BBC News, Mumbai
A fashion show held last week in a picturesque snow -coated city in the Indian Kashmir caused a great controversy that still piercing.
The show, the famous fashion brand Shivan & Serresh, was held last Friday at the Gulmarg ski resort to display her ski collection. The label is the first large, non-local brand to hold a fashion show in Kashmir, a picturesque Himalayan region that has seen decades of violence.
But this soon caused anger among the locals, politicians and religious leaders in the Muslim majority of Kashmir after the fashion publisher Elle India posted a video on social networks that showed some models wearing underwear or bikini. The locals were also angry about the second video – shared by the Internet magazine Lifestyle Asia – entertainment held after the show, which showed that people drink alcohol outdoors.
Many were offended when the show was held in the Holy Moon of Ramadan – the time of fasting and prayer for Muslims – and accused the designers of “making fun of their faith” and “neglecting local culture and feeling”. Some priests called the “Obscene” show and they said it was like “soft pornography”.
Some explained that anger came not only from religious conservatism, but also out of fear of cultural imposing “outsiders.” Kashmir testified to decades armed separatist rebellions against Indian rule from the late 1980s.
The return was encouraged by Elle India and Lifestyle Asia to delete their videos. Shivan Bhatiya and Serresh Kukreja, designers behind the label, also apologized, saying that their “only intention was to celebrate creativity” and that they did not intend to offend religious feelings.
Kashmir – known as the land of saints and suffism (Islamic mysticism) – has a rich tradition of spirituality that affects many aspects of the life of the people. Traditional clothing is modest, with locals – both men and women – they often wear Feran, a long, loose robe.
The order also moved the social media and the discussion on the show, and the after party provoked Ruckus at the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
The opposition criticized the Government, accusing her of having given a permit for the event, although she is aware of local sensitivity. In the meantime, Chief Minister Jamma and Kasmir Omar Abdullah have distanced their government from the event, saying that they had been organized by private entities and asked local authorities to explore the matter and submit a report.
“If the law is violated, a strict measure will be taken,” he said in the Assembly on Monday. Police have not yet given details about who organized the event and what laws, if any, violated.
The fashion brand did not answer the BBC questions, including the permits she received.
It’s not surprising that Scenic Gulmarg – one of several Indian skiing destinations and a favorite with tourists – was the choice of a show for a ski collection.
Fashion journalist Shefalee Vasudev says it is not uncommon for designers to want to maintain fashion shows in excellent locations.
In fact, international designers like Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld remember so much in their creative, theater fashion shows as well as in their iconic designs.
But experimenting brings with it the risk of controversy and so it is important to keep in mind the political and cultural sensitivity of the place, Ms Vasudev told the BBC.
And this is especially true in a place like Kashmir, which testified to the wars and decades of armed conflicts.
Both India and Pakistan claim that Kashmir completely, but only controls it with parts. From the division of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, nuclearly armed neighbors took two wars in the territory.
Thousands of people were killed since the late 1980s, when a separatist rebellion broke out against Indian rule. Although the separatist movement has lost couple over the years, many locals continue to distrust in the administration in Delhi.
These feelings have been deepened since 2019, when the Federal Government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janana National Party, took away the region of its autonomy.
So some locals said the BBC that they were not surprised by the reactions to the show.
“Everything in Kashmir is political; people see things through political prism,” says Mir, a professor at a local university (he asked his surname to protect himself to protect his identity). He adds that people are skeptical of major corporate events such as fashion shows and – even if they are organized by private players – they believe that the Government is trying to dilute their culture.
Ahmad, a researcher, uses stronger words to express public anger. “The government is trying to dilute the spirit of resistance in Kashmiris,” he says.
This is not the first time that the event held by non-Locals has launched a controversy in Kashmir. In 2013, separatists and activists for human rights in the region protested against the show of the famous conductor Zubin Meht. They said It was an attempt by the Government to show the world that everything in Kashmir was all right when people were “suffering and dying.”
Some of the recent concerns about culture and identity can also be tied to increasing tourists for Kashmir from other countries in India. Federal government He often connected This flourishing of tourism until the abolition of Article 370, which seized the region of its autonomy.
Nousheen Fatima, 34, says that because of the Government’s messages of people outside Kashmir, they now see the region as safer and “more assimilated with India.” But she claims that many tourists do not respect the culture of the region.
Last year, a A video showing tourists Drinking alcohol while driving a boat on the famous Lake Dal in Srinagar caused anger from political and religious leaders, who called behavior “non -Islamic and non -ethnic”.
In February, The locals set up posters In Srinagar, asking tourists to “respect local culture and tradition” and “avoid alcohol and drug use”, but police later demolished them.
IN editorial For the voice of a fashion magazine, Mrs. Vasudev claims that anger should be examined from a critical lens. She asks if everything is okay for the show to be held in another Indian city instead of Kashmir, where Muslims would also watch Ramadan. And would it be acceptable to maintain a show in Kashmir if it only had only clothes modest.
She also points out that Kashmir home is “the finest wool yarn in the world; some of the best handmade, hand -drunk pashmina creations and his craftsmen.”
“What Kashmir creates and suits cannot be repeated anywhere. Shouldn’t the fashion show in Gulmarg, with innovative garments made of 100% wool, consider regeneration of interest in unprocessed ways?” She asks.
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