The officials made the obligatory noises but Vandana Mishra could have been reading it today
At best, we can call it a sense of privilege. At worst, a sense of apathy. In a shocking incident, a woman resident of Kanpur died on the road. She was suffering from the post-Coronavirus syndrome and needed immediate medical help. On the way to the hospital, she was stopped by the police as the President’s special train was to pass from the railway track under the flyover. The surreal security concerns of the VVIPs are something we all have witnessed at some point. Roads are blocked for VVIP movement long hours before they actually pass. Many citizens of this country were born on the road while their mothers were forced to haplessly watch a VVIP motorcade. This is neither the first nor would be the last of such incidents. We, the people, stand last in the scheme of political things. Not that the President was insensitive, or the officers in khaki managing the bandobast were,. Many a time we are made to realise that the Republic we have is not about us but the political leaders. Contrast this with many European countries where MPs pedal their way to Parliament, eat in the same restaurants and stand in the queue like others (Britain, France, even the US).
We have nurtured the lal batti culture to the hilt. For many people, it is this that propels them to enter politics. Our politicians feel they are above the common man and, therefore, deserve special treatment. The lure of power and money is making our politics rot. The leaders, on an ego trip, become insensitive to people’s needs. No wonder we as a nation are facing so many issues that can be resolved. Meanwhile, four policemen have been suspended, as usual, an inquiry would be conducted and end up punishing nobody. Vandana Mishra, the lady who could have been saved, is gone. But nothing would change. The political class would not give up its entitlements and behave the way it does. Meanwhile, people would continue to “wow” at the Central Vista project. A joke on social media is doing the rounds, summing up the situation. A child parked his cycle near Parliament. A policeman came and said, “Son, do you know many MPs, Ministers and VIPs pass through this road.” The kid’s innocent reply: “Don’t worry, uncle, I have locked my bicycle.”