Some traditions of office decor defy time as well as common sense

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised change, and an eager India awaits the first concrete signs that he is delivering on his promise. He could start with those ubiquitous white towels that adorn every sarkari chair for some inexplicable reason.

Those oblong swathes of cloth have defied every government and every change-maker, obdurately sticking to their perches of power with unabashed brazenness. They appear to have the sanction and support of not only the political class cutting across party lines but also the entire bureaucracy.

While the red beacon has drawn judicial ire for being an extra-constitutional display of importance and the Ambassador car has officially rattled into the sunset, the sarkari towel clings on without any apparent purpose other than to proclaim the pre-eminence of personage whose head rests on it.

In an era of inescapable humidity and greasy pates, they may have served mopping up functions, but their relevance is unclear in today’s air-conditioned environs. Especially as computers are replacing many age-old official accessories.

Though their removal from the list of official must-haves may impact the captive sales figures of their manufacturers, the PM could make minimum towels a symbol of his intention to achieve the goal of maximum governance.