LEADING FASHION designer Ritu Kumar has cancelled her first ever venture, a three-day “fashion weekend” in Assam following an alleged threat from outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom.
Top designers like Rina Dhaka, Soumitra Mandal and Nandini Barua were also the part of the Northeast Fashion Weekend which was all set to begin on Wednesday at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati. Though the organisers of the show could not be contacted for their reaction, Bipul Shah, the general manager of the trade centre, where preparation for the proposed show was in its final stage, said that the organisers have informed them that the show has been cancelled due to some urgent reasons.
Security sources however said that they have received some inputs about the cancellation of show following a threat from the outlawed Ulfa but they are yet to confirm if the threat was genuine. Sources said that in view of the recent kidnapping and subsequent release of Maharashtra forest officer Vijay S. Bardeka, the organisers were reluctant to take any risk and decided to cancel the show immediately after they got a call from some unidentified individual claiming to be from Ulfa. The organisers were reluctant to reveal further details but at the cost of anonymity said that fashion designer Ritu Kumar has reported the incident to the Mahasrashtra police. “They will be informing the Assam police soon,” sources said.
The show aimed at promoting new designers and models from the region, with top names like Ritu Kumar and Wendell Rodericks also expected to participate.