Old hat, new hat: a head count

KCR is not the only politician in Indian history whose headwear has been the subject of discussion. The Gandhi topi (cap) was ubiquitous during the last few decades of the Independence movement thanks to Congressmen. India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru is one of the most popular politicians to have worn the Gandhi topi.

Here, we take a look at some other politicians whose choice of headgear left a mark in popular memory.

Narendra Modi’s ‘pahadi topi’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose sartorial choices have often drawn public attention wore a “pahadi topi” with a Brahma Kamal flower embossed on it during the Republic Day event this year. The choice was significant as the Brahma Kamal is the official flower of Uttarakhand, where Assembly elections were held a few weeks later. Modi has also been spotted wearing caps on different occasions, including the traditional headgear of the people during a visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

PM Modi during the Republic Day Parade 2022, at Rajpath. (PTI Photo)

Akhilesh Yadav and his red cap

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav appears in public in his party’s red cap. According to the party, the bright red caps serve to make SP leaders and workers instantly recognisable in UP’s crowded political scene and also help them make a bold social statement.

The cap was the subject of controversy during the Assembly elections earlier this year when Prime Minister Modi noted during the campaign that “laal topi waale (those wearing red caps)” were like “red alert” for the state as they want to be in power to show mercy to terrorists, free them from jails, and fill their coffers through scams.

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav during an election campaign meeting in unnao. (Express Photo)

A day after the PM’s remarks, SP’s official Twitter handle posted pictures of many more party leaders in red caps and a video of Akhilesh’s rally with RLD president Jayant Chaudhary, with the caption, “Yeh krantikari lal rang ki topiyan (Those revolutionary red caps).”

VP Singh’s fur cap

India’s eighth prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh was known for wearing the Karakuli cap, which is made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep. It made him the object of his critics’ derision. They lashed out at Singh for attempting to appease minorities by wearing a “Jinnah topi”. The founder of Pakistan was also known for wearing Karakuli caps.

VP Singh. (Express Archives)

MGR and his white-fur cap

MGR with Karunanidhi. (Express Archives)

One of the features that distinguished AIADMK founder Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, from the rest was his cap of white fur. The actor-turned-politician, who served as Tamil Nadu’s chief minister from 1977 till his death in 1987, always appeared in the cap.

In 2017, the Sasikala faction of the AIADMK chose the cap as its symbol for by-elections in the state. Justifying the decision, M Thambidurai, one of the leaders in the group, said the ‘hat’ symbol would help attract voters as they would easily associate it with MGR.