BBC News, Mumbai
Chevan and Lost TeamThe fashion show that was held last week in a comfortable, snowy town in Kashmir, the Indian runway, has been a great controversy that is still digesting.
The show was held by the well -known brand of Civan and narrow, last Friday at a ski resort in Julmag to display their ski set. The brand is the first large non -local brand to hold a fashion show in Kashmir, and it is an area in the scenic Himalayas of Himalayas that have witnessed contracts of violence.
However, it quickly angered the local population, politicians and religious leaders in the Islamic majority Kashmir after the Elle India fashion publisher published a video on social media that showed some models that wearing underwear or bickens. The local population was also angry at another video – shared by the Internet lifestyle in the Asian magazine – a party held after the show, which showed that people drink alcohol in the open air.
Many people neglected the offer in the holy month of Ramadan – the time of fasting and prayer for Muslims – and accused the designers of “sarcastic their faith” and “ignoring local culture and feelings.” Some clerics called an “obscene” offer and said it was like “soft porn”.
Others have made clear that anger has arisen not only from the religious preservation, but also the fear of cultural imposition from “strangers”. Kashmir has witnessed contracts of armed separatist rebellion against Indian rule since the late 1980s.
The reverse reaction ELLE India and Lifestyle ASIA pushed their videos. Shevan also apologized Battia and Narresh Kukreja, designers behind the poster, saying that “their only intention is to celebrate creativity” and that they do not intend to offend religious feelings.
Chevan and Lost TeamKashmir – known as the land of the saints and Sufism (Islamic Sufism) – has a rich tradition of spirituality that affects many aspects of people's lives. Traditional clothing is modest, where the local population – both men and women – wears a loose long cloak.
The class also moved on social media and a discussion about the show, and the party caused after Rock at the Jumu and Kashmir Association.
The opposition criticized the government, accusing it of giving permission to the event despite its awareness of local sensitivities. At the same time, the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah distanced his government from the event, saying that he was organized by private entities, and asked the local authorities to investigate the matter and submit a report.
“If the law is violated, strict measures will be taken,” he said at the association on Monday. The police have not yet provided details about who organized the event and what the laws are, if any, which ended.
The BBC's fashion brand did not answer the show, including about the permissions it got.
Gety picturesIt is not surprising that the landscape Jumarg – one of the few ski destinations in India and favorite with tourists – choose a place to show highlights the ski set.
Fashion journalist Shmali Vasodiv says it is not uncommon for designers to hold fashion shows in great locations.
In fact, international designers such as Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld are reminded of their creative and theatrical shows as they are for their iconic designs.
But the experience brings with it the danger of controversy, and so on, it is important to take into account the political and cultural sensitivities to a place, as Ms. Vasodiv told the BBC.
This is especially true in a place like Kashmir, which has witnessed wars and contracts of armed conflict.
Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir completely, but only control it in parts. Since the division of India and the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, nuclear armed neighbors have fought two wars on the region.
Thousands of people have been killed since the late 1980s, when a separatist rebellion against Indian rule broke out. Although the separatist movement has lost steam over the years, many local populations continue to offer administration in Delhi with lack of confidence.
These feelings have been deepened since 2019 when the federal government, under the leadership of the Hindu Jaraatia Party, has stripped its independence area.
So some of the local population told the BBC that they were not surprised by the reactions on the show.
“Everything in Kashmir is political; people see things through a political perspective,” says Mir, a professor at a local university (asked to be blocked to protect his identity). He adds that people are skeptical of the events of large companies such as the fashion show – even if they are organized by players from the private sector – they believe that the government is trying to reduce their culture.
Arshid Ahmed, a researcher, uses stronger words to express general anxiety. “The government is trying to reduce the spirit of resistance in the Kashmiris,” he says.
This is not the first time that an event has not caused by the unlikely to be contacted in Kashmir. In 2013, separatists and human rights activists in the region were held against an offer by the famous leader Zobin Mihata. they He said It was an attempt by the government to show the world that everything was good in Kashmir when people were “suffering and die.”
Gety picturesSome recent concerns about culture and identity can also be linked to tourists to Kashmir from other states in India. Federal government Often connected This mutation in tourism to cancel Article 370, which stripped its independence area.
Noslin Fatima, 34, says because of government messages, people outside Kashmir now see the area that the region is safer and “more absorbed with India.” But she claims that many tourists do not respect the culture of the region.
Last year, a Video showing tourists Drinking alcohol while riding a boat on the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar, anger from political and religious leaders, who called “non -Islamic and immoral behavior.”
In February, Local population put stickers In Srinagar, tourists are asked to “respect local culture and traditions” and “avoid alcohol and use drugs”, but it was later withdrawn by the police.
in Editorial As for the fashion magazine, Mrs. Vasodiv argues that anger should be examined from a critical lens. She asks whether it is right for the show to be shown in another Indian city instead of Kashmir, where Muslims were watching Ramadan. And whether it is acceptable to hold the show in Kashmir if it only has clothes that are seen as modest.
It also indicates that Kashmir is the home of “the best wool strands in the world; some of the finest hands, hand -woven bashmina creations and craftsmen.”
“What Kashmir creates and benefits anywhere. Shouldn't it be seen in Gulmarg's fashion show, with innovative clothes made of 100 % wool, as an interest renewed in heterogeneous ways?” You ask.
