Patidar women in Morbi barred from joining mixed-gender garba classes

Time of India

3 days ago

Rajkot: In an unprecedented diktat in the run-up to Navratri, the Patidar community in the ceramic town of Morbi has prohibited its women from joining co-ed garba training classes so that 'notorious' elements don't exploit the 'innocence' of females.
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A resolution to the effect was passed with majority support at a massive congregation of various Patidar associations organised on Aug 2, attended by thousands, including politicians and local MLAs.
Patidars, who account for nearly 70% of Morbi's population, have also directed the garba organisers not to open classes in areas such as Ravapar Road, Patel Nagar, SP Road, and Alap Society, where the community resides in significant numbers.
Justifying the decision, Manoj Panara, president of Patidar Yuva Sena Sangh, told TOI, "This decision was taken after reports that some men joined garba classes only to target young women. When men and women dance together to love songs for three months in garba classes, it's natural that they may get attracted to each other. Some notorious people join these classes only to woo girls and exploit their innocence."
As an alternative, the community has started women-only garba training centres at five locations, including Kanya Chatralay, Patel Nagar, Vaibhav Nagar, and Ravapar Road.
The academies have been strictly told to employ only female choreographers for women, have separate training timings for men and women, and verify the identity of trainers and participants, considering the safety of the women of other communities who also join these classes.
Sanjay Vyas, president of the Morbi Garba Classes Association, lamented the financial loss but said the organisers have agreed to comply. "They are in the majority, and we are all connected in business.
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We don't want to take responsibility if anything adverse happens," he said.
There are 27 garba classes in Morbi, with a majority of them starting three months before Navratri, while around seven classes teach garba and other dance forms throughout the year.
The associations have not explicitly spelt out how they would deal with violations of the rules, but said their members will meet the parents of the women flouting the decision and counsel them.