There is nothing unique about the contestation over headscarves in Turkey. In most modernising societies, women’s garb has been a defining issue. We come across it constantly in India. It’s difficult to imagine this today, but the India of the thirties and forties was witness to several debates of this kind. For instance, there was a very interesting and animated debate in Marathi magazines on whether women should be wearing the traditional, nine-yard, divided sari (nauwari) or the newer, five-yard version!
The writer is head of the department of economics, University of Pune
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