POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 22 August 2009

Crass VIP Culture

TIME FOR NETAS TO GET REAL

By Poonam I Kaushish

Political Delhi is in the throes of VIP aka Very Important Person tremors once again. The kind that spells bad news for the poor aam aadmi. Whose life turns topsy turvy, leading to chakka jams, frayed tempers, boorish behaviour, shrilling sirens et al. Which could make even the most evenly tempered man turn in his grave. Even as our ruling VIP cabal afflicted by the Orwellian syndrome of some are more equal than others continue creating merry hell!

First it was over former President Kalam being frisked by an American airline. Little did the ‘people’s ex-President who “smiling” followed the procedures without any fuss, realise that his security ‘treatment’ would take a life all of its own among our gossamer-thin-skinned VIP elite. A much-outraged Government of India, parties, TV and FM channels jostled to air their indignation. From over-the-top “this-is-an-insult-to-India,” down cocky MPs bellowing “don’t-you-know-we-are-VIPs,” the Congress demanding the airline be thrown out, Left accusing the US of “religious profiling,” to the JMM burning effigies of the US President. 

Barely had the furor subsided when news of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s detention for over an hour at US’s Newark airport again let loose a volley of quivering fury from our VIPs. The I&B Minister Ambika Soni advocated a tit-for-tat policy vis-à-vis US leaders, colleague Sashi Tharoor’s shrugged it off with “100s of innocent Muslims go through the same thing daily but don’t have 1 billion people to stand up for them.” RJD’s Lalu advised the “matter be taken up with the US” and Samajwadi’s Amar Singh cheekily asserted “it’s a publicity stunt by King Khan for his new movie.”

Sadly, drowned in this morbid narcissism none had time to think leave alone talk about the plight of the aam janata who undergo extended interrogation at security counters in the US and UK on the basis of colour and nationality as a fall-out of the 9/11 attacks. Neither does the ruling elite care tuppence for the common man’s ill-treatment within the country. The plucking out of line and made to comply with increasingly random demands at airports, stations and highways . All to show off the babu’s importance.

Raising a moot point: Why should our law makers be exempt from security checks? Why should the ever-ballooning list of VIPs feel their selfhoods are at stake when asked to follow the rules? Why should our post-Independence ruling mai-baaps nurse a feudal mindset and demand differential treatment?

The tragedy is that even as the country saunters into the 21^st century for our ruling maharajas the vestige of 19^th century India still lingers on. Bruised by a feudal oligarchy, colonial hangover and pummeled self-esteem our leaders combined the power of democracy, vote-bank politics and populism to became a force to reckon with for acquiring and retaining power.

Wherein everything was subjected to the whims and fancies of the privileged few, netas and babus. Of which ‘follow-no-rules’ was a fundamental part. These ranged from living in palatial heritage buildings in areas exempt from the daily drudgery of the aam aadmi: bijli, sadak, paani. Cars with beacons. Never having to queue up. What was of prime importance was where they figured in the pecking order, the size of their office and residence, the beacon colour atop their vehicle and their security and hangers-on entourage.

In fact, so VIP cocooned are our netas that Ambika Soni was fuming at being frisked on a recent US visit. Last year Pranab Mukherjee as Foreign Minister had to undergo security checks at Moscow airport. Earlier Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee cancelled his trip to Australia when told that he would not be exempt from security checks. The Lok Sabha witnessed pandemonium after former Dy Prime Minister Advani and ex-Defence Minister George Fernandes were ‘strip-searched’ at New York airport.

Then there is the strange case of Anand Sharma, who as Minister of State for External Affairs in the last Government threw a fit when he had to go through security checks while boarding a flight in New Delhi. Instead of pulling him up, a craven Government quickly amended the rules. Thus, all Ministers of State are now exempt from security checks.

But it doesn’t end just there. Recently, Lok Sabha witnessed an ugly scramble for VIP status. A livid Mulayam, Lalu and Mayawati’s BSP cohorts yelled blue murder over the down-grading of the security cover. Who dare strip them off the elite NSG cover? “The leaders are vital for the country… you will have blood on your hands…,” they yelled. Really?

Also look at the absurdity. Even VIPs who face no threat to their life are given minimal security of four PSOs round the clock. Bringing things to such a ridiculous pass that one sees fat waddly wannabes walking in Delhi’s Lodi garden chest puffed-up to show-off their VIP status and cars.

Bringing things to such a pass that anybody who is a busy body in the sarkar is there. So long is the list. Forget tabaars of President, PM, ex-Presidents, PMs’, Ministers, Chief Ministers, judges, MPs and MLAs, down to son-in-laws, father-in-laws, samdhi-samdhan, beta-bahu etc. Babudom too is not far behind. From Secretaries down to joint-secretaries all are included.  

Scandalously, our obsession with our VIPs has become so ludicrous that even the Gods have been ‘affected’ by it. At the world’s richest religious shrine Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati it is a is moot point whether `free access' of VIPs to the `Lord of Riches' would be restricted following a directive to the TTD board from the Andhra Pradesh Government. Its list of protocol VIPs competes with that of the Government’s. Sometimes they come along with an entourage of not less than 100 members, especially during peak days.

In sharp contrast, in the US, UK and other developing nation the list is kept to a minimal of ruling leaders. According to the US regulatory body Transportation Security Administration (TSA) its regulations require pre-embarkation screening of all passengers, irrespective of their rank or position. Former Vice-President Al Gore, Senator Edward Kennedy, music legend Bob Dylan, entertainers and sports heroes all have experienced trouble by routine security procedures at airports.

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was issued court summons for driving with an expired out-of -State license and boxer Mike Tyson was treated like a common rapist and spent most part of his youth in the slammer. In obverse, we have criminal-politicos ruling the roost in the corridors of power. Who can forget the sight of an MP being brought hand-feet shackled to Parliament House to take his oath as an MP? The Fifteenth Lok Sabha boasts of over 100-odd criminals. Less said the better of the State Assemblies.

Abuse all you want, but the fact is that there has been no attack in the US after 9/11 because of its air-tight-no-nonsense security. Put it down to a country where there is very little VIP culture; if anything, VIPs are singled out for special attention to see if they are in the breach. In which case, incidentally, the law-enforcement guys get their 15-minutes of fame.

Importantly, it is high time we did away with unnecessary privileges for politicians, bureaucrats and others. It is imperative we take a good hard relook at our security apparatus. We should adopt the US security pattern with a heavy dose of no-nonsense professionalism. The bottom line: Stop fawning, shed the colonial hangover, callousness and make no compromises where the country’s safety is concerned.  It is quite ridiculous that just because the VIPs consider themselves icons everybody else should too. They need to smell the coffee and get real! --- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)