Janta Hai Mera Baap Kaun Hai...Indians have more reasons to listen to this than any other people in the world. ?Baade Baap Ki Aaulad... is the unsaid meaning of this lexicon which in some way or the other has made us feel that we, the normal Indians are second class citizens.
Whether it’s our politicians, elite businessmen, sports personalities - the VIP culture that exists in our country has become a rogue and guess what, it’s rising like never before. In fact India has the highest number of VIPs in the world, who preferably get everything ahead of the normal Indians and that too with the money we pay as tax.
India’s lists of people with VIP status has crossed 450 and mind it, these are only those people who have VIP security apparatus to safeguard them. Since the ?status of being a VIP is deeply coveted in Indian system, the actual number of so called VIPs in India is much higher.
In 2015 Indian government mulled to prepare a list of VIPs, so that they get easy immigration at US airports, and initially government thought of keeping 2,000 odd names in the list which could go up to 15,000 in years to come. Nevertheless, the list is expected to swell,
Meanwhile, in other countries, this isn’t the case. Population of 1.3 billion people is one excuse that we get to hear whenever the subject of large number of VIPs arises in India, China is more populated than our country yet have lesser number of designated VIPs.
If we see the number of designated VIPs in other major countries around the world, India fares worst.
Britain reportedly has a total of 84 officially designated VIPs. France boasts 109 such personages, Japan 125, Germany 142, Australia 205, the United States 252, South Korea 282, ?Russia 312, and our neighbour China has a total of ?435 designated VIPs.
Indian politicians, especially the parliamentarians (MPs), CMs and other cabinet ministers in the states and even the MLA, Councillors and Sarpanch (Panchayat leader) of Gram ?Panchayats don’t think themselves any lesser than a VIP.?
But to be one safe sides, let’s take our MPs as VIPs. In a figure which would leave most of Indians flabbergasted, In 2015, India paid Rs 176 crore to its 543 Lok Sabha members in salaries and expenses which accounts to a massive Rs 2.7 lakh a month per Member of Parliament (MP).
And this amount is their saving as they don’t have to pay any tax on their salaries apart from all the freebees they get as allowances. A MPs doesn’t even buys a needle for himself from his own pocket and it’s the government which takes cares of the all expenses from the tax they we pay.
MPs are entitled to Rs 50,000 per month as salary, Rs 45,000 as constituency allowance, Rs 15,000 as office expenses and Rs 30,000 for secretarial assistance. When Parliament is in session, they get a daily allowance of Rs.2,000. MPs are also reimbursed for 34 flight trips and unlimited rail and road travel for the year on official business.?
For example the winter session of 2016 which was a complete waste of exchequer’s money did cost a hefty 198 crores. Only two bills were passed in entire session marred by the logjam over the issue of demonetisation.
In other countries like UK and US, where the parliamentary system is quite similar to ours, MPs do get facilities, but they work and have an accountability, but in India, our VIP MPs live king size lives for not letting parliament function.
The recent example of the lavish life lived by these VIPs is the AirIndia’s ?unpaid bill of Rs 750 crore for flying VIPs, VVIPs and other officials.
If we go by the average, there is one policeman over 253 Indians and this number is certainly not enough to make us feel any safer. But when it comes to VIPs and their concern for security, on an average 1 VIP has 17 policemen or security officials to safeguard him.
Going purely by the numbers one can easily assess the the security of people is being comprmised at the cost of keeping our VIPs safe.