A woman from Meghalaya, Tailin Lyngdoh, had to witness the darker side of elite Delhi that refused to put Jainsem, the Khasi traditional dress, on a par with the dress code of a British-era club. This stirred the hornet’s nest and prompted many to speak out for the traditional attire.
Jainsem, unlike sari, is less known outside the State and most Khasi youngsters living in other states rarely flaunt their tradition. In fact, changing fashion has lessened the popularity of the dress even in Jainsem’s own land. Fast westernisation played a pivotal role and jeans effortlessly replaced Jainsem over time. Now, the traditional dress is restricted to office (government offices to be specific) wear or occasional attire.
“It is ignorance and complete detachment from the surroundings that led to the humiliation of the woman in Delhi. But it is also true that Jainsem is no more popular among the young generation,” said Sweetymon Rynjah, an expert in Khasi culture and former assistant registrar of NEHU.
Rynjah went on to explain that for a Khasi woman, Jainsem is a complete dress that conceals the body both from the back and the front screening the physical features.
Jainsem can be made of different materials like silk, eri, muga or dhara. While silk Jainsems are used for regular use, muga or dhara is meant for special occasions. “Lyngdoh might not be wearing the best of the materials but that cannot be the reason for humiliation,” said Rynjah.
With time, the style of wearing Jainsem and the designs on materials have also changed. For example the hemline of Jainsem has gone up from heel-length. Also, dhara, which are meant for celebrations, would traditionally have geometric patterns running vertically or horizontally on the fabric or emblems of peacocks, “which symbolised women’s dignity”. Today there are dharas of various materials, including Kancheevaram silk, and colours.
“However, one should not confuse a Jainsem with Jain-kyrshah which is used by Khasi women while doing daily chores. It resembles the apron,” says Rynjah.
In fact, Jainsem has already got a contemporary look thanks to local designer Daniel Syiem who has taken the traditional dress to the international platform. Models in new-age Jainsems have walked the ramp with grace. Despite this, the popularity of high-priced Jainsems among youngsters has hardly increased restricting the dress only to old women. One reason could be convenience and comfort.
“I would prefer jeans or trousers to Jainsem at work as it is comfortable. It is difficult to travel and run around in silk Jainsem,” said a young professional and added that buying Western apparel is cheaper than Jainsem and “so I keep the best traditional dress only for occasions”.
UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh admitted that there is a need for popularising Jainsem and the Department of Sericulture and Weaving “plays a pivotal role” in that. He, however, discarded any official notification on wearing the traditional dress to special occasions saying he believed in “social legislation”.
“Also, there is a need to teach our teenage daughters to respect and wear the Jainsem. As a legislator, whenever I go for meetings or any function outside the state I proudly wear my Jainsem,” said Teilina Thangkhiew, MDC of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
But many like Banteidor Lyngdoh, executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, insisted that time and tide could not wane the popularity of the traditional attire. “You will find women in every government office wearing Jainsem though there is no written dress code. Young girls too wear it because it is customary. It is a shame that the Khasi lady in Delhi was treated like that for wearing such a dignified attire,” he said.
It is indeed shameful that the 51-year-old lady at Delhi Golf Club was treated as a pariah for a mere attire. But is it not shameful on the part of a section of Khasis (members of the Khasi Students’ Union) too who once put embargo on salwar kameez? So has it come full circle with the recent incident?
UDP’s Lyngdoh, who is a former KSU member, said the cases are different. “When there is cultural invasion people will fight back,” says Lyngdoh in defence of KSU’s move to prohibit salwar kameez.
However, Khasi women and girls now widely use salwar kameez.
Banteidor Lyngdoh echoes similar views and flags “fear of dilution of cultural entity of a small group of people” as the reason for “our young KSU boys to restrict salwar-kameez” back in those days.
Going by the same logic, Tailin Lyngdoh too diluted the elite cultural identity of Delhi Golf Club. Then why the brouhaha over the incident?
Rynjah explained what exactly went wrong. “Who are KSU members to say what to wear and what not to? For that matter, none, not even the government, has the right to dictate someone’s fashion because it is changing constantly. It is farcical to put dress code anywhere in the world. The problem is we are losing connection with each other and there is little humanity left in us,” she pointed out, and very truly.
The Assam Government has made traditional dress compulsory in government offices and functions. In Meghalaya, many women ministers and legislators sport Western wear even at formal functions or House sessions. When asked whether the State Government should follow similar diktat on dressing, Rynjah at once rubbishes the idea. Fashion, said the octogenarian, is changing with time and setting a dress code is “simply redundant”.
In fact, Rynjah was furious and amused at the same time when she was asked to comment on the Delhi incident. “Why would people cavil at petty issues like dress, especially a sophisticated and decent dress like Jainsem, when we have so many other problems? Dresses are meant for comfort and concealment. If these criteria are fulfilled then what’s the problem. How does it matter how much the dress costs because in no way a person’s attire should affect social fabric,” Rynjah said indignantly.
