It’s been quite a while since PM Narendra Modi took the historic decision of doing away with red beacon lights on VIP cars in India, but we still have a long way to go before VIP culture comes to an end.
From politics and entertainment to business industry, it is deeply ingrained in our country. So much so that it seems ki ab toh Coronavirus bhi VIP status dekh ke attack karta hai.
It’s been a month now, since the country has been under nationwide lockdown . As per rules, a gathering of 5 or more persons is prohibited across the country. And nowhere do the rules mention their non-application to VIPs.
But somehow, we in India, believe that VIPs are immune to everything, even getting infected by coronavirus.
Case in point: Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy’s son’s wedding ceremony that was attended by around 100-150 close relatives.
When you see the pictures of the ceremony, it doesn’t look like the wedding happened amid nationwide lockdown. With no masks and no social distancing, rules of lockdown were clearly flouted.
Kyun bhai VIPs ko Coronavirus infect nahin kar sakta? Woh unse pooch ke aayega?
This is just one instance. There are others too.
When everyone is being asked to stay indoors, promoters of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd. (DHFL) were found vacationing in Mahabaleshwar with their families.
During this time, both Pune and Satara districts were sealed due to the ongoing lockdown for containing coronavirus. Despite this, they managed to travel from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar by acquiring a pass citing ‘family emergency’.
While thousands of migrant workers and students are stranded due to the restriction on inter-state movement of people, a BJP MP managed to return to his hometown in Himachal Pradesh from Delhi.
Couples across the country are cancelling or postponing their weddings so that they do not risk the lives of others.
People are finding it difficult to obtain passes for genuine emergency conditions.
The only people unaffected are the VIPs, maybe because the coronavirus doesn’t infect them.