Discussion Contest- Banning V.VIP culture- Is it possible?

VVIP culture can be found in all realms of life. One can see it even among animals where it is simple power domination. The more powerful the more feared you are , is the jungle rule. 

When we look around , we see this happening within families, communities and institutions. Some are always more powerful than others and are able to get more favors. I have seen it even at lower levels in offices where one of the peons is given more importance because he has learnt the art of being amicable and convincing his higher ups. Similarly, it reaches a totally different level altogether when it is in the case of rulers and celebrities since they are able to attract the masses. To a large extent we have to blame the society itself for putting up and nurturing this culture.

Bane of VIP culture is not so easy as you, Kalyani, write here. I read biography of Mahatma Gandhi, experience with truth, in it he write that how people of congress behave like a VIP. Here many leader are demanding security and many commondo deputed for the security of his and his family, it is all for VIP status. I am writing here one instance of  hunger of VIP Status. Few years ago Kiran Bedi, well Know IAS officer posted at Chandigarh  DIG. She withdraw security of leader and said that Chandigarh police can secure them. After few days she was transferred from Chandigarh.

We see VIP cultures in many forms. One of the most highlighted case took place last year in which Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad used his slipper to hit an employee of Air India just because he was not provided with certain privileges he was used to. What was shocking was that he had the nerve to boast about it later. Like wise, there are many other cases where so called big shots or relatives of such big shots throw tantrums or cause crime and get away with it, knowing that the people will look other way as they belong to the privileged group. Like wise, anyone who has achieved certain position in the society likes to have lots of retinue following them everywhere.

Born to an affluent family in India makes you a well deserved candidate for VVIP treatment. The mindset is so deep rooted. If you are born in a certain family, you feel that you are destined to be on the top without any personal talent and grooming. Our leader of opposition, Mr, Rahul Gandhi feels that he is privileged citizen of India because he is born to a particular family. He even had the audacity to say it in a foreign land that India runs on dynasty. That was a shame. I have heard many youngsters supporting Rahul that why would one sell tea if members of his family have been PM of the country. I feel that this mindset will need a lot of time to be totally eradicated and till then VVIP culture will prevail in some or the other form. 

In the name of security, the political leaders in India enjoy VVIP culture. It becomes terrible for the common men. It's an idea which is taken for granted that general people cannot have an important work to do, they can't have an emergency, no commoner can fall sick and so on. It is ridiculous that general citizens face a lot of trouble only because of a political leader or any other big shot would be taking the same route while going to their destination. Due to such practice, someone may miss a job interview, a baby may take birth on a pavement, a serious patient may succumb to an ailment and a much more awkward situation may arise but still, there is no change. The worst part is, the media remains silent. They write about the harsh realities but no campaign takes place against the VVIP culture.        

I hope you all would have visited old temples such as Jyotirlinga temple where lakhs of people visit on daily basis. How bad it feels when we stand for 3-4 hours waiting for your turn to visit the temple for worship and your turn further gets delayed just because some VVIP is there to visit the temple. In case some VVIP is visiting a temple, it becomes very unfortunate thing for people standing in the queue because the police will stop the queue from moving ahead so that VVIP person does not have to wait and no one pays important to the common people like us even if you are standing in queue for 3-4 hours or even if you are having fever. For VVIP people they also open special gate of temple so that he can sit down and worship for another half hour to one hour where as if you are a common man once you are in front of the idol, the security people will not even allow you to fold your hands and pray but they will push you back ruthlessly without caring if you fall down or not. I witnessed such thing in Shirdi temple and Bhimashankar temple in Maharashtra. Even we common people are spending our hard earned money to visit that temple and even our time has value as we also have families then why this partiality ? Even to worship God why to differentiate between VVIP and common people? While I feel bad the VVIP people will surely be enjoying the attention they get from people. I don't think it is easy to ban VVIP culture.

It is situation is all temple and holy place of country. Even in sample rates are fixed for visits. You can visit and worship as per your paying capacity. Beside temple it is also situation in hospitals. What is happen with a common person is hospitals it is news of every day. Doctors and other staff are much crude for common persons. If a VVIP person have some minor health problem, hospital admin depute a full team of doctors with is minutes. Investigation which are dream for common peoples are easily available to VVIP with charging a single rupees. 

Politicians , Celebrities , Industrialists and the creamy layer of the society is given to think that they are a cut above the rest. Their children and relatives further carry on with this culture thereby creating a class that is many a times beyond the reach of law and law makers , like we saw in the case of Salman Khan and many other politicians who get away with every kind of criminal activity. They use their clout for all the wrong reasons rather than use it for the reason why they are given power and position. This is more so in the case of political class.

We have the celebrities misusing the opportunity given to them like Sachin Tendulkar and Actress Rekha did by hardly attending any parliament sessions while making use of all the benefits. The money that was given as part of yearly grant meant for the benefit of people was unspent and probably now vanished into thin air. But are there any laws and procedures to make them accountable for being a drain on tax payers ? None at all...so we need to introspect and see why this is happening? When a common man is held accountable for every rupee he earns and spends , why not these VVIP s?

VVIP culture has been a part of many countries in old days. It was there in India since ages when society was divided into different sects based on their birth to a caste or sect and all your economic and socio-political condition was determined from your birth. Different caste did different job and there was a clear discrimination. 

But once it is a democratic country which discourages any discrimination...VVIP culture should not exist. Our constitution gives equal rights and responsibilities to all citizens and all need to be treated equal and well. 

VVIP culture also ensures that corruption prevails. Those affluent and powerful can buy everything.

One of the obvious way the so called elite group resort to VVIP culture is being surrounded by lots and lots of guards. Whether they genuinely needs protection or not, having so many protection groups and other retinue at their disposal get them the VIP treatments from others. The services of many of the policemen are being wasted guarding them. It is said that at present nearly 475 individuals in India are availing the services of special protection group of varying degrees. The annual budget allocated for SPG for current financial year is 385 crore. When politicians and other celebrities avail their protection just for status symbol, they are wasting taxpayer's money.

VVIP culture is not just limited to a few areas. If you have power and money you can get you driving licence delivered to your doorstep without giving any driving test. I have seen rich brats doing this. Children of VVIP people also think themselves as VVIP. In Northern states such as Delhi , UP these spoiled brats get involved in fights and brawls very frequently and in case police is involved they are not afraid of police and they say that "Do you know who is my father ?". There is no police case filed against these spoiled kids even if they kill someone while rash driving. These accidents from spoiled VVIP kids are very common because they don't know how to drive properly and just misused their power and money to get the driving licence. I know a spoiled kid who killed an old man with his bike in rash driving but he is still not in jail. The reason is that his parents did everything possible with money to destroy evidence. That spoiled brat is still roaming around freely. So there are a lot of crime happening everyday by rich VVIP kids but no action is taken. Another case is when a sweet shop owner's son kidnapped a girl in broad daylight and molested her in car and dropped her few kilometres away. No FIR was launched except the search operation for that guy. Police told that the kid was untraceable but I could see him sitting in sweet shop and selling sweets everyday. Such bad condition of law in India in case we have VVIP involved. Do you still think VVIP culture can be banned in India ? I don't think so.

In India no one is secured. But I listen it that when family members of a VVIP went to play card games, gambling and to bars for drink, large number of security person follow them. They also discuss  what they done at bar and how they lost in gambling. How much money of citizen is spending on these VVIP only for their luxury. Life of these luxurious are precious but value of common person life in more that life of dog and cat. VVIP of this country have first right on each and every source of country with paying a single penni. These are habitual and edict of living on public money.

Caste and Class difference has always existed in the human society. In the Indian context caste was thr root cause that brought in this culture of differentiation where people began to consider themselves superior because they were born into a certain caste. This paved the way for VVIP culture. Even today we see the temple preists acting superior  simply because they perform the pooja. We cannot blame the British rule for all ills,  especially when it is more than evident that we have had it in our society even before they came. The Hindu Kings and the Brah ins considered themselves very very important and they were able to get away with many crimes because they had wealth and power and could manipulate. What we see today is an extension of the same old culture which has taken a different form because of changed times. Today it has even been given sanctity by the leaders in the form of favorable rules , that has been obviously drafted by themselves , who think they deserve to be treated differently ..

VVIP culture has been in country since ages and it might have seeped in with caste differences and division of labor. We can not blame British for that. In fact British could very well play their tricks to deepen the divide and rule. 

In recent times, nepotism is the worst product of this VVIP culture. And it prevails in every sphere be it politics or Bollywood. Favoring kin and kith over talent has taken a big toll on National interest and development.

Though people are becoming more vocal against the VVIP culture, it will take time as those who are enjoying the privileges find it convenient. Besides many of those who don't belong to the privileged groups prefer to flatter them and be on their good book. One of the case I am reminded is about Robert Vadra. He had enjoyed the special status of VVIP for long on account of his marriage to Priyanka Gandhi. He had enjoyed the privilege of being exempted from security check at Airport. When people started questioning his rights of enjoying such facility, he let it know through social media that he want to refuse the special privilege given to him. But He didn't apply through proper channel. Its only much later that his name was removed from the exemption list. People like him find it convenient to enjoy the VVIP treatment given to them by others and are unlikely to turn down the offer. It takes someone very sincere to bring equality. For instance, George Fernandes, our former defence minister had refused any kinds of special protection group even though he was entitled to such facility. Whatever be his vices, he stands for the hope that VVIP culture can eventually be removed from the society.

The VVIP culture is the bane of the society and there should be certain set of rules and regulations implemented to see that it is not misused. Officials belonging to only certain categories should be allowed the privileges of VVIP status and that should be again stringently controled. Not anyone and everyone should be allowed those benefits. Also, if more and more cultured people are brought into important positions, this status will be misused until infinity. We see numerous young men and women from underprivileged classes now being placed in important positions, both political as well as bureaucratic. They are there no doubt as a result of hard work and determination, but once they get the VVIP status, they seem to forget the purpose of their being in that position and start misusing power and status both. But on the other hand, we also see people who are very much refined and cultured and take the power they have received in their stride, by not letting it go to their head and do not misuse their VVIP status. One such example is Mr. Manohar Parrikar who has been seen umpteen times, standing in queues, awaiting his turn like other common people. Even Ms. Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra CM was seen waiting in a queue at Mumbai RTO, patiently waiting her turn and completed all her formalities very courteously and politely and before the officials realised who she was, was gone in an instant before they could start fawning over her. Her husband himself is one such person who never misuses his status and power. A stark contrast to most most politicians.

VVIP culture is root cause of all evil in our country. If VVIP culture is removed from the country, majority of the problem of our country will get solved. While taking admission in prestigious colleges and while booking railway tickets etc we have quota for VVIP people. This is one of the biggest problem. Even common man is running behind the VVIP people. For example if you visit a sweet shop and you are buying something while standing in queue and if suddenly a VVIP person arrives in that shop what will happen? The owner of the shop will run and greet the VVIP person and give him his order which all the people who came before him have to wait until the VVIP guy finishes his transaction and leaves the shop. Most of the times it is we common people who give a lot of importance to VVIP people so in way it is we people who are promoting this VVIP culture. We should try to understand the negative impact of this VVIP culture on our lives and try to promise ourselves that we will in no way promote this VVIP culture. In case a VVIP person wants to withdraw a sum of money in ATM and there is a queue, it should be responsibility of the VVIP person to stand and wait for his turn and so is the responsibility of everyone standing in queue. It doesn't matter if he is counsellor of that ward, if it is a queue he has to wait. Rules should be followed by everyone irrespective of the position he has.

I might sound a little philosophical but education and right kind of education is a powerful tool to bring any change in society and so is the case of VVIP culture. Our education has to emphasize more on character development and moral responsibility. But sadly we fail to do so. As a nation if we see we fail on the ground to imbibe good life long moral and social values in our youth and citizens. We promote cut throat competition to grap position and power. Sadly people seek higher positions in government offices to enjoy money and power and to become the recepeint of this VVIP culture. Very few go to serve.

While on one hand we ve people trying to encourage the VVIP culture as was seen by the recent judgement of High Court of Madras to provide separate lanes for judges and VIP, on other hand we people who are working hard to remove this culture. For instance, Former President had banned the use of the word Excellency to address him or the governor within the country,  the prime minister has already banned the use of red beacon on the vehicles by different ministers or dignitaries, Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh has ban foreign travelling by any misters for two years or organising banquets on state expense etc. All these moves by the higher up authority is significant in removing this culture.

The VVIP culture is not good which we all know still accept it because we do not have the guts to object and reject the system. India actually patronizes the VVIP culture and those who enjoy this practice think themselves to be above God. The common citizens are afraid of the muscle power and so they refrain from challenging the wealthy and powerful men. India is such a big country with a huge population but lacks unity to protest for a good cause. It is our escapist nature and a laid-back attitude which have strengthened the VVIP culture. It needs to be protested in a massive way and get rid of it permanently. Hope that day will come soon!