For Haryana govt, veil is state identity

Chandigarh: A photo caption in a Haryana government magazine has described ghoonghat (veil) as the “identity of the state”, sparking a controversy with the Opposition saying it reflected the “regressive” mindset of the BJP dispensation.

Chandigarh, June 28:A photo caption in a Haryana government magazine describing ‘ghoonghat’ (veil) as the “identity of the state” has sparked a controversy, with the Opposition saying it reflected the “regressive” mindset of the BJP government.

However, senior minister Anil Vij dismissed the Opposition charge, saying that BJP government had taken a number of steps for women empowerment and was not endorsing that women should be forced to keep a “ghoongat”.

The recent issue of Krishi Samvad, a supplement of the Haryana Samvad magazine, a monthly magazine published by the state government, carries a photograph of a veiled woman.

The woman’s face can be seen covered with a ‘ghoongat’. The woman is seen carrying cattle feed on her head, even as the caption reads: “Ghoongat ki aan-baan, mahra Haryana ki pechchan (pride of the veil is the identity of my Haryana”.

The front cover of the magazine carries the photo of CM Manohar Lal Khattar. Reacting sharply to the description, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said it reflected the regressive attitude of the ruling BJP.

“This shows regressive mindset of the BJP government. Women from Haryana are ahead in every field. Three days back, a woman from the state was crowned as Miss India. Girls from the state have made a mark in all fields.”