When a handbag made news this past week, it would not be out of place to remember that sexist attitudes have not changed much since the Gandhi-Thatcher era.
In her earlier avatar as an investment banker, Moitra would have been able to afford a designer bag, or three. But few things upset the patriarchy as much as the sight of an outspoken, independent woman.
In the male-dominated era of her politics, Indira Gandhi shunned overt signs of femininity, taking her handbag out only while traveling abroad. Margaret Thatcher, on the other hand, was seldom seen without it. Metaphorically, you could visualize her taking a swipe at the patriarchy with her structured handbag in hand.