Puri stampede shows how India’s VIP culture tramples citizens. Brown sahibs’ egos still outweigh public safety and equality.
AT LEAST THREE devotees were killed and over 50 injured in a stampede during the famed Jagannath temple’s annual chariot procession in Puri a few days ago. Preliminary reports indicate that the stampede was caused by the blocking of an entry point to facilitate a special entrance for VIPs.
Reports say that the closure of an entry point left only a single entry and exit route for the devotees — a dangerous situation, as thousands eagerly crowd to participate in the famous Yatra.
The incident has brought into focus the unfortunate “VIP culture” in the country, where influential persons such as political leaders and government functionaries have no qualms about getting “VIP treatment” even if it causes hardship and inconvenience to the common people.
This is not the first time that special arrangements for so-called VIPs have led to such a tragedy or caused widespread inconvenience. During the recent Kumbh Mela, lakhs of devotees had to walk miles while special arrangements allowed the influential to reach the ghats by vehicle.
In no other country will you find the kind of bandobast we have for top leaders in India. It is common to see dozens of vehicles moving in a convoy for governors and ministers, who always appear to be in a tearing hurry.
At times, the convoy even includes an ambulance and a fire tender. Traffic is blocked for ordinary citizens for long durations, leading to protracted jams.
The job of the traffic police seems to be only to ensure smooth passage for the VIP convoy rather than to regulate traffic and minimize discomfort for ordinary citizens. It is also common to see ambulances and other emergency vehicles stuck in such traffic jams.
The malaise has spread from political leaders to senior bureaucrats, who too like to be piloted by escort vehicles blaring sirens, with security staff asking others to clear the way. Evidently, the so-called VIPs must be getting an ego massage from this kind of behaviour, as they can’t always be in a hurry.
Again, in no other country can you find huge billboards listing “exempted” persons entitled to free passage through toll plazas. The long list includes everyone from the president and prime minister to employees of the National Highways Authority of India.
Why should they not pay for using the facility? Even if they are not required to pay from their pocket, they should pay and get it reimbursed from the government later. During my time abroad, I never saw such exemption lists at toll plazas — everyone pays, and some might be reimbursed by their employers or the government later.
For that matter, one never sees huge convoys accompanying even the presidents and prime ministers in the West. There might be a few motorcycle riders escorting the dignitary’s vehicle and a couple of other cars, and sirens are used only when absolutely necessary.
It is also not uncommon to see heads of governments or ministers walking in public areas without security or escorts. A recent video on social media showed former British prime minister Boris Johnson disembarking from a train and insisting on carrying his own bags.
It is unfortunate that despite the departure of the white sahibs over 75 years ago and the promise of a country where everyone is treated equally, the number of brown sahibs has only increased — along with their privileges and perks.
While it is important to provide proper security to those in sensitive posts or under genuine threat, it must also be ensured that ordinary citizens are subjected to the least possible inconvenience. Providing a special passage to VIPs at public events, as was done at the Puri Rath-yatra, must never be allowed.
It is time for the shameful “VIP culture” to end — and for that to happen, the initiative must come from the senior leaders themselves who enjoy these privileges. 
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Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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