The nation, its infrastructure and its policies are for the common people. They vote for candidates to get good services from their chosen people, whom they expect to work as their representatives and make their liveseasier. Any politician or government employee is a public servant. The unfortunate part is that many forget this fact and start believing that they are chosen for various other reasons except public service. The VIP Culture that was condemned by our PM Modi Ji still prevails and becomes a point of unacceptance for the public. Whether it is a temple, a live play, a stadium or the roads, you see the VIP menace everywhere. We can understand if there is someone who has a threat to their life or is heading the nation or the state. But every person who holds power and their first, second, and third relatives or friends and friends’ friends cannot have the same VIP treatment.
If a VIP is supposed to pass a certain road, traffic is held for long hours. Cars are stalled and are made to wait. The roads are kept free so that the VIP does not have to bear the traffic. People who are heading to work, ambulances carrying emergency patients, school buses and even senior citizens are made to sit in the cars and wait for instructions from superiors. Such a scene is seen near and around private jet airports in all states. The temples favour the VIP as if God has kept some special blessings for the ones who are privileged. Again, if there is a certain person who has a threat to their life can be allowed to avoid the crowd but when loads of relatives and acquaintances of the VIPs use their name and cut the lines, the common public is left to believe that injustice is a reality at the doorsteps of God too.
One unbelievable and funny reality is worth a mention. There are three flyovers ready in Mumbai but the public has not been allowed to use them because they are not inaugurated yet. And the unreasonable answer for why they are not inaugurated is that ‘the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is not able to find time to visit these rampsand inaugurate them.’ Can you digest this? MMRDA has been trying hard to seek time from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr Eknath Shinde, but they have not been successful in doing so yet. Renowned RTI activist Anil Galgali had been following up o this issue for almost a month in order to make these open to the public, but the VIPgiri has come in the way of this too. Already the projects have been delayed and nowthere is a delay in the opening ceremony. If the Chief Minister is not having time, it should be allowed to function without an inauguration or someone else should inaugurate it immediately. The extension of SCLR from CST Road towards the western express highway and Vakola in Mumbai are the ramps that have been waiting to be used by the common people who can save a lot of time in their commute because of these flyovers. Yesterday, some cars passed on the flyover as if it was usable. They did not care if it was inaugurated or not. There was no barricading and thus they took advantage of it. MMRDA got anxious because of the so-called violation and had regulations imposed immediately for not using the flyover. If the flyovers are not opened to the public now, they will not wait for any inauguration. They will use it. And it will happen soon. The MMRRDA and Cm Maharashtra need to figure out their schedules before the public figures their convenience.
Things should not reach a point where the public stops respecting rules and regulations. Law and order will get their respect only if they are impregnated with justice and equality. If the public can place someone on their head, it will hardly take any time to drop them down too. While all the power holders are busy condemning their opposition, cleaning their image, safeguarding their positions and creating funds for the next elections, the common public is suffering a great deal. The publicshould not be provoked to misbehave, protest or display anguish. That can pull the system down. We have seen that in many countries and that’s happeningeven now in the most powerful nations. There is a question for all the heads of Government offices, Aren’t we in a democracy? The government is of the people, by the people and for the people, then “ WHY THIS VIPgiri DI.?”
