Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman is celebrating her 61st birthday today (Tuesday, August 18). From working as a national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to handling major portfolios like defence and now finance, Sitharman is an inspiration for many. However, did you know she is also credited to end a British-era tradition?
In 2019, Nirmala Sitharman became the first woman Finance Minister to present the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha. She also shunned the British-era briefcase and upheld a traditional Indian practice. She was seen holding the Budget documents in a four-fold red cloth called a 'bahi-khata' with a golden string and emblazoned with the national emblem. The 'bahi-khata' is usually used to cover religious texts and books.
The Finance Minister received praise from all corners. Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian called it a sign of “departure from the Western slavery”. “It is an Indian tradition. It symbolizes our departure from the slavery of Western thought. It is not a budget but a ‘bahi khata’ (ledger),” he said.
This was Narendra Modi-led BJP government's first Budget after coming back to power in 2019.
In February 2020, the Finance Minister continued the tradition and carried the documents in the traditional 'bahi-khata'.
Take a look at the pictures:
AFP Photo
AFP Photo
PTI Photo
AFP Photo
AFP Photo
