The government wants students to wear regional attire made of Indian handloom when they receive their degrees. The letter, addressed to all public and private universities that fall under the UGC, said “using handloom garments would instill a sense of pride in being Indian”. Because, that too is a Western style celebration that could be questioned, if a senior UGC official can claim the black robe at graduation is a colonial relic that needs to go. Similarly, the black robe has been an essential metaphor of (vetoed) knowledge since the 12th century, when scholastic monks donned them once their studies were over. Just a thought, these graduates should be deciding for themselves with what pomp they’d like to show themselves out into the world.

Source: Indian Express June 30, 2019 20:15 UTC