We’ve heard about a movie titled – Men in black. Wondering what men in saree could be?
Thanks to Facebook reels where there’s always something or everything. It was just one of those days when I was mindlessly watching reels killing time and I happened to see this short 30-second video of a guy in a saree attending an event of sorts. The first thing that caught my eye was how comfortable he was in a saree. Secondly, he was cute and handsome. Though the reel was so short-lived, it had me thinking deeply about the “identity of a person”. The comment section was filled with hate, judgment, and mockery.
Was he wrong in draping a saree that, for the longest time, had been adorned by “Women” only. Did he disrespect a woman or a man now? No, he did nothing of that sort. For decades now, women have been wearing pants, trousers, shirts and shorts and the list goes on – be it for professional or personal reasons. It’s purely a matter of choice and comfort, best suited to the environment. So when we’ve had our leeway and do things that we perceive as right, why can a man not choose what he wishes to wear? One can also look at it as a change from the norm, maybe purely out of curiosity too. There could be many things or nothing too. Just a matter of rights – a man or woman has the right to choose their attire.
Who are we to do moral policing and define – men and women?
It also had me thinking of “Identity” – does only our attire define us? Do clothes have a definition that we have to adhere to? Our true identity lies not in our external appearance but in our thoughts, actions, character and behavior – the list can go on. We live in a time when men and women are considered equal, if not fully acceptable. We’ve come a long way since. Women and men hold similar jobs, earn, work together hand in hand progressively and tirelessly for missions that we once thought were impossible. How wrong it is to then dictate terms and put a person under an umbrella.
We will be a progressive and developed society only when we encourage people to live, dress, choose, work and love as per their choice and not what is considered right for society at large. Individuals together form a society, so the change must first happen within.
Men and women choosing to dress vice versa is nobody’s business except theirs alone. Live and let live. In a world full of chaos, climate changes, war and uncertainty – I choose to be kind, mindful and respectful of others.
Would love to reference this quote – “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are” – Joseph Campbell.
The issue of "Identity" is just the latest in the cultural evolution of humanity. Taboos, norms and laws have been changing throughout history. And usually they are changed for the better. In the recent decades the pace of changes has unnerved many people and social media has given them a platform. Fortunately, despite the hate speech, changes for the better will continue.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
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