Amid the hijab row in Karnataka, private schools in Arunachal Pradesh have decided to let students attend classes in their traditional dress once a week.
The move, the Arunachal Pradesh Private Schools and Children Welfare Association (APPSCWA) said, would go a long way in supporting local weavers in keeping with the government’s credo.
The decision to let students come in traditional attire of their choice will be implemented from the 2022-23 academic session starting in a few weeks.
“The representatives of more than 180 schools in the State met on February 6 and adopted a resolution on making it mandatory for students to wear their traditional dress to school on Mondays. Most parents had suggested this,” APPSCWA vice-president Tarh Jhony told The Hindu from State capital Itanagar.
On the other days of the week, the students will have to adhere strictly to the uniform of their respective school.
“There are more than 100 tribes and sub-tribes in Arunachal. Each student will have the freedom to wear the traditional dress of his or her community. A Nyishi student can wear Nyishi tribal dress, a Galo can wear Galo, a Singpho can wear Singpho. Likewise, non-tribal students can wear their own traditional dress,” he said.
However, students would not be allowed to wear accessories such as dao (machete) or certain ornaments that may be harmful to other students, APPSCWA president Yowa Bullet said.
“The introduction of traditional dress can support local weavers,” he said, adding that the local administration was intimated about this and other resolutions adopted by the association.
The APPSCWA said action would be taken against schools not abiding by the resolutions.
The association also said the traditional dress of a student should not reflect his or her religion.
“This is about culture, not religion, as educational institutions should be above religion,” one of its spokespersons said.
