‘No lungis or nighties’: The row over Greater Noida housing society’s ‘dress code’ for residents

An apartment owners’ association (AOA) in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida has sparked a debate over its dress code rules for residents. According to a Times of India (TOI) report, Himsagar Apartment AOA in Greater Noida’s Sector Phi 2 has asked residents not to wear “lungis and nighties” in public or common areas inside the premises. The move has left people divided with some backing the order and others raising objections. What is the row about and what are the residents saying? Let’s take a closer look. Circular on dress code The circular, titled “Dress code for walking in the premises of the society”, was issued on 10 June, reported Hindustan Times (HT). It read: “It is expected from all of you that whenever you roam in the society at any time, you should pay special attention to your conduct and dress so that you do not give any chance to someone to object to your behaviour… Therefore, everyone is requested not to roam around wearing lungi and nightie which are home wear.” Why was it issued? Speaking to TOI on Tuesday (13 June), AOA president CK Kalra said they received complaints from some women about a senior citizen wearing “loose clothes” while doing yoga on the compound, which the complainants said made them “uncomfortable”. Kalra added that their intention was not to discriminate against anyone but only want residents to “follow guidelines”. “It is simply a request to the residents of the society,” he told HT. People in India wear nighties or nightgowns and lungis at night during summer as they offer more comfort. Due to a delay in monsoon, Uttar Pradesh has been witnessing humid weather and high temperatures even in June. Flak over the notice Some residents, including those of other housing societies, have criticised the guidelines which they see as a violation of people’s personal choices. Rajiva Singh, president of the Noida Federation of Apartment Owner’s Association (NOFAA) told HT that welfare associations are not authorised to dictate such guidelines. KK Jain, secretary general of the Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations (FONRWA), said that while some decency should be maintained, “we are of the view that it should be the freedom of an individual what to wear what he or she wants. The dress be according to an individual’s choice”, reported TOI. Taking objection to the directive, Devender Tiger, president of the Federation of RWAs in Greater Noida, said to HT: “A residential society is not an educational institution that it needs a dress code”. As the notice went viral online, social media users also condemned the move. A user asked if freedom of expression does not include sartorial expression. Another commented: “Don’t know. Now these issues don’t amuse me anymore. We are a society with weird priorities”. ALSO READ: Pet dog bites schoolboy in lift of Greater Noida society; incident sparks fear among residents Some show support Residents of Himsagar said they did not have an issue with the circular. Dr Yash Veer Singh told TOI: “They are not imposing any fine on us. I have never seen anyone roaming in the common area wearing a lungi, but maybe it was someone’s guest. Residents here are mostly disciplined”.

Another resident told the English daily that he thinks “as a parent” it was “good” for his children. “The AOA has not asked for anything wrong and I guess we should consider it”. GB Nagar district development RWA president NP Singh also backed the move, saying wearing “ill-fitted loose clothes” in common areas of the society “does not look appropriate”, reported TOI. RWA controversies This is not the first time that a notice by a RWA has created a row. During the onsent of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports were rife of RWAs’ overreach. Doctors became a target as they were seen as a transmission threat, with multiple reports of them being harassed and threatened by neighbours, landlords and RWAs coming to light, as per ThePrint report in 2020. Discrimination against domestic workers also evoked controversy. According to reports some residential societies in Gurgaon and Noida barred domestic workers from using lifts, apparently to “prevent” the COVID-19 spread. RWAs had defended their actions by claiming they were for the safety of the residents, noted ThePrint. Several RWAs have also faced flak for not allowing bachelors as tenants. [caption id=“attachment_12736972” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Residents and housing societies have also locked horns over pet ownership and feeding strays. AFP (Representational Image)[/caption] Residents and housing societies have also locked horns over pet ownership and feeding strays . In June 2020, animal activists had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against RWAs in Bengaluru accusing them of banning pets and feeding strays as well as harassing animal feeders. Issuing guidelines in March this year, the Centre directed RWAs and AOAs to allot a feeding spot and time for residents to give food to stray animals. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .