Aakanksha Sadekar Chauhan, a drilling engineer in Aberdeen, Scotland, has sparked a conversation on cultural identity after sharing her experience of wearing traditional sindoor and mangalsutra to work.
While her British colleagues showed quiet respect and curiosity, a fellow British-Indian colleague judged her, saying she looked like a 'new bride'.
Chauhan, who was born in Mumbai but grew up in Aberdeen, explained that she wears her traditional attire to express her cultural identity and not to make a statement.
As a petroleum engineer in a male-dominated industry, Chauhan said she loves showing her cultural identity and that it coexists with her high-tech career.
She expressed her frustration with the judgment she received, saying, 'We love policing our own women. Too traditional. Too modern. Too loud. Too visible. Pick a struggle.'
Chauhan emphasized that she wears her sindoor and mangalsutra because it's a part of who she is and not to make anyone else comfortable.
