An arrogance of VIP culture, assiduously segregating the 'important' from the common people, was witnessed at Rispana Bridge on Tuesday when numerous commuters were stopped on the busy Haridwar Road to let DGP BS Sidhu's official car pass. This might have happened because of the DGP not feeling comfortable with the regular traffic system applicable for the commoners.
"Security might be a reason. If things are so it tells a sad story of the police boss not being confident with the security arrangements made for the common commuters," said an observer. However, such inconvenience is not the first for the commuters. They keep on bearing the brunt of the supercilious VIP culture ruling over them. A reporter from a Hindi daily was shoved by a police personnel on a van, which was a part of the DGP's security.
A commuter said that while going home to Defence Colony at 8.30 pm a few days ago he had seen a police van suddenly come in the way at Naini Chowk on EC Road. "The car was about to turn turtle as I slammed the brake to avert an accident. A police man got out and roughly asked me to stop as DGP Saheb was passing. The traffic personnel are least bothered about us, the ordinary mortals, as they are busy greasing the palms of the high and the mighty," he said.
On condition of anonymity, an traffic personnel said that they are bound to follow DGP's instructions. "But we know such preferential treatment is bad and illegal too," he added. An observer opined that democracy being what it is in essence, such preferential treatment should be stopped immediately. "If the DGP feels insecure what about the security of the common peopleIJ They must be made to move like the common men to see and feel for themselves what things are on the ground. This is what democracy epitomises," he added.
Ironically, save for the Governor and the Chief Minister, none is entitled to avail of such facility. Notably, the Supreme Court has asked the Government to define 'VIP'. A decision is pending.