2014 was an exciting year for India and
for us. It was the year the people's movement was gaining ground in the form of
the AAP which
had won the assembly elections in Delhi a few months before the Loksabha 2014.
This was also the first time illume was involved in electoral research. We
spent most of 2014 talking to voters, political experts and analyzing codes of
power semiotically. Here is an excerpt on what the political dress code symbolizes.
RESIDUAL CODE / SWADESHI PRIDE
Coloring machines were imported and
"desi" sentiments meant patriots stayed away from clothes that were
dyed.
Leaders used to travel a lot to upkeep
connectivity with the masses. White attire saved them from discomfort of heat
in daytime.
Over a period of time it became
synonymous with the political class of leaders
HISTORICAL SYMBOLS
- White – Hindu idea of purity – unblemished, unpolluted
- Coarseness – association with simplicity and poverty.
- Together – the politician’s capacity to renounce his own material comforts to make sacrifice (tyag) in public interest
Today, almost all politicians, veteran
or novice wears white clothes to project themselves as leaders, which helps
them with their physical impression and puffs up their self esteem.
PRESENT DAY SYMBOLS - From purity
and renunciation to corruption and thievery
- Today it symbolizes a corrupt politician. They use whites, as a shield to cover all their evil (black) deeds
- Since it has not changed in 60 years, seems antiquated.
- Covering one’s true personality – not being oneself. Staging a traditional masquerade in handloom. An actor. A charade. Following a code. Implication – people are fools and will not be able to see through
- Trying to be one with the aam aadmi
- In the south – the white is accented by a stole (towel – signifying the party color) – the intention – people should identify not the person but his party identity
- It now represents either a thoughtless habit of the politician or-if he is too conscious of his decision to wear khadi is callous hypocrisy
Modi breaking the code but
not quiet. He has broken the white code but his clothes still mask the real
himEndFragment
THE NEED OF THE HOUR - BEING TRUE TO
ONESELF
Wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeve,
being who one honestly is, having the courage not to change costume with
changing locales, these are the lessons to be learnt from the 40s generation.
Older generation males (Nehru, Gandhi,
Azad or Patel) or many women politicians - make no concession to the social
status of gatherings in their clothes
The personal was always
the political for them. One’s personal stance and beliefs reflected one’s
outward appearance. Khadi was a political and personal statement for Gandhi
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