Dress Code Is No Secret!
Goan women who were poor had short dresses because of their poverty. Nowadays, rich women show more of their body. The first statement is not true while the second is debatable. I read the above comment in a local daily and was surprised no end to re-discover Goan culture. During the Portuguese era no Goan woman was so poor it was necessary to skimp on clothing material. And, it is also true after the Portuguese. Our dress code is no secret and there is no hidden agenda. Women (and men) wore clothes which were work friendly. Fisherwomen wore a special short type of Goan sari which allowed them to move easily while carrying baskets full of fish on the head. It was also convenient when they sat down on the floor or a low seat to sell the fish. Fishermen wore the famous kashti, a sort of Goan version of the fig leaf in cloth and a testament to our creativity. It was ideal for their job which involved going in a canoe and spending a large part of each day in or on water. It was, in a way, a sort of swimsuit. Sexy, indeed. Some of the men I tell you could have stepped straight on to a modern cabaret stage but the women of Goa unfortunately were yet to experience or hear of the so-called women's liberation movement. And, last but not least, the real silver chain worn around the waist made them look like Lotharios. Misleading, though, as it was intended to make their jobs easier to do! They, no doubt, were dressed for the occasion. For the fishermen, you might say, work was worship! Susegado is not the right word. Try another. Any other. Fishermen, sadly, in Goa today wear shorts. The padekar was not to be outdone and wore the same but today also wears shorts, a big climb down from the Tarzan-like outfit. What a fall from grace. Once upon a time they were skimpily dressed as they climbed our sacred and wonderful coconut trees which gave us so much in the past and continues to this day. People who live in other parts of India or who live in Goa for a short while might misunderstand Goans who were brought up and nurtured in a more liberal atmosphere. While Goa did not have the ambience of the Kama Sutra as we find in the golden age of Indian culture it was not mauled as badly as other parts of India by the Muslim's stringent rules regarding the behavior of men, and women, with regard to the dress code or the British stiff upper lip and clenched buttocks approach to life which was on display during the long reign of Queen Victoria. We Goans need to be patient with outsiders while at the same time proud of our heritage as well as grateful not to have been a victim of repression or diktats on how to dress! People from other parts of India have not been as lucky as we have. We need to thank god even if we are atheists. Indians outside Goa know it but we don't! And so they fly to Goa to enjoy themselves and dance and drink their troubles away. They can't even wait for King Momo to announce the start of the carnaval. Cheers.
