Show mod Gulmarg Sparks Row in Indian Administrated Kashmir

A fashion show that took place last week, in a picturesque, mad, snowball in Kashmir, which is engaged in the Indian, caused a great dispute that is still throwing.

The show, a famous fashion brand Shivan & Nootressh, took place last Friday at a ski resort in Gulmarga to show your skiing collection. Leible is the first big, non-lacal brand that conducted a fashion show in Kashmir, a colorful Himalayan region that has seen decades of violence.

But soon it caused indignation among locals, politicians and religious leaders in Muslim Kashmir after Elle India Fashion Publisher posted a video on social media showing some models that wear lingerie or bikini. The locals also became angry over the other video – shared the online magazine Lifestyle Asia – a party held after the show showing that people used alcohol alcohol.

Many were offended when the show took place on the holidays of Ramadan – the time of fasting and prayers for Muslims – and accused designers of “mockery of their faith” and “ignoring local culture and mood”. Some clerics called the show “obscene” and said it was like “soft porn”.

Some others explained that indignation arose not only from religious conservatism, but also from the fear of cultural introduction by “outsiders”. Kashmir has witnessed the decades of the armed separatist uprising against Indian government since the late 1980s.

The reaction pushed Elle India and Lifestyle Asia to delete their videos. Shivan Bhatiya and Nootressh Kukreja, designers standing behind the label, also apologized, saying that “their only intention was to mark creativity” and that they are not going to offend religious sentiments.

Kashmir – known as the Earth of Saints and Sufism (Islamic Mysticalism) – has a rich tradition of spirituality that affects many aspects of people’s life. Traditional clothes are modest, with locals – both men and women – often in feuts, long, free cloak.

The line also moved from social media and discussion about the show, and after the participant caused the rampant in the Jamm and Kashmir meeting.

The opposition criticized the government, accusing him of giving permission for the event, despite being aware of local sensitivity. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jammo and Kashmir Omar Abdulu returned their government from the event, saying it was organized by private organizations, and asking the local authorities to investigate the case and submit a report.

“If the law was violated, strict measures will be taken,” he said at the Assembly on Monday. Police have not yet gave details about who organized the event and what laws, if any, were violated.

A fashion brand did not answer BBC questions about the show, including the permits received.

Not surprisingly, a colorful Gulmorg is one of the few skiing places in India and a favorite with tourists – there was a choice for a show that emphasizes a collection of ski clothing.

Fashion journalist Shafoli Vasudev says it is not uncommon for designers wanting fashion shows in exquisite places.

In fact, international designers, such as Alexander Makkuin and Karl Lagerfeld, were remembered as much of their creative, theatrical fashion indicators as their iconic projects.

But the experiment brings with it the risk of dispute, and therefore it is important to remember the political and cultural sensitivity of the place, said Mr. Vasudev BBC.

And this is especially relevant in a place such as Kashmir, who witnessed wars and decades of armed conflicts.

Both India and Pakistan claim that cashmere is in full, but controls it only in part. Since the division of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, nuclear armed neighbors conducted two wars over the territory.

Thousands of people have been killed since the end of the 1980s when separatists’ corruption began against Indian government. Although the separatist movement has lost couples over the years, many locals continue to consider the administration in Delhi with disbelief.

These sentiments have deepened since 2019, when the federal government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatia Jonatia deprived the region of its autonomy.

So, some locals said the BBC that they were not surprised by the reaction to the show.

“Everything in Kashmir is political; people see things through a political prism,” says Mir, a professor at a local university (he asked his last name to deprive him of his identity). It adds that people are skeptical of big corporate events such as a fashion show and – even when they are organized by private players – they believe the government is trying to breed their culture.

Arshid Ahmad, the researcher, uses stronger words to express public anger. “The government is trying to dilute the spirit of resistance in Kashmir,” he says.

This is not the first time an event that did not lackers caused a dispute in Kashmir. In 2013, separatists and human rights defenders in the region protested against the show of the famous conductor Zubin Macht. They – Note It was a government attempt to show the world that everything was good in Kashmir when people “suffered and died.”

Some of the latest fears around culture and identity may also be associated with enlargement of tourists to Kashmir from other states of India. Federal government often bound This boom in tourism before the cancellation of Article 370, which deprived the region of its autonomy.

34 -year -old Nushen Fatima says that from the state messages, people outside Kashmir now view the region as safer and “more learned with India”. But she claims that many tourists do not respect the culture of the region.

Last year, a Video showing tourists The use of alcohol while traveling on a boat on the famous Lake Dal in Schrinari caused indignation of political and religious leaders who called the behavior “non -Islamic and unethical”.

In February, The locals put posters Schrinari is asked by tourists to “respect local culture and tradition” and “avoid alcohol and drug use”, but later police were lifted.

Y en editorial For the magazine “Voice of Fashion”, Ms. Vasudev claims that the indignation should be studied from a critical lens. She asks if everything would be in order for the show to be held in another Indian city, not in Kashmir, where Muslims will also watch Ramadan. And whether it would be acceptable to hold a show in Kashmir if it were only the outfits that were perceived as modest.

She also notes that “the best wool yarn in the world lives in Kashmir; some of the most wonderful hands, hand -made” Pashin “and its artisans.

“The fact that Kashmir creates and acts can not be repeated anywhere. Doesn’t the fashion show in Gulmrag, and with an innovative clothing made of 100% wool, is regarded as a restoration of interest in unverified ways?” she asks.

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