V I P culture in India
Kudos to TIMES NOW- for picking up an issue of V I P and V V I P culture in Inidia.
But like all other things the Times Now channel picks up from time to time- [and mark my words]- this too is going to fizzle out.
Times Now has picked up many issues ever since it started- but there have never been any follow-up programs on the issues they have raised.
I will not be wrong to surmise Arnav Goswami, that the relevant and burning issues you raise everyday in the News-hour program- are just to increase your T R P.
Would like to bring to your notice a few instances of V V I P culture and how it affects the common man
1. 1985- The Centenary Session of the Congress to be held in Mumbai as that is where they say the Congress was established.
Rajiv Gandhi , the then Prime Minister , travelling from do not know where- but going towards South Bombay[ oh please it was Bombay then] .
The traffic was held up. I was standing opposite Sion Hospital, to cross the road [ was coming back from my uncle's house in Sardar Nagar , Koliwada ] to go back to my house in Matunga Road , walking . There was a pregnant woman- who was hoping to cross the road to reach the Sion Hospital, for delivery. She was held up as the V v I P- Prime Minister was to pass- none was allowed to even come down on he road [ the foot-paths were chock-a-block with people to cross the road and go about on their way[ none I assure you was waiting to wave when the V I P passed.This was widely reported in the press too
2. July 11- 2006- the serial train bomb-blast in Mumbai. There was a blast at Matunga Road Railway station .. Trains were closed , people had to walk to their destinations far off in the suburbs . People did whatever they could to alleviate the troubles . There was lot of human traffic on the road. Suddenly past midnight- the police started clearing all of Tulsi Pipe Raod [ Senapati Bapat Marg ]of any and all persons. It so happened that Sonia Gandhi, with an entourage of more than 100 cars, visited the blast site at Matunga Road well past midnight. Till she was there none from any of the surrounding buildings, including the building in which I stayed, were allowed on the road- including those good Samaritans who helped transport the injured to the hospital.
3. Nana Patekar- who has a ground floor flat- in Nav-Sahyog Society- 3 buildings away from my residence on Senapati Bapat Road [ Tulsi Pipe Raod- brings home Lord Ganesh, every year during Ganesh Chaturthi [ that used to happen even when his father was there]. However ever since Nana became famous- that Ganpati attained stardom. Not only ordinary people around or from far off , but even the V I P 's started visiting to appease Nana or the God or for a photo-op with Nana- only Lord Ganesh knows. Balasaheb Thackrey, Raj Thackerey , Smita Thackerey, a few actors and even the Home Minister of Maharashtra R R Patil. Whenever these V I P 's were supposed to visit, the media congregated and hindered the smooth movement of pedestrians like me. Of course the police were present in large- very large numbers,
A few minutes before any V I P arrived - traffic and pedestrian movement was stopped- till the V I P had their darshan of the God and Nana bade them farewell. This continues even today
4. Sanjay Nirupam- the M P from Borivali== While travelling to Borivali, [ where I have shifted since July 2013, as my building has gone into redevelopment in Matunga Road- Senapati Bapat Marg], I found one evening that no passengers were allowed to disembark at Borivali- Platform No. 7. for a couple of minutes. It so happened that Sanjay Nirupam- who was an M P then had come to to the station [ don't know what for]. But till his entourage , which comprised more police than his sycophants , went outside the platform- none was even allowed to get down from the train.
Can give a few more instances, but these are enough to prove that all V I P 's including bureaucratic V I P 's must be treated like ordinary citizens.
Arnav Goswami- I do not have any expectations from you to sustain this movement- it will be the people of India, who will banish this culture from India .
Rest assured
Dilip Apte
February 26, 2015
Kudos to TIMES NOW- for picking up an issue of V I P and V V I P culture in Inidia.
But like all other things the Times Now channel picks up from time to time- [and mark my words]- this too is going to fizzle out.
Times Now has picked up many issues ever since it started- but there have never been any follow-up programs on the issues they have raised.
I will not be wrong to surmise Arnav Goswami, that the relevant and burning issues you raise everyday in the News-hour program- are just to increase your T R P.
Would like to bring to your notice a few instances of V V I P culture and how it affects the common man
1. 1985- The Centenary Session of the Congress to be held in Mumbai as that is where they say the Congress was established.
Rajiv Gandhi , the then Prime Minister , travelling from do not know where- but going towards South Bombay[ oh please it was Bombay then] .
The traffic was held up. I was standing opposite Sion Hospital, to cross the road [ was coming back from my uncle's house in Sardar Nagar , Koliwada ] to go back to my house in Matunga Road , walking . There was a pregnant woman- who was hoping to cross the road to reach the Sion Hospital, for delivery. She was held up as the V v I P- Prime Minister was to pass- none was allowed to even come down on he road [ the foot-paths were chock-a-block with people to cross the road and go about on their way[ none I assure you was waiting to wave when the V I P passed.This was widely reported in the press too
2. July 11- 2006- the serial train bomb-blast in Mumbai. There was a blast at Matunga Road Railway station .. Trains were closed , people had to walk to their destinations far off in the suburbs . People did whatever they could to alleviate the troubles . There was lot of human traffic on the road. Suddenly past midnight- the police started clearing all of Tulsi Pipe Raod [ Senapati Bapat Marg ]of any and all persons. It so happened that Sonia Gandhi, with an entourage of more than 100 cars, visited the blast site at Matunga Road well past midnight. Till she was there none from any of the surrounding buildings, including the building in which I stayed, were allowed on the road- including those good Samaritans who helped transport the injured to the hospital.
3. Nana Patekar- who has a ground floor flat- in Nav-Sahyog Society- 3 buildings away from my residence on Senapati Bapat Road [ Tulsi Pipe Raod- brings home Lord Ganesh, every year during Ganesh Chaturthi [ that used to happen even when his father was there]. However ever since Nana became famous- that Ganpati attained stardom. Not only ordinary people around or from far off , but even the V I P 's started visiting to appease Nana or the God or for a photo-op with Nana- only Lord Ganesh knows. Balasaheb Thackrey, Raj Thackerey , Smita Thackerey, a few actors and even the Home Minister of Maharashtra R R Patil. Whenever these V I P 's were supposed to visit, the media congregated and hindered the smooth movement of pedestrians like me. Of course the police were present in large- very large numbers,
A few minutes before any V I P arrived - traffic and pedestrian movement was stopped- till the V I P had their darshan of the God and Nana bade them farewell. This continues even today
4. Sanjay Nirupam- the M P from Borivali== While travelling to Borivali, [ where I have shifted since July 2013, as my building has gone into redevelopment in Matunga Road- Senapati Bapat Marg], I found one evening that no passengers were allowed to disembark at Borivali- Platform No. 7. for a couple of minutes. It so happened that Sanjay Nirupam- who was an M P then had come to to the station [ don't know what for]. But till his entourage , which comprised more police than his sycophants , went outside the platform- none was even allowed to get down from the train.
Can give a few more instances, but these are enough to prove that all V I P 's including bureaucratic V I P 's must be treated like ordinary citizens.
Arnav Goswami- I do not have any expectations from you to sustain this movement- it will be the people of India, who will banish this culture from India .
Rest assured
Dilip Apte
February 26, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment