PM Modi dons ‘Kulluvi cap’ in France, strikes a chord with Himachalis back home
The cap, or ‘topi’, has forever been a symbol of political affiliations, along with signifying pride, regional identity and cultural uniqueness
Prime Minister Narendra Modi donning the ‘Kulluvi cap’ from Himachal, popularly called ‘Kulluvi topi’, during his visit to France struck a chord with Himachal’s people, who took to social media in praise.
Sharing a picture of Modi with French president Emmanuel Macron, the Raj Bhawan said in a post on X, “Respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) Ji has displayed his affection for the culture of #Himachal on the international stage by wearing #Himachali_Topi during his visit to France. The people of the state are proud to see his picture with Himachali Topi.”
Leader of Opposition in the assembly and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur also took to X to hail PM Modi.
“A glimpse of Himachal’s culture and Modi ji’s affection in France! The successful Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also taken the Himachali cap with him on his France tour. Seeing this picture of him makes the mind proud and happy, this is not just a picture but a sample of respected Modi ji’s affection towards Himachal and culture. Hearty congratulations to the Honorable Prime Minister on behalf of Devbhoomi Himachal,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said in the post.
The praise cut across party lines as Himachal public works minister Vikramaditya Singh was all praise for Modi’s look even as he flayed the Centre government.
Sharing a picture on social media, the Congress leader said, “Political ideology aside, it is a matter of pride for every Himachali”.
In the same post, Vikramaditya urged the Centre to “not treat Himachal with step-motherly treatment and provide financial assistance the restoration of the damages suffered in the disaster (in 2023).”
Vikramaditya is the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Congress chief Pratibha Singh.
Modi’s look also garnered praise from the people of the state. An X user wrote, “...no one has represented Himachal like this before, as our PM does. While local leaders have made it a symbol only for rallies or special events, PM Modi wears it with pride—from local events to international summits”.
The cap, or ‘topi’, has forever been a symbol of political affiliations, along with signifying pride, regional identity and cultural uniqueness.
Kinnauri, Bushehri and Kullvi, with velvety green, maroon and multi-coloured straps, respectively, are some of the popular renditions of the Himachali cap.
For a long time, the green and maroon caps were seen as symbolic identities of two major political parties, the Congress and the BJP, respectively. For decades, the colours of people’s caps would switch with the party they voted to power. It was only in 2017 that the trend seemed to have slowed down.
The green cap was a staple look of late Virbhadra Singh, who served as the chief minister for six terms on Congress mandates. He was never seen wearing a cap with any other colours.
In 2017, the then state health minister Kaul Singh welcomed Virbhadra Singh with a cap that had a maroon strap. Virbhadra Singh removed it immediately, putting his green cap back on. With his mass appeal, the sentiment for the green cap took to the people quickly.
But when two-time CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, from the BJP, came to power, he would sport the maroon-strapped cap, and so would his followers. The synonymous nature of the cap’s colour and state government only slowed down when Jai Ram’s tenure started in 2017.
Kulluvi cap, that has a multi-coloured strap, remains a ceremonial piece.