Nirmala dumps British-era suitcase

Wraps budget documents in traditional ‘bahi khaata’

New Delhi: Setting a new precedent, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman this morning was seen hugging the Budget documents wrapped in a red cloth, the traditional ‘bahi khaata’ way, instead of the leather briefcase that until now her predecessors marched out with. Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian said the famed Budget Briefcase had been replaced by the traditional ‘bahi khaata’ in keeping with Indian tradition. “It is in Indian tradition. It symbolises our departure from slavery of western thought. It is not a budget but a ‘bahi khaata’ (ledger),” Subramanian said.

“Sitharaman believes that leather made products are not auspicious for the big occasion, so she avoided the leather bag and took the bahi khaata. This is considered to be auspicious. The Finance Minister has worked in the UK and she knows the tradition of our country. We must appreciate her decision,” he added.

Earlier, Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s first full-time Finance Minister ditched another tradition. During the customary ‘Halwa Ceremony’ before the Budget Session, she untied the red ribbon instead of cutting it, officials said she believed cutting a ribbon is not considered auspicious.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s red folder caused a buzz amid anticipation surrounding her first Budget, also the first of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term. Especially as the word “Budget” originates from the French “bougette” or leather bag. Down the years, finance ministers have carried red, black, tan and brown briefcases.

The “budget case” tradition started in the 18th century, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer or Britain’s budget chief was asked to ‘open the budget’ while presenting his annual statement. In 1860, the then British Budget chief William E. Gladstone, carried his papers in a red suitcase with the Queen’s monogram in gold. He went on to become the Prime Minister. The same bag was used by several governments.

India’s first budget was presented by R.K. Shanmukham Chetty in 1947, months after independence. Ten years later, T.T. Krishnamachari carried something that looked like a file bag. Jawaharlal Nehru carried a black briefcase. Earlier this year, then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal had carried a red briefcase before presenting the Interim Budget. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before him carried a tan briefcase.