In the series of India making strong connections with different countries, a new addition was Bulgaria when the President of the National Assembly, Rosen Zhelyazkov, made a visit to New Delhi. While everything seemed to go well, there is an issue that needs to be pondered over apart from these international relations.
When the Bulgarian president landed here, he was welcomed by Indian officials with a bunch of folk dancers at the airport, presenting their performance as a grand welcome for the Bulgarian president. While this might seem like a normal thing in a country like India, where we love to showcase our rich culture in every small thing, the dancing of those women in front of a foreign guest has sparked a conversation on social media.
Some people exclaim that this signals that even in 2024, we have not come out of our patriarchal thinking. They argue that this tradition of bringing dancers was prevalent during the time of emperors and kings. Why does a woman have to dance in front of guests to please them?
On the other hand, another section of the audience gives a pass to this, saying there is nothing wrong with dancing. They argue that these dancers are artists, and their art should be judged accordingly.
However, it’s crucial to remember that art needs a platform, and one can’t just go on dancing at an airport to please anyone. If they wanted these dancers to showcase their talent, a proper stage should have been arranged. This incident not only downgraded their art but also added to our patriarchal history. Feel free to share your opinion on this.
Why do we make our women dance every time in front of foreign diplomats, just like in the Mughal era? Don't we have something better to showcase? This mentality needs to be changed on a serious note for betterment of this nation.#IndianPoliceForceTrailer https://t.co/Sfy3Vtd3QK
— India Waale (@indiawaalee) January 5, 2024
Please remove this practice of putting women as some form of entertainment whenever a guest comes. Do you have your wife or sister break into a jig when you have guests at home? https://t.co/V3lhvgVJh0
— richa badola (@richa04richa) January 4, 2024
*Diplomats arrive in India*
Indian government's welcome committee: pic.twitter.com/H0VMdqjn5X
— Nemo (@NonsensicalNemo) January 5, 2024
