 "It doesn't matter if NIFT chairman is not from fashion, but he should be able to bring about change: Rina Dhaka")
Earlier this week, a huge controversy erupted over the appointment of former cricketer and two-time Bharatiya Janata Party MP, Chetan Chauhan, as the chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology. The decision drew much flak from the Opposition as well as from within the fashion fraternity, with designers questioning the rationale of appointing someone not related to the field for such an important position. Fashion designer Rina Dhaka speaks to Avantika Bhuyan about the issue and the ways in which professionals involved in the fashion business can contribute to the development of NIFT. Edited excerpts:
There hasn't been a member from the fashion industry as NIFT chairperson, ever since its inception in 1986. Also, in spite of the NIFT Act 2006, which requires the chairperson should either be an academician, scientist, technologist or a professional, we continue to have bureaucrats or business heads at the helm. So, if this has been a practice in the last few decades, is the controversy over Chetan Chauhan's appointment much ado over nothing?
I think the manner in which the announcement came about and the fact that it startled the political parties - that made it a talking point. Members from the fashion fraternity were drawn into it much later. But what this controversy has done is, it has recreated the NIFT brand. We are all sitting and discussing it now.
Have organisations like NIFT and FTII become a political playground?
Being in the fashion industry in India for years now, one gets a sense of how NIFT works. The ministry of textiles is quite involved with the institution. Having said that, the ministry under this particular government has made quite an effort to engage with members of the fashion industry. For instance, when Shaina NC (fashion designer and BJP spokesperson) wanted me to introduce her to designers for the 'Weaves Of Banaras' show, as part of the Make In India week, I put her in touch with Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India, or FDCI. Within minutes of the introduction, we were invited to the residence of Santosh Kumar Gangwar (the minister of state, ministry of textiles) for further discussions. There is a greater level of engagement and less elusiveness.
In your opinion, if a person from the fashion industry was chosen to head NIFT, what sensibility would he or she bring to the institution? How would it change the vision and day-to-day working of NIFT?
If a person is not empowered to bring about change, there is no point appointing him or her. It's like you get the best chef in, but don't provide the ingredients needed to create a stunning dish. So, that needs to be taken care of. Members of the fashion industry can contribute and are already contributing to the development of NIFT in various capacities. For instance, a lot of good ex-students of NIFT have become faculty members. It's not just the designers that make up the fashion industry. There are great technical people in the field, and also exporters and buying houses, which represent international brands in India. Then, there is the ministry of textiles itself with a huge crafts sector. There are people who are committed and are willing to give time.
If we were to look at the other side of the issue, has the presence of a non-fashion person as the chairperson affected the academics or administrative processes at NIFT in the past? What kind of changes would you like to see?
I am one of the founder members of FDCI. When we started, we used to have meetings in the chambers of NIFT, at Hauz Khas, Delhi, a lot of times. What I mean by this is that there needs to be an interconnectedness between the two zones. This is essential for the fabric to be maintained. And when there is a ripple in the fabric, it affects all of us. For smooth running, people from the trade - mill owners, people from manufacturing hubs like Surat - need to be engaged more. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if the chairperson is from fashion or not, but what matters is that more people from all aspects of fashion be brought in to contribute to the institution.
