TALES OF TRAVESTY
DR. JITENDRA SINGH
If you are a VIP you get security. But, the other half of story is that if you get security, you become a VIP.
Now in contemporary times, nobody can argue that security for a VIP is not important in a country targeted by terrorism and politically motivated violence alike. Nevertheless, recent observations made by the Supreme Court on the issue of police protection available to ordinary citizens visavis VIPs brings into focus several other collateral aspects.
In a country like India, the official tag of “VIP” comes with a package not normally available even to the highest executives in corporate sector. Inordinate security related privileges often encourage the socalled VIPs to treat the cops guarding them as personal valets lending helping hand in household chores while the escort vehicles provided in the name of security are seen dropping the VIP wards and children at coaching centers for tution or facilitating shopping sprees by VIP spouses. Moreover, among the state VIPs belonging to the ruling hierarchy, the heavier the security the bigger the clout.
Unfortunately, the constitution of India….. though acknowledged being among the best in the world.. fails to lay down in very many terms the definition of a government accredited VIP. This leaves abundant room for those at the helm to designate VIP status on the basis of their subjective preferences or personal likes and dislikes.
Late K F Rustomji, who happened to be Security Officer to the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru before taking over as founder Director General of BSF, had some interesting experiences to narrate. Rustomji took great pleasure in narrating how as Security officer to Prime Minister Nehru, his prime duty was to save Nehru from getting mobbed by thousands of his admirers and fans who came to have a glimpse of him wherever he went and literally fell over him in an attempt to touch him. Quite in contrast, Rustomji used to point out how Nehru’s successors need Security Officers to protect them from a possible assault by keeping at bay anybody who tries to come too close.
Bernard Shaw once quipped, everybody vies for a privilege even if it is that of being the first mourner at a funeral. On the other hand, quite interestingly, not infrequently one comes across in a funeral, the sight of mourning relatives not so much concerned by the demise of deceased kin but more concerned to look around and note how many VIPs have arrived for the funeral. That truly is the importance of being a VIP !
And, what to say of the common man in the audience tieresomely waiting for the VIP to arrive so that the function could start even as Umapathy dozes off to sleep after dropping a request in the ear of the person sitting next to him ‘‘…Us Waqt Mujhe Chounka Dena Jab Sahib-e-Mehfil Aa Jayen !’’
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