IIT-Bombay chooses Khadi as convocation robe to ‘evoke nationalism’ in students

Sources said the institute has ordered 3,500 angavastrams made of honey comb towel cotton Khadi. Students will drape the piece of cloth over their clothes to mark the occasion.

The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay has chosen Khadi angavastrams, a Hindu traditional white piece of cloth or stole, for the convocation ceremony of its graduating batch.

The move is aimed at evoking a feeling of nationalism in students as Khadi ia a “national symbol”, IIT-Bombay director Devang Khakhar said.

Sources said the institute has ordered 3,500 angavastrams made of honey comb towel cotton Khadi. Students will drape the piece of cloth over their clothes to mark the occasion.

Khadi has been at the centre of Narendra Modi’s plan of reviving the traditional textile industry and the prime minister has repeatedly exhorted the public to increase its use of the fabric, especially through his monthly radio address, Mann ki Baat.

But the decision is expected to re-ignite allegations that the government is trying to saffronise education and introduce Hindu elements in top institutions to bolster its cultural agenda.

Earlier this year, Gujarat Technological University made Khadi compulsory for its convocation.

“IIT- Mumbai chooses Khadi as their convocation robe. After Gujarat University, now khadi has also made a niche in the hearts of authorities of premiere Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai,” said a statement by the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.

The release described the decision as a significant development that showed that Khadi was gaining ground in every sphere of life.

In July 2015, the University Grants Commission issued a circular to all universities and affiliated colleges to consider using handloom for ceremonial dresses prescribed for special occasions such as convocation.

Gujarat Technological University officials had pointed to the same circular while making Khadi mandatory during convocation.

But the move has sparked opposition from many students, such as those at the University of Hyderabad, who last year termed the decision as a Hindu imposition designed to safronise education.