Paghdis and topis of two BJP and two Cong MLAs set them apart from the rest in state Assembly.
"I had not worn a cap or paghdi for a long time in this assembly but, recently, I had to have my head tonsured after the death of a close relative. I was given a Rajasthani paghdi to cover my shaved head. When I put it on, I found it good and comfortable. It has now become my permanent headgear," said Govind Madhav Prajapati, BJP MLA from Palanpur.
Prajapati is not known for his speeches in the assembly for he does not speak much in the House. Yet he stands out in the far corner of the assembly because of his colourful bandhani (tie & dye) turban. Incidentally, he is considered one of the most trusted MLAs of chief minister Narendra Modi.
Turbans and caps (Gandhi topi) may have become part of history for others but they are still fashionable for some members of Gujarat assembly. The Palanpur MLA is not alone in the assembly in having a headgear that makes him stand out from the crowd. There are three other legislators who rarely speak in the House but are easily identified by their headgear.
Interestingly, each of these MLAs has his own reason for wearing a cap or pagdhi in the assembly. Deetabhai Machhar, Congress MLA from the tribal belt of Zalod in Dahod district, says he will not compromise on khadi, Gandhi topi and dhoti as his dress.
"I am a member of the original Congress party. I have worn khadi clothes, dhoti and Gandhi topi since I was 18, though these are not seen in the assembly nowadays. I have been elected to the assembly four times and always with a large majority. My attire has not made any difference to my work," Machhar said.
He further said he had never worn other dresses such as trousers, shirts and kurta-pajama. "In fact, I have met all dignitaries, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in my formal clothes," Macchar said.
But his colleague in the assembly, Congress MLA from Vagdod (Patan district) Jodhaji Thakor, has adopted this dress to relate better with voters in his constituency.
"During my student days, I often wore western formals, including safari suits. But after I joined politics, I realized that my dress sense was restricting my ability to connect with my voters. So I adopted dhoti, kurta and paghdi (turban) to be one of them," said Thakor. He added that, at times, he wants to wear western formals and very often wears them too.
Wearing different kinds of caps is something of a family tradition for BJP MLA from Vadodara (rural), Upendrasinhji Gohil. He currently wears the qaraqul (karakul) hat made famous by Mohammad Ali Jinnah as the Jinnah Cap.
"When I was young, my father had told me not to go out bareheaded. After that, apart from the paghdi, I used to wear different types of caps too. I have travelled a lot and have purchased many different kinds of caps from different countries. I have a room full of caps at my home. Now my hats are part of my dress," Gohil said.
Gohil was complemented for his dress by visitors at the assembly who had come from his constituency. One of his women supporters said he stood out in the house because of his hat.
The Gujarat assembly has witnessed an era when a majority of MLAs used to wear Gandhi topi or paghdis. But these four MLAs are likely to be last in the chain of headgear evolution.
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