Sitharaman breaks from briefcase tradition with bahi khata | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Sitharaman breaks from briefcase tradition with bahi khata

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | BySunetra Choudhury
Jul 05, 2019 11:09 PM IST

When Nirmala Sitharaman posed for the traditional photo-op Friday before entering Parliament, she did so carrying a “bahi khata” or ledger, packed in a red cloth embossed with the national emblem.

The briefcase, which every Indian finance minister since independence has religiously carried to Parliament on the day of the budget presentation in a throwback to the colonial era, may finally have had its day.

It was the first and perhaps the most talked-about non-verbal statement Sitharaman made, tacitly pushing ‘Make in India.’(HT Photo)
It was the first and perhaps the most talked-about non-verbal statement Sitharaman made, tacitly pushing ‘Make in India.’(HT Photo)

When Nirmala Sitharaman posed for the traditional photo-op Friday before entering Parliament, she did so carrying a “bahi khata” or ledger, packed in a red cloth embossed with the national emblem.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

It was the first and perhaps the most talked-about non-verbal statement Sitharaman made, tacitly pushing ‘Make in India.’

It was a departure from a tradition set by RK Shanmukham Chetty, who was independent India’s first finance minister and also the first to carry the “budget box,” as the briefcase was then known. The British had done so since 1860, according to finance ministry officials.

The first full-time woman finance minister of India (Indira Gandhi held the portfolio for a year when she was also prime minister) called it curtains on the briefcase.

As the photo went viral and everyone struggled to put a name to it, chief economic advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian explained what lay behind her use of the “bahi khata”.“It symbolises our departure from the slavery of Western thought,’’ he said.

Sitharaman, 59, herself explained to reporters later: “I thought it was high time that India moved away from the British hangover of having a briefcase... I also found it easier to carry.’’

For others, it meant more. For some, it was almost a feminist statement — the first full-time woman finance minister individualising the accessory to suit her style and the clunky leather briefcase being replaced by what looked like a clutch that matched fashion with practicality.

“I think it (briefcase) is a very masculine object. Its absence could denote a significant departure,’’ said a former finance ministry official who has been associated with the making of the budget, on condition of anonymity.

Not all agreed. “Briefcase was a longstanding tradition. I would have liked her to have continued it,’’ said former finance secretary Arvind Mayaram. “I believe she is the finance minister and her being a woman should not take the focus away from the seriousness of her business.’’

Even the opposition couldn’t help but comment on it. Former finance minister P Chidambaram said the Congress would do one better in the future. “I promise in future a Congress finance minister will carry an iPad.”

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Live Updates, Bihar Board 12th Result Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, March 25, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On