Yogendra Yadav Reveals Secret behind his 25-Year Long Love Affair with Assamese 'Gamusa'

Guwahati February 24, 2020:

Hailing Assam's iconic gamusa as the perfect blend of "aesthetics and functionality", Sawraj Party leader Yogendra Yadav has exhorted the people of Assam to revive the handloom industry in the State.

In a recent conversation with Inside Northeast, Yadav revealed the reason behind his enduring love affair with the Assamese gamusa, which, he says, is not just a "fancy dress" to him.

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Yadav said that his love Assamese gamusa began 25 years ago when his friend Apoorv Baruah's mother-in-law gifted him a hand-woven Assamese cotton gamusa as a token of love. "The North Indian gamcha is functionally good, you can wipe your face with it, but it is not formally nice, it is not aesthetic. The South Indian angavastrams are very ornate, they are very good-looking but you can't wipe your face with that. Assamese gamusa is a wonderful combination of aesthetics and functionality", Yadav explained to Inside Northeast.

"India has Assam in it, India has Northeast in it, so I carry my Northeast with me all the time", Yogendra Yadav said, adding that to him, the gamusa is symbolic of "India" and her various identities.

The renowned activist also said he dreams of the day when all of India will start using the gamusa. He further urged the people to revive the tradition of handloom and expressed hope that the technique of weaving by hand will be revived and the people of Assam will take back the gamusa.

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