VIP Culture

Today being the weekend day, I won’t be writing on my usual topics, the blog will be covering some hatke topic. Today’s topic is VIP culture in India. Few days back I had read an article in social media regarding numbers of VIP in different countries and without any surprise India topped the list with maximum numbers of VIPs. As per that article, you will be surprised to know that, officially UK have 84 VIPs, France -109, Japan-125, Germany-142, USA-252, Russia-312, China-435, ( the list can maximum vary by 10%) and number of VIPs in India are close to 500,000 (really shocking even if these numbers are exaggerated and unofficial). It might be close to exact figure also considering that everyone who has some local standing becomes VIP in India. Think numbers of ex and present Central and State Ministers; ex and present MPs, MLAs and MLCs;ex and present Municipal Councillors; ex and present Sarpanch of Gram Panchayats; ex and present President and Vice Presidents, ex and present Governors; ex and present Chief Justice of SC; Judges of SC and HC and other courts; top bureaucrats of Cenrtal and State govts; Award winners like Padma and Bharat Ratna awards and many more. I think this list can go on and on and on. I will not be surprised that the figure of VIPs in India may exceed even few lakhs.

Now let us analyse how this VIP culture evolution happened  in our country. In my opinion this might have happened because of British raj hangover. For almost 2 centuries we were slaves of British, so the British people to control and rule over us gave the VIP status to some jobs at big and small cities, small towns and villages, so as the Indian to know who are important people and they should be given respect and their orders should be obeyed. After gaining independence from British people, our political leaders and other bureaucrats continued with the same tradition to show their importance. Now the VIP culture has grown to a menace level and a common person is feeling threatened by the same. When our constitution says that all citizens are equal then why this discrimination.In our country these politicians have used the law for their own convenience to upgrade the status in others’eye.

I am giving below the few incidents of the high headed behaviour of these VIPs

1. Last year friends, if you remember a Shivsena MP from Maharashtra abused and manhandled a Sr employee of Air India while travelling from Pune to Delhi, because the particular flight in which he was travelling did not have business class. He was barred from flying in Air India and other airlines. After few days this ban was lifted after the intervention of ministry of Civil Aviation.
2. In a similar case one MP from Andhra shouted at airlines officials as he reported late for check in, the air craft has already closed its doors and taxing for take off, he forced the airlines and airport staff to recall the plane so he could board.
3. Few years back, when Modi govt announced that only President’s car, Police Vehicles and Ambulances will have red beacon on top of their official vehicles, there was too much resistance from every quarter and that time it was publicly known that so many officials and other VIPs are using red beacon on their car. It seems that during good old days anyone with slight political connection could get red beacon.  It so happened in Calcutta that an Imam of Jama Masjid refused to remove the red beacon and police have to intervene.How in first place he got the same is mystery.
4. Last year it came to public’s knowledge that at all airports in India MPs are allotted a porter or some other assistant to carry their hand baggage till the last point before boarding. Shame Shame. Now if an MP is not healthy enough to carry his hand baggage (max 7 kg) then he is not fit and healthy enough to represent the people. I have never seen businessmen like Ambani or Ratan Tata asking assistance to carry their hand baggage. What does these MPs think about themselves.
5. The amount of freebies these MPs and MLAs enjoy are mind boggling. Even today when every one uses Mobile phones and most of the operators give you all local/std calls free per month by paying few hundred rupees, the MPs get Rs 15,000 per month as telephone allowance, that means govt is spending Rs 1.2 crore per month as telephone allowance only, when these MPs are not spending even Rs 1000 per month.
6. The amount of money spent on these VIP’s security is other  big amount. I once read an article that 1/3rd of Police force in the country is deployed for their security. Barring few people ( their numbers may not touch even 1000) who really need security for other VIPs it is only a social status. It is true that few people/politicians are on terrorist hit list, I do not understand why these other people need security protection, they are afraid from whom-their own countrymen or they have done some hanky panky before and now they are afraid some one may take revenge.
7. There are other celebrities who take police protection as some one from under world is threatening them, but in the end they are suppose to pay to police dept for this service  but most of them failed to pay. In my opinion govt should not provide any security to any politicians or any other VIP unless the concerned person is on some hit list for genuine  reasons, in normal case all these people should hire their own private security.

This topic is endless one, and unless our country ends this VIP culture we will not progress. We learned this culture from British, and see  now,UK have the least numbers of VIPs.

Waiting for your views/feed backs/comments.