Aheli Moitra
You may have noticed it in the pictures. Even before they stress the ‘P’ before ‘olitics,’ they begin to don a Nehru jacket. Since 2014, of course, its name has been tailored to suit the current narrative of power; the Nehru jacket has promptly become the Modi jacket. Many Naga politicians have picked up the sartorial choice.
This choice has been most visible when multiple New Delhi rounds became a staple diet of Naga politicians. The erstwhile Congress doyen of Nagaland continues to don a full, short, Nehru jacket à la Manmohan Singh. The ex chief minister of Nagaland also got himself a few similar ones when his power became all encompassing. But the full jacket, given the heat we will witness soon, is not as popular as the Nehru jacket waistcoat. Only few seem to have resisted its popularity, prominently the chief of the Cock Party who continues to wear a western suit, sometimes with a Naga shawl, either draped or slung over his shoulder. You will rarely see national workers wear khadi style waistcoats, preferring half windcheaters and Naga half jackets. The Naga half jacket, a contemporary design to escape the effects of wearing Naga shawls in sweltering heat, is also commonly worn by civil society leaders, perhaps to demarcate their allegiance to the people. When they switch sides, the jackets switch façade.
What style you choose does not define how corrupt you are, but it does say a lot about your politics. In Nagaland, the clique of corrupt gentlemen continues to focus more on fancy clothes and shoes, tailored to the power they swear by. The plight of their people is not reflected in their clothing, their array of automobiles or palatial abodes. Under and over the suits, bulging bellies and puffy eyes give away a lifestyle unworthy of a loyal following. Privilege determines political following, not principle. A senior political organizer from New Delhi pointed out the irony of this—they are well suited and booted but we know they are weak inside and the people they lead suffer miserably; on the other hand, even if the ministers of West Bengal or Maharashtra wear chappal and torn clothes, we know they are strong internally, their people prospering.
Clothing is, often times, central to the political image. Following MK Gandhi’s home-spun movement, Jawaharlal Nehru quickly switched from his western suits to khadi waistcoats, proudly coming to own the Nehru jacket. Narendra Modi may have picked up the style, despite his distaste for Nehruvian politics, but has certainly come to own the Modi jacket adding the Gujarati touch of flamboyance—it shows up in his speeches, policies and campaigns. Mamata Banerjee has stuck to her roots of emerging as a grassroots politician, showing that a simple cotton saree is no bar to political transformation.
Naga women have been weaving Naga pride to reality since time immemorial. Their designs and composition do not pander to majoritarian whims; each weave tells the Naga story. Even the Naga half jacket was conceived and executed by Naga women. In showing scant regard to minorities in the Naga polity who sustain it thus, the clique of corrupt gentlemen has faltered and it is for all to see. Their sartorial style speaks volumes of their politics without pride, grounded in hoarding private wealth, chauvinism, power mongering, nepotism and visionless politicking. Much work needs to be done before any of this can be reversed, showcasing the true pride of Naga politics to the world.
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