The Poet / Speaker: The central character of the poem is the poet Kaiser Haq himself. He appears as an aware, sharp, and satirical speaker who does not see the lungi merely as a garment, but as a strong symbol of cultural freedom, equality, democracy, and identity. His voice is sometimes humorous, sometimes deeply political, and sometimes sharply ironic. He questions society’s clothing-based divisions, colonial mindset, and class prejudice. His character embodies confidence, pride in his culture, and a protest against injustice. When he declares, “I AM A LUNGI ACTIVIST!”, it reveals his rebellious, firm, and independent personality.

Grandpa Walt: This is a symbolic character. “Grandpa Walt” refers to the American poet Walt Whitman. Whitman was the voice of democracy, human equality, and cultural freedom. Kaiser Haq imagines Whitman as his ideal ‘grandfather’ or poetic ancestor and addresses him directly, suggesting that Whitman’s democratic spirit would have embraced the lungi as well. Inspired by Whitman’s poem “Passage to India,” Haq imagines a step further, Whitman making a “passage to Bangladesh” and celebrating the Bengali lungi. Grandpa Walt, therefore, becomes a symbol of freedom, democratic ideals, and cultural openness.

The Cousin and Son – Symbols of Social Attitudes: Though real characters, they hold symbolic meaning in the poem. The poet’s cousin in America used to relax at home wearing a lungi, but his son felt ashamed and hid the lungi. This incident shows how the younger generation, influenced by colonial attitudes and social pressure, becomes detached from their cultural identity. These two characters represent the struggles of immigrant life, cultural shame, and the burden of identity in a foreign land.