Dress Code

Bijoy Gupta (l) showing off in front of Shekhawat

Yesterday, Bijoy Gupta appeared rather quiet and withdrawn, probably out of concern for his friend’s health (see post). But today, upon seeing Shekhawat hale and hearty, he was back to his exuberant self. It was clearly out of joy. And how does he display this?
He pulls up Shekhawat, questioning him on his sartorial taste!
“Why are you in your bedroom clothes?” he hollered. “Aren’t you ashamed to be in a vest? And what is that chaddi (shorts)? I can’t bear the stench. You wear it to the toilet and come wearing the same chaddi to the Garden... Stay away from me!”
Shekhawat is not one to argue with Gupta and obediently moved to a bench – knowing well that Gupta would soon gravitate to him in the course of the exercises. But Nahid Khan and Arun Patil had already got the excuse to reprimand Shekhawat for not turning out “decently dressed” – more so, when there were women present in the group.

Praveen Bhai (r), a Club friend celebrates
his birthday with chocolate bars

Tara Chand (c) treats us to cookies from
a popular bakery in Delhi

This gives rise to the question of what constitutes being “decently dressed” and by extension, whether we ought to abide by a specific dress code? Who decides?
In the first place, it was not as if Shekhawat was in his underwear. He was in normal brown shorts and white collarless T-shirt that he had worn countless times to the Garden earlier. All Gupta needed was an excuse to pull Shekhawat’s leg and make an issue out of a non-issue.
As of now, the only imposition we are putting up with is the blue Club cap to be worn daily. There is also an old and almost forgotten diktat of having to wear green on Wednesdays and white on Saturdays. By and large, we are free to wear what we like, when we like, regardless of any consideration of uniformity, appearance, decency or indecency. Each unto his/ her own. And this is how things have been for 15 years.

Bihari Milwani:
Today Shekhawat was in mourning over the 9/11 terror attack. That is why he came in a white t-shirt. Due to Arun’s uniform cap code, he also put on the cap. We must appreciate this old man’s memory.

Anonymous:
Shekhawat-ji is stepping into the shoes of Gandhi-ji.