‘It Symbolises Our Departure From Slavery Of Western Thought’: Sitharaman Drops Briefcase For Bahi Khata

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today (5 July) decided to depart from the colonial era tradition of carrying Union Budget documents in a black leather briefcase, and instead chose to carefully carry the papers in India’s traditional Bahi Khata.

The Bahi Khata is a four layered red cloth which was used to wrap ledgers in ancient India. This move has been described by Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian as a departure from the slavery of Western thought.

Ahead of the budged which is set to be presented from 11 AM, the Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur also offered prayers at a temple. As tradition demands, both Finance Minister Sitharaman and Thakur also called upon President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan.