Jayalalithaa brings bill to end clubs’ no-dhoti rule

CHENNAI: Around three weeks after a Chennai club turned away a dhoti-clad high court judge, triggering a debate over the traditional attire, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday tabled a Bill in the assembly seeking to remove restrictions imposed by recreation clubs, hotels and other entities on wearing dhoti. At the height of the controversy, she had declared that a Bill banning no-dhoti rule would be introduced in this assembly session itself.

The Tamil Nadu Entry into Public Places (removal of restriction on dress) Act, 2014 says: "No person, wearing a veshti reflecting Tamil culture or any other Indian traditional dress, shall be denied entry into any public place, by reason only of his dress, provided that the dress shall be worn in a decent manner." The Bill proposes to cancel licences of clubs and organisations having 'no-dhoti rule' in their bylaws. Whoever violates the new law can be punished with imprisonment up to one year, besides being fined up to Rs 25,000.

The new bill merely takes away a prohibitive clause existing in the bylaws of clubs and other such entities. It does not insist that clubs make an announcement or insert a new rule saying henceforth members/guests wearing dhoti would not be denied entry. But, it is now deemed that clubs would henceforth consider dhoti a formal attire. The bill sought to declare as null and void any regulation or bylaw made by any recreation club, association, trust, company or society denying entry to a person wearing a veshti (dhoti) or any other Indian traditional dress.

The Bill said the imposition of restriction on persons on the ground that their dress did not conform to western culture would amount to continuation of the colonial imperialistic attitude. No dress code restrictions can be imposed in public places, and such other places, as may be notified by the government, where people congregate in connection with any function, event, entertainment, sports or other activity, it said.

On July 12, Justice D Hariparanthaman of the Madras high court and two advocates were denied entry into Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) Club at Chepauk, where they had gone to attend a book release function organized by a former Chief Justice of the court. After The Times of India frontpaged the incident, an avalanche of criticism followed, with activists and opposition parties decrying the disrespect shown by such clubs towards the traditional Tamil attire.

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