Bhubaneswar: Covering the face with a scarf or a mask –sometimes with both — to protect it from the harsh sun has become more than a necessity for women and girls these days. However, such attempts to keep faces tan free are also attracting adverse comments. Critics say many girls indulge in shady activities as no one recognises a disguised face. Orissa POST interacted with a few city girls to elicit their personal views on covering their faces to protect themselves from heat and to avoid air pollution, particularly in the day. But is it necessary to cover the face in the evening when they go out, say, to a temple?
Gayatri Sahu: Being a student, I often have to go out for my extra classes. In the blazing sun, it’s tough and one does require a scarf or a mask to remain safe from the heat. However, I do agree to the fact that wearing such a mask often helps many shady girls to go scot free as no one recognises them.
Ayushi Patra: I am a final year student of ITER and my friends often use scarves, but I don’t. I feel like choking myself and one can hardly recognise the face inside such a militant-style drape or dupatta. Absolutely there is no need to hide your face in the evenings or at pious places like temples. I believe such draping is totally uncalled for as we are not Muslims.
Rosy Mallick: Yes, having a mask always around one’s face is fashionable today, but we can’t deny the fact that many girls are roaming around with their boyfriends with faces covered. Neither the parents know about it or anyone else. It’s kind of a shady stuff.
Akanksha Nayak: At KIIT, I along with my friends hang out a lot and these scarves were out of question. If I am with my boyfriend why do I need to hide it (face). When my parents have agreed to it why should I bother about people. I personally despise wearing a mask, no way.
SubhashreeJethy: Well, the funda of girls wearing a mask is quite sexy. It’s like a puzzle yet to be solved and what do you mean by shady work. Don’t boys do all the shady work while roaming around in their Tees and shorts. It’s just that girls are more beauty conscious and their male friends also like their faces covered.
CHAITALI SHOME,OP