Positive step
In a positive development, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday decided that beacon lights will be removed from all vehicles, except emergency vehicles, like ambulances and fire trucks. This is one of the steps the government hopes to take in ending the 'VIP culture' that permeates public life in India. In many parts of India, these objects have become a symbol of authority, especially for elected representatives and government officials. However, seasoned politicians realise that beacons and sirens create a wall between them and the common man and in the long run can severely erode their mass support.
The Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee was the first to remove red beacons followed by the AAP government in 2013 during its 49-day tenure. Nonetheless, it is imperative to note that this is a merely cosmetic step. Elected representatives continue to behave with a shocking sense of entitlement even though they are technically 'public servants'. The recent Air India episode involving a Shiv Sena MP is a testament to this fact. In a positive development, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday decided that beacon lights will be removed from all vehicles, except emergency vehicles, like ambulances and fire trucks.
This is one of the steps the government hopes to take in ending the 'VIP culture' that permeates public life in India. In many parts of India, these objects have become a symbol of authority, especially for elected representatives and government officials. However, seasoned politicians realise that beacons and sirens create a wall between them and the common man and in the long run can severely erode their mass support.
The Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee was the first to remove red beacons followed by the AAP government in 2013 during its 49-day tenure. Nonetheless, it is imperative to note that this is a merely cosmetic step. Elected representatives continue to behave with a shocking sense of entitlement even though they are technically 'public servants'. The recent Air India episode involving a Shiv Sena MP is a testament to this fact.