The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh on Sunday announced that the paramilitary organisation had decided to discard its 90-year-old tradition of having khaki shorts as part of its uniform. The shorts will now be replaced with brown trousers as they are "more common", RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said. "We are people who move with times. So we had no hesitation [in changing the uniform]," he added.
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. However, the decision on the colour is still subject to debate as a section of RSS members believes that the sangh “should not ignore the political symbolism” of the khaki colour, which they said stands for service. The knee-length khaki shorts with a black cap, white shirt, brown socks and bamboo stick have symbolised the RSS for decades.
At the Nagaur event, the RSS also said it supported women's entry into temples, adding that some places of worship are indulging in unfair practices. Without referring to any particular community, Joshi also said that the RSS was against affluent sections of society asking for reservations, reported CNN-IBN. He also briefly touched upon the subject of the Jawaharlal Nehru University controversy, saying it was a matter of concern. He also said the RSS will “not compromise” on Kashmir.
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