North Koreans Plant Umbrellas to Protect Traffic Wardens

According to a Korean Central News Agency report picked up in bemused tone by the New York Times, the country’s leader, Kim Jong-il, has taken a personal interest in the well-being of these traffic wardens, ensuring that they are equipped with, among other things, “unique platforms under umbrellas” to shield them from the elements.

According to KCNA, the women who direct traffic were “moved by the warm affection shown for them by General Secretary Kim Jong-il, who saw to it that the platforms with umbrellas are being set up.”

KCNA adds that the new giant umbrellas of Pyongyang have been attracting a lot of attention and comment from North Koreans who, according to the news agency, “say it can be seen only in the country led by Kim Jong-il.”

Addendum: Reuters has Dear Leader opening an umbrella boom with his own umbrella holder, too!

Umbrella for Sale? Bargaining for Indian Political Party Symbols

This umbrella is the political symbol of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). In efforts being made by actor-politician Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) to secure a symbol, the PRP, after the Indian Election Commission declined a common symbol for it despite Apex court's recommendation, PRP "withdrew its petition in Andhra Pradesh High Court as it decided to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections under the "umbrella" symbol of SDF."

Thus, with an umbrella in focus, Brolly Blog had to learn what symbols are all about for Indian politics. According to IndianElections.com

According to certain criteria, set by the Election Commission regarding the length of political activity and success in elections, parties are categorised by the Commission as National or State parties, or simply declared registered-unrecognised parties. How a party is classified determines a party’s right to certain privileges, such as access to electoral rolls and provision of time for political broadcasts on the state-owned television and radio stations - All India Radio and Doordarshan - and also the important question of the allocation of the party symbol. Party symbols enable illiterate voters to identify the candidate of the party they wish to vote for. National parties are given a symbol that is for their use only, throughout the country. State parties have the sole use of a symbol in the state in which they are recognised as such Registered-unrecognised parties can choose a symbol from a selection of ‘free’ symbols.

Any, then, why an umbrella for the SDF?

Htidaw: Sacred Umbrella Hoisted on Pagodas in Myanmar

Before we can understand the role of umbrellas in life, we need to continue to understand each of their presences. Thus, as I learn today, preparations are "under way to consecrate and complete a replica in Naypyidaw of Burma's famous Shwedagon Pagoda." The inauguration ceremonies will be marked by hoisting its Htidaw (sacred umbrella) and Seinbudaw (diamond bud). So, now what can I find out about "Htidaw"?

By one definition, it is "Holy umbrella like steel structure mounted on top of the temple usually covered with gold leaves and decorated with jewelleries." According to an article by Min Zin in Irrawaddy:

The practice of co-opting religious symbolism for political ends literally reaches its pinnacle with the ceremonial hoisting of the htidaw ("umbrella") on the top of pagodas that have been newly constructed or renovated. This act is regarded as the ultimate merit-making event, and yet it has no basis whatsoever in Buddhist doctrine. According to historian Dr Than Tun, "This practice began in the 15th century, when a Mon king invaded Burman-dominated territory and put a big crown made like his own on top of each pagoda in the land he conquered." As retaliation, "The Burmese king put a likeness of his own crown on top each pagoda when he re-seized his land."

In early 1999, Burma’s military rulers held a htidaw-hoisting ceremony to mark the completion of a major renovation of the country’s most sacred religious edifice, the Shwedagon Pagoda. The ceremony, which was treated as one of the most important religious events of the 20th century, culminated with the generals shouting "Aung Pyi! Aung Pyi!" ("We won! We won!"). Far from sharing in the generals’ sense of victory, however, local people were left feeling more defeated than ever.

So, are we talking politics or culture? Searching for images on Google finds that they are almost all on official Myanmar releases, certainly lending weight that the symbolism is completely political. That still begs the question of what the symbolism is, except some aspect of coopting history. Reading more, the Htidaw is made from gold, so there is a whole cultural aspect of donations of gold to make the Htidaw and soliciting moneys for it.

San Francisco School Protest Where Umbrella Symbol Makes Sense

I have already written about the sex workers and their red umbrella protests, but the Rainy Day Fund Umbrella Project is a little more local and a lot more specific. As part of a protest against the failure to release all the funds from the "Rainy Day Fund" for schools, parents are urged, among other things, to bring umbrellas to a March 16 protest and then post pictures of the event--so come back on March 17 and see those umbrellas!

The Red Umbrella: Politics and the Sex Worker

Well, my next post was going to be the umbrella and politics, and it is, just not the one I was going to use. Will save that one for a rainy day. This one is better. I will see if I can find some root for this, but the critical point as made by The Londonist is that the red umbrella has become the symbol of British sex workers.

It's against the Policing and Crime Bill which it is feared will further criminalise them and their clients. The protest is organised by xtalk who run free English classes for migrant sex workers. Participants, whether strippers, escorts, working girls, maids, models, city brokers or Londonist readers are encouraged to bring a red umbrella and meet at that most potent of misunderstood London sex symbols, Eros in Piccadilly Circus, at 2pm on Tuesday 31st March.

Well, that was easy. Here is the "official word" on "Why Red Umbrellas?":

The red umbrella is a symbol of the international sex workers’ rights movement (see www.sexworkeurope.org). It symbolises both the literal shelter needed if working on the street, and demonstrates our solidarity with all sex workers who are frequently marginalised and excluded, both from their communities and from the debates about our industry.

And taking this back one more step, according to an article by Pye Jakobson and Petra Timmermans "The Red Umbrella, originally used by sex workers demonstrating in Venice, Italy, is a 'symbol of beauty and resistance to humans' and sky's attacks, red'."