#TGLife
We Indians are deeply interested in politics. It is talked about all the time in all the places, but when election comes round the corner, our passion for politics seems to cross all boundaries. People find innovative ways to show their support for political parties and people, and businesses in turn find ideas to earn a quick buck from the trends that rise during such times. Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, and prime minister Narendra Modi are currently the most-talked about personalities across the nation, and their faces are everywhere-on posters, t-shirts, and even sarees!
Sarees bearing faces of political leaders is a trend that originated in 2014 in Surat - Asia’s biggest hub of saree production. Riding on the Modi wave at the time, traders created digitally printed sarees bearing the face of prime minister Narendra Modi. Now, as the nation gears up for 2019 polls, the trend is surging across India-but not in Goa.
In states such as Gujarat, Jharkhand or metros such as Mumbai and Pune, sarees printed with faces of prime minister Modi or Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are witnessing booming sales, but Goans have not jumped on the bandwagon at all. In fact, Modi sarees are available at only one shop in whole of Goa, and there too, the establishment has just kept two sarees in stock due to zero response.
“The product has been lying there for the past two years and no one wants to buy it,” said the sales person while speaking to TG Life. “We do not exactly know why Goans are not buying the sarees like rest of the people around India. Maybe the Goans just think a little differently,” said the sales person. The Modi saree costs around Rs 2000, and Rahul and Priyanka sarees are not available.
Not just this, but many other trends that are a hit around India seem to fail or are picked up late in Goa, say business experts. Prolonged Portuguese rule has given Goans a strong sense of identity, and that might be a reason behind the lack of response from Goan to such trends.
“I don’t want to comment on what one chooses to wear, but if you want to show your support for any political leader, you could talk about their work on various platforms and find other meaningful ways to create awareness,” says Nina Naik from Panaji. While some people may think a saree is cool, others may not, she adds.
Pranjali Puranik, an engineer from Goa, who moved to Pune for work has a different observation. “We have had elections before, we have had powerful leaders before, but putting their faces on a saree or t-shirt seems a little disturbing to me. Be it our favourite sport of cricket, or Bollywood celebrities, or politicians-the way we show our love towards our celebrities needs to be more mature,” says Puranik. Such trends are mostly bubbles that burst soon, and Goans are matured enough to see through such gimmicks created by shrewed businessmen, says Puranik with a smile.
All things said and done, what shall become of these sarees when the era of current leaders ends and new faces rise on the horizon? Few people have time to consider this question right now as we are busy cheering for the present leaders ahead of elections.
