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For the Wayanad MP, Palestine represents a broader resistance against misogyny, meekness, and conformity
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dons a Palestine bag and a keffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress, as a scarf. (X @drshamamohd)
When Wayanad MP Priyanka Vadra carried a cloth bag bearing the word ‘Palestine’, it was a deliberate political statement—one that her party has now adopted as a symbol. The controversy surrounding the tote had barely subsided when another image emerged: Vadra wearing a keffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress, during a meeting with the Palestinian embassy’s chargé d’affaires.
Unfazed by accusations from the BJP of appeasement politics, Vadra and her party maintained their stance, framing their position as one aligned with truth and justice. It is therefore unsurprising that one of the strongest condemnations of the government’s stance on the Palestine issue has come from Vadra.
India’s abstention from a resolution on Gaza drew sharp criticism from Vadra, who labelled it a shameful act by the Narendra Modi government. “India has always stood with peace, justice and human dignity,” she asserted, adding that the country’s silence was unacceptable.
While her words for the Modi government were undeniably strong, sources suggest that criticism of the prime minister alone isn’t the driving force. Vadra has cultivated a political image centred on championing the cause of the vulnerable and victimised. Observers of her debut into politics—both active and passive—note her consistent advocacy for the marginalised, whether women, the poor, or children. This pattern is evident in her response to the distressing images emerging from Gaza and her condemnation of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
Intertwined with this is her defiant response to those who questioned her choice of bag, asserting her right to wear what she chooses. The bag, incidentally, also featured a watermelon, a symbol of protest in Palestine. For Vadra, Palestine represents a broader resistance against misogyny, meekness, and conformity.
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als…Read More
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als… Read More
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