'We have noticed that many autorickshaw drivers wear the mundu folded and tied high up the waist. They also walk around with dhotis and lungis folded up, causing discomfort to women and families,' said the Wayanad Police chief.

Kerala: The Wayanad police's decision to prevent auto-drivers from wearing the traditional 'mundu' (dhoti) from June 1 hasn't gone down well with the drivers' union. The union maintains that enforcing a dress code is an infringement on their rights and an affront to Kerala culture.

As per a Times of India report, the unions plans to protest by making all the members in the union wear the traditional dress. They have also threatened to take their vehicles off the road if the police persist on implementing a dress code.

In the Kerala Police's aesthetic vocabulary, the auto drivers' way of tying the mundu, comes across as blasphemous. Hence, like all concerned mothers would with teenaged daughters would do, the police have decided to make sure the rebellious auto-wallahs cover up.

"We have noticed that many autorickshaw drivers wear the mundu folded and tied high up the waist. They also walk around with dhotis and lungis folded up, causing discomfort to women and families. We have decided to strictly enforce the code for drivers of public transport vehicles in the motor vehicle act in the district, which would require all drivers to shift to khaki pants," Wayanad police chief A V George was quoted as saying.

Those refusing to abide by the code may also be fined.

The Wayanad RTO says that the Motor Vehicle Act stipulates that drivers should wear khaki shirt and pants, which the police didn't insist on till now.

The drivers point out that the government asks all their employees to wear traditional clothes, which includes the 'mundu' and handloom sarees for work on Saturdays. Therefore, they argue, a dress code shouldn't be imposed on them.