An event was organized on February 7 in Nagaland under the theme of Naturally North-East: the Naga narrative. Fashion designer Ritu Beri has showcased the Chakhesang traditional shawls at Suraj Kund Crafts Mela. The 2 shawls were Rira and Rura of the Naga tradition where Rira being a men’s shawl and the latter being women had been showcased in the event.
The Chakhesang Women Welfare Society (CWWS) had appealed a suit which was filed in a district court of Phek in Nagaland against the fashion designer Ritu Beri and the Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED) under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs stating that the fashion designer had showcased the concerned shawls wrongfully in her fashion event which was disrespectful and represent a derogatory remark against the Naga culture.
The women’s body also mentioned that showcasing the Naga culture without their permission and distorting the tradition of the said culture is a wrongful deed and is also a question towards the Global Identification (GI) tag.
