If simple living and high thinking were the credo of most politicians before independence and in the first two decades after 1947, ostentatious living and vulgar display of authority and wealth is their fashion in the 21st century. Barring a few exceptions, our netas believe that they cannot command the respect of the people unless they flaunt their political power and wealth. This attitudinal shift among peoples’ representatives is most obvious in New Delhi, the seat of political power in India. Nothing explains this better than the demand by MPs that they be given the right to fit red beacons atop their cars.
The clamour for red beacons took the form of a formal demand by MPs when a hundred of them signed a petition addressed to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha last August and demanded that the rules be amended to enable them to fit these beacons on their vehicles. Some of those who signed the petition told mediapersons that it was “embarrassing” for them to go around their constituencies without laal battis. They explained that there are two distinct “disadvantages” in moving around without the red beacon. First, they get stuck in traffic jams like the janata. Second, their cars get challaned by the police.
The Speaker passed on their petition to the Committee of Privileges of the House, which has since examined the issue in its report tabled on November 30 in the Lok Sabha. The committee said the provision of red beacons atop the vehicles of MPs is an issue which is “closely connected with the status of Members of Parliament besides the protocol issue and Warrant of Precedence”. Since many States, including Uttar Pradesh, have provided this facility to MPs, the Union Government should do the same by amending the Motor Vehicles Act. Since the Act is a Central Act, a Central notification regarding the grant of this facility to MPs would have all-India applicability. In addition, the committee said, this would save the members from the “embarrassment” of removing the beacon while crossing inter-State borders or entering the national capital.
Should the Government give in to this demand? We need to think carefully about the implications of 790 MPs moving around with red beacons in the national capital, apart from the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Union Ministers, Election Commi-ssioners, judges and a host of other functionaries. Will this make our MPs safe or make the other protectees unsafe? This is a valid question in the light of the shocking incident a few days ago when highway robbers used a beacon-fitted vehicle to intercept and hijack a truck near Kuruk-shetra. If Delhi roads are full of vehicles flaunting red beacons, who is a VIP and who is not? How will the police deal with criminals who may misuse these beacons?
Apart from the demand for red beacons, there is another issue affecting the image of MPs — their unwillingness to make any adjustment while travelling by train. If the latest fracas is anything to go by, one must pity railway officials, especially those posted on the Delhi-Patna sector.
Every MP is entitled to a First Class AC pass and a Second Class AC pass for an attendant. However, when MPs wish to travel on a particular train at short notice, the railway authorities may not be able to accommodate them in the First Class AC coach if all the seats are booked by other passengers. Though railway officials hold back a few seats for such emergencies, this is not enough in some situations, as when half a dozen MPs board a train without adequate notice. Since paying passengers cannot be thrown out of a train — though this has happened in the past — seats in the Second Class AC coaches are offered to MPs who hop on to trains at the last minute. But this does not always solve the problem because, having got used to First Class AC travel, MPs feel offended when they are accommodated in the Second Class AC coaches and often raise a ruckus during the journey. Soon thereafter, they lodge a protest with the Minister for Railways. In all such situations the Minister opts for the easy way out. The Minister empathises with the complaining MPs, makes the right noises to prevent the incident from being mentioned in Parliament and suspends some railway officials for being discourteous. This happens every once in a while.
The latest such incident happened in the first week of December when 18 MPs from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar complained to the Minister for Railways that they were “mistreated” by officials. They complained that most of them were downgraded from First Class AC to Second Class AC coaches in the Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express. According to Indian Railways, there were six vacant berths and they were given to MPs. The others had to travel in one of the Second Class AC coaches. Media reports said that the MPs’ protests led to the train being stopped at Mughalsarai Junction for sometime. The Minister for Railways promptly apologised to the MPs, transferred some senior officials and suspended a third official.
Should we just sit back and watch our MPs throw their weight around? Are these demands — the red beacons and First Class AC berths in all circumstances — reasonable? We need to tell our MPs some home truths about the present mood in the country. It would be facile to think that the groundswell of support for Anna Hazare comes only from the opponents of the Congress. The anger is directed at the political class as a whole because the spirit of sacrifice that dominated politics in the past has now been replaced with self aggrandisement and the urge to use public office for self promotion. Since the moral framework has collapsed and the citizens are witnessing a virtual free-for-all in the political sphere, they are in search of a messiah outside the political space who can restore values and decency to public life.
In such an environment, the laal batti issue or the fuss over Second Class AC travel is really like showing a red rag to an enraged bull. Our MPs should ponder.
