Tirath Singh Rawat, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, made headlines when he issued controversial remarks about women wearing torn jeans and how, in his opinion, they are unable to provide the right atmosphere for their children at home.
Mr. Rawat made the remarks at a workshop hosted by the Uttarakhand State Commission for Child Rights in Dehradun on Tuesday.
He expressed surprise at seeing a woman running an NGO wearing torn jeans and expressed concern about the precedent she was providing for society.
What kind of message are we sending to society, to our children, if this kind of woman goes out into society to help people and fix their problems? All begin at home. Our children imitate what we do. “A child who is taught the right culture at home can never lose in life, no matter how secular he gets,” said the Chief Minister.
He criticized children wearing “bare knees” and bemoaned the fact that, although the west practiced India’s yoga and covered their bodies, “we move towards nudity.”
“Kaynchi se sanskaar (culture by scissors) – revealing bare knees, sporting torn jeans, and dressing like rich kids are the current beliefs. If not at home, where is this coming from? What is the school’s or teachers’ fault? Where am I taking my son, who is wearing tattered jeans and has his knees exposed? Girls are no exception, with their knees uncovered. Is this satisfactory? “he stated
Ganesh Joshi, one of his new ministers, backed up his tone-deaf remarks by saying that women should focus on raising healthy children: “Women speak about all the things they want to do in life, but the most important thing for them is to look after their families and children,” he said.
Sanjay Jha, the Congress leader in Uttarakhand, was one of the first to respond to the Chief Minister’s views.
“Wearing “#rippedjeans” destroys our culture, it seems. It leads to substance abuse. And a societal breakdown. Women should strictly avoid this sacrilege against our pristine customs, says Uttarakhand CM. Dear BJP, this is Tirath Singh Rawat, your Chief Minister: do you endorse this? “Mr. Jha tweeted
