Plaiting hair mark of womanhood, says Goa minister

Panaji: After kumkum (vermillion) and sarees, Goa Minister for Factories and Boilers Deepak Dhavalikar on Wednesday said plaiting of hair was once celebrated as an element of Indian women's glory.

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"In our ancient culture, applying kumkum, wearing saris, plaiting your hair was linked to the glory of Indian womanhood. This is getting destroyed," said Dhavalikar.

Defending his wife Lata's comment on Sunday in which she linked rape to the Western culture, the minister told reporters on Wednesday that children should be admitted to those schools where they can be influenced by Hinduism alone.

"... if children go to a convent, then they do not understand our culture early on. They do not get attached to our culture. They go towards a different culture. If this happens, what will happen to our culture?" the minister said.

"Therefore, instead of admitting children to convents, children should be admitted to schools where they will learn our culture, where there will be an influence of Hinduism on their minds," he added.

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He sided with his wife who had advised parents not to send their wards to convent schools and said that saying 'namaskar' instead of 'hello' was a good phone etiquette.

"Everyone has a right to propagate their own religion. What wrong has she done?" Dhavalikar asked.

The minister, known for making controversial statements, demanded that India should be made a Hindu nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lata Dhavalikar, according to the minister, is a member of two Hindu right-wing organisations, namely Sanatan Sanstha and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.