Costumes and it’s politics is serious issue to talk about. Our dressing is being questioned daily. It’s got into more of a complex stage. Beyond being the male- female body. Clothes were once connected to caste system. Now it has moved beyond all that and has even emerged in a male chauvinistic attributes. With ‘ Maar Marakkal Samaram’ we have seen a drastic change where woman realized they wanted rights in the society. Wearing clothes were never pushed due to shame but once it has been practiced only then did clothes become a metaphor for shame.
Women are the ones who are being subjected to a lot of things regarding clothes. They are made aware of their shame and code of conduct regarding the way they dress even at an early childhood.
Rajeena spoke about hijab and the conditions around it. For some, opting hijab is their choice while for some it’s subjected upon them and is bound to follow. While there are some who even opt out of it. She says what Quran says about wearing a Hijab or veils. Nowhere in Quran does it ask women to cover her body or head with a Hijab or pardha.
Eventually Arundathi concluded by saying that, whatever social condition that is making a woman revolt for her right to enter Sabarimala, the same social conditions are making her revolt against the way she has to dress up.
Towards the end there was an active interactive session with some really amazing questions from the audience. The session would have went on and got in an interesting session but due to time constraints it had to be wrapped up, discussing just the important points.