Lipstick leads to transfer of Tamil Nadu's woman duffedar

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation 's first woman duffedar (marshal), a job that requires her to part of the mayor's ceremonial retinue, has been shunted out of the mayoral office for allegedly defying an order not to wear lipstick during an official assignment last month.

SB Madhavi , 50, purportedly received a transfer order minutes after she asked mayor R Priya's personal assistant, Siva Sankar, to justify barring her or anybody from wearing lipstick to work. "You asked me not to wear lipstick, but I did so. If this is a crime, show me the govt order prohibiting me from wearing lipstick," Madhavi wrote in response to an Aug 6 memo from Sankar.

"This is Greater Chennai Corporation, and such instructions are a violation of human rights. Your memo stands only if I did not work during duty hours," she said. The memo mentioned charges like "dereliction of duty", "not coming to work during working hours" and "disobeying orders of seniors". Since Madhavi was transferred to the corporation's Manali zone, the duffedar's post has been vacant.

Mayor Priya, who is from DMK, said the duffedar's participation in a fashion show during Women's Day celebrations at Ripon Buildings in Chennai had invited criticism. "This was conveyed to her. Also, the duffedar wore matte lipsticks, which were too striking. As the mayor's office frequently receives ministers and embassy officials, my PA asked her not to wear such shades."

But the mayor, the first woman from the SC community to hold the post, insisted that Madhavi's transfer "isn't related to this (wearing lipstick)". Madhavi, a single parent, said the "faraway" Manali zone was "a punishment posting" since Anna Nagar, Ambattur, and Valsaravakkam were closer.