Congress has announced a “white T-shirt movement” for “justice and equitable future for all”.
Jan 22, 2025 07:15 IST First published on: Jan 22, 2025 at 07:15 IST
Long before the Instagram age, Mahatma Gandhi made handspun, unstitched cloth the symbol of economic exploitation and a tool for political mobilisation. But the stunning innovation and marketing of khadi ossified over time and what was once unique became a uniform. The image of the politician has, for decades, been of a man dressed in a white khadi kurta-pyjama, sometimes, a dhoti. Meant to exude simplicity, the outfit in popular culture has become associated with power and its hypocrisies. The Congress party is now attempting to give the uniform a tweak.
Congress has announced a “white T-shirt movement” for “justice and equitable future for all”. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has sported the simple garment since his Bharat Jodo Yatra two years ago, even in freezing temperatures. It is a garment that is affordable and worn across the country. In addition, a beleaguered Congress may be hoping that it appeals to the youth.
But the image of the male, kurta-pyjama-clad politician is already outdated. In Parliament, MPs reflect some of the diversity of those they represent — they are seen in saris and coats, mundus and dhotis. Shirts and T-shirts aren’t so out-of-place either. The move to change the image of the politician is welcome. The fashion statement, though, shouldn’t stop at one garment or colour, or one party. For the millions who toil in the heat and dust of the country — not least the neta on the campaign trail — a white T-shirt may be a bit impractical. On it, it’s far too easy to spot dirt — and hypocrisy.
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