Wendell Rodricks has written an open letter to ‘The Goan Minister’ asking him to wear a loin cloth to work if he opposes Western culture
The controversy over a Goa cabinet minister’s demand to ban mini-skirts and bikinis in order to “protect Goan culture” refuses to die down, with ace fashion designer Wendell Rodricks asking him to wear a loin cloth to work, skip chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, and stop using a table and chair at work if he believes in shunning Western influences and culture.
Rodricks’ open letter to “The Goan Minister” makes several allusions to the references made by Dhavalikar, who demanded a ban on bikinis and mini-skirts to the beaches and night clubs respectively.
The letter has evoked tremendous support in the social media, calling the minister’s utterances “non-progressive, archaic and dangerously right wing.”
“Shirts (European), Pants/Pyjamas (Chinese/Central Asia), socks, T-shirt and baniyan; yes your underwear too (Jersey was invented in Europe), Kurtas (Central Asia, Ottoman, Moghul). That leaves you with a kashti or pudvem and a shawl or cloth to cover your torso. Will you agree to go to your ministry office in this attireIJ” asked Rodricks in his letter. “By the way, it was not in Indian culture for Indian women to wear a bra or a sari petticoat. The former came from France, the latter from Victorian England. Also, when the coloniser came to Goa, there were no cholis,” he said.
Dhavalikar had attracted controversy when he recently said, “Young girls wearing short skirts in nightclubs are a threat to the Goan culture. This habit of young girls wearing short dresses everywhere does not fit the Goan culture. What will happen to it if this continuesIJ We should not allow this. It should be stopped.”
Rodricks also draws from his research undertaken for his book Moda Goa: History and Style, which documents the history of Goan costume.
“Since we are on the topic of Indianess, you will have to also stop eating potatoes, tomatoes, chilli, cashew, chickoos, pineapples and many other fruits, vegetables and spices that were alien to India,” he said, adding that Dhavalikar would also have to “cut off the power, throw out the table, chairs, computer, telephone, cell phone, aircon, teacups, Rolex watch, Mont Blanc pen. All paper and files too (both invented in China).”
The designer also accused Dhavalikar of trying to kill the vital tourism industry.
“The fact is that we have a more progressive mindset than many states. Opinions expressed should not be made until there is a knowledge of history and culture. We are a tourist state. Please do not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs,” Rodricks said.