Even if our members of Parliament do not see the irony, ordinary people will surely do — that the demand of MPs to be accorded special privileges, so that they may be seen as a breed apart, comes at a time when revolutions are raging in the Arab world against those who had cosseted themselves in special privileges and were entrenched in power, not bothering to look around them to consider the lot of their fellow citizens.
Precisely because we are a democracy, no matter how imperfect, we believe that the West Asia effect won’t strike India, a land of deeper inequalities than any other in the world. And yet it is hard to deny that in seven states of the country many poor people have been persuaded through clever stratagems to place their faith in armed struggle against a system which offers privileges to a few while ignoring even the livelihood concerns of the vast majority.
Last Thursday, a prominent Telugu Desam MP made a special mention in the Rajya Sabha urging special treatment for MPs at airports. The sentiment attracted support from his colleagues across party lines. The brand new Terminal 3 (T3) of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport does not have separate check-in counters for MPs, and they must queue up like everyone else. The MPs would like this to change. They would also like separate boarding counters for “VIPs” so that these supposedly special persons may not have to stand in line along with other passengers, who are presumably a lesser category of citizen. More, MPs would like their personal assistants to be allowed entry into T3 — doubtless to push their luggage trolleys (ignoring this is a security risk), a task too low for our exalted MPs — and to be escorted to the aircraft. The VIP mentality is, of course, rampant among our elite. It may well be worth the while of both Houses of Parliament to have a special discussion under Rule 193 (a non-voting motion) on this subject so that the people may get acquainted with the mental landscape of those they elect. Let it be understood that our political entrepreneurs go down on their knees before voters at election time, but begin to turn on airs the minute they are elected. In the old days this was called “hypocrisy”. The attitude stems from a rejection of republican values which our Constitution enjoins upon us. Great struggles have been waged in all parts of India and continue to be waged to bridge the inequality gap, but this is clearly news to many in Parliament. It is time their respective parties put them right.
Our MPs enjoy parliamentary privileges which are intended to facilitate their work as representatives of the people or of states of the Union. These are required so that the Executive does not mess with them when they carry out their constitutional function as MPs. But MPs misread this. They mistakenly think these privileges are indicative of rank. From that stems much else that is shameful. In general MPs tend to throw their weight about. They hanker for the appurtenances of wealth and authority. All this must come from public funds, of course. There is a message for those who desire special privileges at airports — go get your own private planes. One thing is clear: our public representatives who fight for a show of power for themselves are unlikely to fight battles for the rights of ordinary people.