RSS opts for trousers over khaki shorts

The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday said its members will now do away with the traditional khaki shorts and opt instead for a pair of trousers.

"We have taken the decision to change the dress code for swayamsevaks. We have decided to replace the khaki shorts with brown pants," RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi told the media here.

The RSS also opposed the tradition of ban on the entry of women in some temples in the country.

"If there is any unfair tradition, it should be done away with through dialogue and discussion," Joshi said.

The decision to change the dress code to wood brown/coffee colour trousers was taken at a three-day annual meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the RSS.

"Trousers are more common in normal life. We are the people who move with the times and that's why we have no hesitation in changing the dress code," he said.

Many view the move an attempt to attract more young people towards the RSS.

"It may take four to six months for the dress code change to take effect as the message has to be communicated to at least 50,000 villages, towns and cities in the country," Joshi said.

The RSS leader felt that trousers would in no way affect the exercise and drills of swayamsevaks.

"Cricket and judo-karate players and people who do yoga also wear track-suits and full pants. So it is wrong to say that wearing pants will affect training or exercise of swayamsevaks," Joshi said.

Joshi said there was no specific reason to opt for brown colour for trousers, except the fact that it was easily available and the colour looks good.

The RSS leader expressed concern over the recent happenings at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in Delhi, including raising of anti-national slogans at the third anniversary of the execution of parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9.

"Slogans against the country were raised there. What kind of mentality is this? It's a matter of worry. We should think who allowed such mentality to grow," Joshi said.

"The way our society reacted over the issue was a welcome move," he added.

During the event, anti-India slogans were allegedly raised, following which JNU students leader Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police on February 12 on charges of sedition.

The RSS also opposed the tradition of ban on the entry of women in some temples in the country.

"If there is any unfair tradition, it should be done away with through dialogue and discussion," Joshi said.