lusty gazes, and sexual appetites – so much so that we need to lock up our daughters, or dress them in burkhas ? The culture where one split-second image of a woman’s bottom on television causes a Legislative assembly debate, but scores of stories of women molested, killed at birth, or murdered engender no response ?

How fragile are we with this culture, which assumes that one is easily corruptible by suggestive lyrics or glimpses of naked body parts ? How do Navalkar, Patil, or Deshmukh assume that this will corrupt the youth ? Do they think that some hot-blooded young man will be so moved by Ms. Gracias’s or Ms. Khan’s exposed anatomy that he will give-in to his baser instinsts and attempt to do damage to some innocent young girl ? Earth to Indian politicians : Dear Ministers/Legislators, the only reason that criminals give in to criminal impulses is the lack of law and order, and the absolute faith that no matter what they do, they will get away with it. Images can only move people, they cannot actually cause them to commit crimes. THAT only an in-effectual justice system (such as the one you provide while busy investigating wardrobe mal-functions) can do.

How backbone-less are we when we talk of a culture that wants to “take away the temptation” (wrap-up or shut-up the women) to protect us from evil-doing ? That assumes that one has no inherent, built-in moral substance ? That assumes that the only way to make us walk the straight and narrow is not have any obstacles in our path ?

Categories : _culture_and_society