Dress and nonsense

Sir — I am writing on behalf of the group of eight teachers of Bakhrahat Girls’ High School. We strongly condemn the maliciousness of those who have raised questions about our attire. Their hypocrisy is quite appalling. The series of accusations, humiliation, ignominy and the recent threat-calls have shattered our peace of mind and endangered our lives. The psychological cost of this experience is turning out to be very heavy. We have faith in the administration and hope that matters soon will be resolved amicably. We request these self-appointed moral custodians not to make a mountain out of a molehill and to stop injecting viciousness into the tender minds of our students.

Indians are naturally proud of their cultural heritage. We accept that respecting our conventions and tradition is our fundamental duty, which is why we are pained by the hue and cry over such a trivial issue. Our decision to wear the desi salwar-kameez is based on the fact that it is just another traditional Indian dress, like the sari. Needless to point out, there is hardly anything radical or distastefully modern in our action.

Yours faithfully,
Supriya Chatterjee (Chakraborty), Calcutta

Sir — It is ironic that as the country celebrates its 60th year of independence, schoolteachers are being held hostage by students and guardians for exercising their freedom to choose what to wear in class (“Salwar war in school”, Aug 22). The fuss made by a group of ignorant individuals over teachers wearing salwar-kameez to school makes a mockery of the fundamental premises of freedom. It is difficult to dismiss such behaviour as the workings of a few demented minds. The protesters, who harassed eight teachers of Bakhrahat Girls’ High School in Bishnupur, must have had some kind of political support. Or else how could they confine the teachers in a room for alleged violation of a dress code? What is even more shocking is the fact that the school’s managing committee could prohibit teachers from wearing salwar-kameez. Such conservatism should not be allowed to set the moral standards of a school. After all, students are expected to become open-minded and enlightened through education, not unpleasantly self-righteous. Further, it is ridiculous to suggest, as the secretary of the school has, that these young girls have not seen a salwar-kameez-wearing teacher before.

Yours faithfully,
Subhankar Mukherjee, Burdwan

Sir — One feels deeply concerned by the recent incident of schoolchildren and their guardians protesting against eight teachers for wearing salwar-kameez to classes. Not only does this event stand out as an instance of curbing an individual’s freedom, but it also reveals, yet again, how patriarchal values keep ruling the lives of Indian women even in the 21st century. Women teachers in most government-run schools in West Bengal are forced to wear the sari, though there is no such dress code prescribed by the education board. If anyone dares to dress differently, she is subjected to various forms of harassment by the school authorities. What has been happening at the Bakhrahat Girls’ High School illustrates this trend clearly. It is important that teachers across the state should collectively protest against such unwarranted harassment at their workplaces. Those guardians who are instigating their children to disrespect teachers should have some better sense driven into them.

Yours faithfully,
Susmita Chakraborty, Calcutta

Sir — Young girls, who would consider their mothers ‘modern’ if they wear salwar-kameez, are learning to insult their teachers for wearing the same dress. If students find such a thing unacceptable in school, what will they do when salwar-kameez-clad teachers turn up to teach them when they go up to colleges and universities?

Yours faithfully,
Mangalika Ghosh, Hooghly

Sir — It is unfortunate that when teachers and students should be spending their time in classrooms, they prefer squabbling over insignificant issues. If classes are held up because of teachers wearing salwar kameez, perhaps the governing bodies of the schools should evolve a dress code for the teachers. It is significant that most well-known schools have dress codes for both students and teachers, and this ensures that discipline and order are preserved inside the school premises.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Sir — It is sad that at a time when the educational system in West Bengal is in a deplorable state, students, parents and teachers have decided to fight over a silly dress code. Although the government and the high court have given teachers permission to wear salwar-kameez to work, managing committees of schools still find the dress difficult to accept.

Instead of thrashing out critical issues pertaining to the curriculum, they are wasting time passing resolutions to make the wearing of sari mandatory. What is more, even the students are being encouraged to judge their teachers’ dresses. The students of Bakhrahat Girls’ High School would have benefited so much more had they stopped protesting about their teachers’ dresses and devoted the time to studies.

Yours faithfully,
Ravindra Kumar, Calcutta