While on one hand we have former president Dr Abdul Kalam being frisked by American security personnel in an US airport, here in India, we have many claiming VIP status to avoid security checks.
The country has 31 categories of people, perhaps the longest list, who need not pass through security checks at civilian airports.
The list of exempted people from security checks includes, president,vice president, prime minister, governor, former presidents and vice-presidents, chief justice, speaker and deputy speaker of Lok Sabha,deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, ministers with Cabinet rank, chief ministers and deputy CMs, leader of Opposition at both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, holders of Bharat Ratna, ambassadors of foreign countries, high commissioners and their spouses, judges of Supreme Court, CEC etc.
“But one known human factor is that we want privileges everywhere. So when we face security checks or are called for frisking, we take it as below our dignity while in most countries, even the first citizens willingly undergo such checks,” said a senior CISF official.
The official confirmed that it has become a habit for politicians, small or big, in India to walk away without undergoing checks.