I would like to thank Vidyadhar for posting this interesting article on
Goanet. I would like to offer some personal comments on the subject.
A blanket ban on the burqa is something that is extreme. There are, however,
some security issues that need to be considered in terms of public good. For
example, a shop in UK was robbed by two persons in burqa, who came in just
at the closing time when there were no other customers. The victim, a
Pakistani, thinks that the robbers were men. Similarly, sometime ago, a man
wearing a burqa was arrested in Mumbai airport, when police got suspicious
because the 'woman' was not walking like a woman. So, how do we deal with
the burqa in such cases?
As far as the saree is concerned, there seems to be a huge misconception.
The Socialist party candidate for the president of France thinks: "Sarees
inhibit free movement and discourage women's full participation in
professional careers and sports, she argued, extending the case for the ban
on Sarees beyond security concerns."
The saree does not cover the face of the woman, and hence cannot be a
security issue. I do not think that any saree wearing woman in the west
would object for the security forces to compare the photo on her id with
that of her face. As far as discouraning a woman's full participation in
professional careers, empirical evidence is to the contrary. Anyway, even in
India, professional women do not wear saree ALL the time. In fact, many do
not wear a saree in their professional job, though they may be quite happy
to wear one outside in the public. Similarly, saree wearing women do not
wear the fabric while playing sports, except as a leisure item.
I am sure that there are some women from Goa on this net who wear a saree in
the public at least some of the time. What do they have to say on the
subject?
Sachin Phadte.
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