AHMEDABAD: A government circular dated June 22, 2018 issued by a section officer cited the education minister’s orders that employees wearing “Punjabi dress” at work not be harassed. The circular was well-received by women teachers, who have for years been demanding that the unwritten ‘sari code’ be abolished. However, two months later, women teachers are still not allowed to wear “Punjabi dress”.Salwar-kameez, colloquially called “Punjabi dress” in Gujarat, caused a debate earlier this year, when an association of women teachers demanded permission to wear it as formal wear, instead of the sari . Of the two lakh teachers at 34,000 government schools in Gujarat, 62% are women.Pankaj Patel, president of the Higher Secondary Teachers Association of Gujarat, said that despite the circular, the majority of school trustees insist that women teachers wear saris. “Many even argue that they have not received the said circular and are thus not bound by it,” he said.Sonal Patel, president of the women’s wing of Higher Secondary Teachers Association, said they respect the sari as traditional formal wear, but the question is about how practical it is. “Sometimes, teachers are uncomfortable wearing saris. About 56% of higher secondary teachers are women. Many teachers have to commute long distances and saris may not be the best sartorial choice for some,” she said, adding that they have already made a representation to the state government about this.It’s not just about government and grant-in-aid schools — teachers even at private schools face the similar resistance. A circular issued by an Ahmedabad-based school mandated that women teachers wear saris for two days a week and for festivals and formal events. ‘Salwar-kameez is allowed but it should have sleeves and a long dupatta. Palazzos, leggings, kurti-pants, chudidar, anarkali, full gown and jeans are not allowed,’ the circular reads.Shital Rajput, an Ahmedabad-based teacher, questioned why her male counterparts don’t have any such rules to follow, and why are only women expected to adhere to such norms. Jagruti Patel, a Vadnagar-based teacher, said that the government notification only mentions the primary section and secondary and higher secondary schools make this find the excuse to not allow any other types of dress. “Sometimes, teachers get conscious about wearing saris and dresses that cover more, such as salwar-kameez, may be more comfortable for them,” she said. Digvijaysinh Jadeja, president of Primary Teachers Association, said the Mehsana DPEO had to revoke a 2011 circular making saris compulsory.(With inputs from Ragini Bharadwaj)

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