What’s with the veil?

[hmdsalahuddin]

This the new trend in metros and in cities of India.

WHAT’S WITH THE VEIL?

With a local news channel hinting that the growing tribe of girls ‘hiding behind their scarves’ was for dubious reasons, Hyderabad Times gets you city reactions on this issue :

The veil seems to be in vogue these days among the women in the city. It’s a common sight to see young women moving around in public places with their faces covered. For many, it’s the best way to protect their faces from all the dust and pollution, but many others think that there is more to this trend than what meets the eye.

Recently, there was a furore in the social media about a special report in a local news channel which suggested that girls were misusing the veil to shield their identity and get away with cozying up with their boyfriends or even two-timing them. Sumona Koka, an Intermediate student thinks such conclusions are plain hypocritical. “It is unfair to brand everyone who wears veils as being ‘loose’. What right does anyone have to pass such judgments? Even if a girl is hanging out
with her boyfriend wearing a mask, it’s just the girl who’s getting the brickbats. It just reflects the double standards we have in our society,” she fumes.

Rohini Maistry, a student of HCU (Hyderabad Central University) along with three of her college mates made a 12-minute documentary film, “Willingly Una’veilable’” which explores the issue. “We’ve seen this trend of women covering their faces explode in the last couple of years. While protecting themselves from tanning and dust is one of the reasons, a lot of women felt that it was a good way of avoiding unwanted attention and it also makes them feel secure from eve teasers and similar rogue elements while commuting to and from work or college. Guess everybody has their reasons. In any case, it is an individual choice and it would be unfair to make sweeping general assumptions about what motivates girls to wear their veils as long as it is not harming the society at large,” says Rohini.

Reflecting the ‘veil’ trend, Sunil Kumar Reddy’s latest film’s posters have its protagonists posing with their faces covered. It has a tagline that goes: ‘Behind every veil lies a secret’. He thinks the tendency to cover up is a bit of a zeitgeist. “The veil has become a fashion statement. It isn’t just the girls, even the guys are following suit, covering their faces with handkerchiefs. In the movie, we have used it as a symbolic representation to convey this generation’s overwhelming need to hide behind something. They seem to find some sense of security in anonymity. It’s interesting to note that the Internet has become such a powerful platform for self expression mainly due to the anonymity it offers,” he explains, adding, “I think it has something to do with the communication gap between the generations. The veil has become a bit of a mask to hide frustration and insecurities.”

Amrita Choudhry, a research scholar, thinks the veil gives women a sense of power. “Behind a veil, you dissolve into anonymity and it can be very liberating. For example, you can check out all the men in the world without having to worry about being found out. In any case, it is a woman’s prerogative to show as much of herself as she pleases,” she says. Well, whatever the reasons, this trend sure seems to be here to stay.

Source: Hyderabad Times, 20-June-2012

[janaveronikazahra]

really good article.someone discovered power of veil.
only disturbing part is that veil could be misused.

I love niqab! gives personal freedom but for muslim woman it goes hand by hand with responsibility

w alikum assalam