The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Tuesday replaced its trademark khaki shorts with brown trousers. The right-wing organisation chose Dussera to mark the end of a sartorial era that lasted 90 years. The pracharaks will also get a new shade of socks – dark brown instead of khaki. The switch is the organisation's attempt to adapt to the changing times, NDTV reported.
Volunteers in the northern and eastern parts of the country will wear brown sweaters to beat the cold during the winter. The organisation has already placed its first order of one lakh sweaters. On March 13, the RSS had announced its decision to replace its khaki shorts with trousers. RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi had said, "We are people who move with times. So we had no hesitation [in changing the uniform]."
A 12-member team of the group's central executive members, along with regional chiefs, collected opinions on the uniform from across the country and submitted its report at the All India Pratinidhi Sabha session being held in Rajasthan's Nagaur city. The knee-length khaki shorts with a black cap, white shirt, khaki socks and bamboo stick have symbolised the RSS for decades.
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