At a panchayat called by Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan in Charthawal area of Muzaffarnagar, its national president Thakur Pooran Singh said boys should refrain from wearing half pants and girls should not wear jeans in villages. “If they do not follow this order, they could be punished socially,” he said, while addressing the meeting at Peepalshah village on Tuesday.
As the news spread, Mr. Singh said his intention was to preserve the village culture. “We have no problem with girls wearing jeans when they are on job in cities but when they come to their village, they should follow the rural tradition and not bring the western influence to the village,” said Mr. Singh, who is also the face of the Thakur community in the region.
He told The Hindu that he was all for girl education and girls working in sectors where they are required to wear western outfits. “Our girls work in the police. They also go to schools where they wear skirts as part of the uniform. My only concern is that at home we should celebrate our traditional wear,” Mr. Singh said.
‘Only counselling’
Agreeing that crime against women had nothing to do with what they wear, he said by the punishment he only meant counselling of such families who didn’t follow the panchayat’s advice.
Mr. Singh took on the media that it didn’t highlight that he also appealed at the same meeting that during the panchayat elections people should not vote for candidates who seek their vote by distributing free liquor.
Mr. Singh, who led a march against the BJP government’s agriculture policies in the past, is also keen on farmers and the government returning to the table to sort out the issue on the contentious farm laws. “It is fine if the government amends the laws as long as it comes up with a law guaranteeing the MSP,” he said.
