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Dimapur, Feb. 20 (EMN): A Chakhesang organisation has accused Indian designer Ritu Beri for “making a mockery of our traditionally woven shawls without our permission and misused them which were developed and preserved over the years by the Chakhesang Nagas.”
The organisation issued a press release on Thursday denouncing the ‘misuse and distortion’ of the ‘symbols of the shawls that wrongly represent the original concepts and its depictions.’
The press release read: ‘The attention of the Chakhesang Women Welfare Society (CWWS) is drawn by the local news on 9th February 2020 where the Chakhesang traditional shawls were showcased during Suraj Kund Crafts Mela held on 7th February 2020. The CWWS expressed shock and anguish by a well-known designer Ritu Beri for making a mockery of our traditionally woven shawls without our permission and misused them which were developed and preserved over the years by the Chakhesang Nagas.’
The CWWS denounced the “misappropriation of our traditional Naga designs and ethnicity in her collection” which was showcased with the theme “Naturally North-East: The Naga Narrative.”
“We are enraged by the humiliation she has caused to the Naga heritage. Our traditional shawls and attires were woven and designed with deep rooted meanings that are attached to the core of our sentiment as a community. Every pattern, symbol and the attires itself all have a meaning of its own. The shawl depicts and symbolised our ethics from time immemorial.”
The organisation claimed that the “distortion of our culture is an insult to our forefathers and the Nagas.”
Stating that its sentiments have been “deeply hurt and the damage she has done is beyond repair,” the organisation asserted that the ‘Naga Narrative’ was not a homage to the Nagas “but an abuse and violation of tribal identity.”
“We condemned the action of the organisers for misusing and distorting the symbols of the shawls that wrongly represent the original concepts and its depictions. The CWWS as the rightful owner of the shawls and mekhelas shall take all legal recourses to those responsible in committing misappropriation to book them as per the provisions of law. We warn any individual/groups not to use the attires of the community in any inappropriate manner,” the organisation stated.