The Sari Controversy

Shashi Tharoor has a column in the Times of India, where he discusses the demise of the Sari. He feels younger women in India, are not wearing the Sari as much and adopting more Western clothing, like Jeans and Tee Shirts.

Today, I wonder if I’ve been too complacent. What will happen once the generation of women who grew up routinely wearing a sari every day dies out? The warning signs are all around us now. It would be sad indeed if, like the Japanese kimono, the sari becomes a rare and exotic garment in its own land, worn only to temples and weddings. Perhaps it's time to appeal to the women of India to save the sari from a sorry fate.

The Blogsphere exploded with criticism about this article, so here he responded and tried to analyze what he said and how it was perceived.

So where did I go wrong? It seems my innocent expression of concern at the dwindling appearance of the sari on Indian streets and offices was offensively patriarchal. It reflected the male gaze, demanding of the female half of the population that they dress in order to be alluring to the masculine eye. Worse, by speaking of the declining preference for the sari amongst today's young women in terms of a loss for the nation, it placed upon women alone the burden of transmitting our society's culture to the next generation.

Desi Critics criticised his article, I found the arguments very defensive, and attacked him more than the argument that he was making.

"Of all the garments yet invented by man (or, not to be too sexist about it, mankind), the sari did most to flatter the wearer", you say. So, I guess I should withdraw my earlier statement about the "alluring" garment, right? And you, of course, have been just about politically correct - about man/mankind thing - though I do think you should have included the womankind as well, but we shall overlook that for the moment. You have lots more interesting things to say, and I would like to focus on that. Such as, how irrespective of the size of the person, the Sari could be used to cover up all defaults and shortcomings of the wearer. You are absolutely right about that, women look good in a Sari, irrespective of their size. Correct me if I am wrong, but without voicing it explicitly, you seem to be suggesting that today by not wearing this "masterpiece of feminine attire" any more, women are actually exposing the inadequacies of their not-so-perfect hour-glass figures, aren't they?

I don't really blame you - you have been out of the country for so long that you probably don't see the changing trends of attire and attitudes that I do. So, maybe, it hasn't struck you that probably these very women who always hid themselves behind the six-yard cloth don't really care about hiding those inadequacies any more? Or don't worry so much about getting an approval from the men folk (and I really mean men here and am not being politically correct)?

Mad Momma described her love of saris and how comfortable she feels in them.

I love sarees. I have a cupboard full of them and have been wearing them since I was 14. I have caught buses in them, climbed trees ( I have pictures to prove it), cooked in them, gone to office, worn them to college and danced in them. So I am physically very comfortable in them. I am also one of those people who don't need to pin their sarees in a dozen places. One pin at the most and I am good to go.

I grew up in India, but never learnt how to tie a sari well. I hardly wear them, but feel a sense of loss about not wearing them, since I have inherited a lot of exquisite saris. This whole controversy has made me want to learn how to tie a sari myself and walk confidently in it, and not feel that it's going to fall off me at any time. I agree with what Shashi Tharoor is saying, in an attempt to ape the West, Indian women are adopting Western clothes and forgetting their own rich cultural heritage. And I for one am going to learn more about the Saris that I own and learn to walk in them with pride.

None of the articles have mentioned how weavers in Banaras are starving and taking up other work because of the Indian market buying cheaper Saris made in China.

This website has some wonderful images of the variety of different sari wearing styles in India.

Amba Sanyal, who I happened to be named after, has written a comprehensive book on Saris of India.