Chandigarh, Aug. 30 -- There was a time in the Panjab University (PU), when the whir of sewing machines was a significant sound track during the election season, with white kurta pajamas being the centre of attraction among students. The tailor shops inside the boys hostels and PU market were filled with white fabric, aimed at sewing a perfect attire for the young men, eager to look like a leader. The snip-snap sound of scissors was as important as the sound of slogans and the tailors were as crucial as the campaign managers. Mohammad Furqan, a tailor from boys hostel number 3, who is in PU from the past 25 years remembers how the craze of kurta pajamas has decreased among students. "Earlier, the students were eager to wear the white attire, but now we get very few orders and that too only from leaders. We get orders on normal days, but the special craze during the election season has sharply declined," said Furqan. He added that the trend of pant style pajamas has started from the university. This decline of the kurta pajama tells the larger story of how campus politics has been silently refashioned with student leaders now choosing a modern runway to walk. Kawalpreet Singh Judge, state general secretary of Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), a Aam Aadmi Party's student wing, said, "I have witnessed the decline of the kurta pajama trend in PU. The culture is changing and the modern style has pushed the kurta pajama to the background. The decrease can be also attributed to the surroundings and students demand. Earlier, the supporters had more craze for the attire and they wore it more enthusiastically." A PU employee said, "Earlier during elections, almost every student leader would turn up in a crisp white kurta pajama. The campus looked as if a flock of white pigeons had descended on the varsity." Students also say it's a matter of comfort. They say kurta pajamas cannot be worn everyday. and the new look projects modernity, youth, and accessibility. Senior leader Anil Dhull said, "The trend changed post COVID. The new students were more comfortable with jeans and shirts. Earlier, the students used to get the kurta pajama stitched specially. There was a renown tailor in Zirakpur and some of the students got their attires stitched even from Muktsar." Chandan Rana, 2013 council president said, "The trend has decreased visibly. The kurta pajama was usually worn by students who were from Punjab. But now as the university has almost equal representation from all the states, the leaders are choosing alternate looks to make themselves relatable to students." "We cannot say the trend has decreased. It is a matter of representation. Over the years, the presence of students from other states, including Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, has increased on campus. This shift in demographics has been a key factor," said Divyansh Thakur, a former PU leader. Defining the current scenario, a Phd scholar Aishwarya said, "The latest fashion is nice but the craze of white during the elections was something worth noticeable. It gave the proper poll feeling in PU."Back in the varsity, the old tailors still wait, hoping for another season like the old days. Whether or not that comes, their empty shops remind us of how deeply student politics is stitched into the fabric of fashion-and how quickly that fabric can change....