Confine, confound, compound

Staying in Bombay, I guess I'm shielded from the daily passage of a VVIP entourage. However, the PM came-a-visiting this morning and there was complete chaos on the highway outside the airport. Traffic was backed up in six lanes, on, under and around the flyovers as well. OK, that's the case every morning, but what made it different today was that the traffic wasn't moving. Not even crawling. Taxis - usually parked at the terminal for arriving passengers - had been shoved out of the way and were lined up in the last lane for over two miles from the airport. There has been major work in progress on that stretch of the higway for months and therefore, the road narrows to six lanes from eight.

It took a good twenty minutes to drive the mile or so beyond the airport exit. All thanks to the policemen, who were lined up every few yards and had taken control of the traffic lights at the junction. The species of traffic policeman in Bombay is unique. Wherever/whenever they step in to override the traffic lights, they effortlessly manage to create traffic snarls that shut down a suburb or two. Some traffic policemen were making a hash of directing traffic around the airport, while others were just standing in the hot sun (I do pity them for that, I'm not completely heartless) and waiting for the PM to arrive.

A few minutes driving time beyond the airport, and we hit the traffic jam created by Bombay's resident lunatic. No doubt, considering the upcoming Assembly elections, he had his rank and file visit him, or he probably had to go out, or something like that, which necessitated the use of traffic policemen to route traffic, once again. Of course, neither the PM nor the Toothless Tiger - or any of their cronies and acolytes - feel the inconvenience.

At such times, I feel there should be a restriction on all our worthies. If they feel threatened by the general public, they should go and stay in a maximum-security enclosure that's far away from any habitation. I could suggest quite a few suitable places off the top of my head. Why should they continue to stay in and around the general populace? If they've been elected - legitimately - by the people of India, then why should they shield themselves from us? If our elected politicians have won on account of their reputation and public service - ergo, a popular support base -, why should they be afraid of someone attacking them? Sure, you do have the usual nutcases and oddballs, and it pays to be safe, but what's the use of a security blanket that keeps everyone away? Why should the common man alone feel privileged to have a VVIP visit?

And if they need to be secure and safe from the general public, then why travel to address an election rally? A meeting? A forum? Instead, they should be ensconsed in the suggested maximum-security compound right after the elections and kept there for their entire term. I certainly don't see any evidence of a politician's visit having done any good for any place.

I'm sure the underlying - and unspoken - sentiment of a large number of people would be that politicians are an unecessary hindrance. They're just like a wart - unsightly, gross and of no use. Why should we pander to their egos? Why invite them to an industry forum, when an overwhelming majority are unqualified to even attend nursery school? Why wait for a minister to be available to inaugurate a bridge or road or building? Wouldn't it be easier to just open the facility at the earliest to the general public for whom it is intended?

Instead, isolate them. Confine them. Keep the whole bunch of MPs together in a common area. Let them have their debates and fling furniture at each other within the confines of their settlement. Give them houses, phones and food - all of which they grab anyway - and let them run their ministries by remote. As it is, they do nothing more than siphon the taxpayer's money, so how does it make a difference whether they're present in the office or not? Keep their interaction with the world at large, at a minimum. No election speeches, no public rallies, no foreign visits, no inaugurations, no industry meets, no social events. I'd even go so far as saying "no visitors" because that would mean everyone who comes to seek favours would be automatically excluded, but that is difficult to control. I mean, they'd have to allow foreign dignitaries at the very least.

There has to be substantial public reaction and interest to change things as they are. As (a semi-dormant) part of the blogger community, is there something I can do to bring about an awareness about these VVIP impediments? If perhaps enough of us write about the inconvenience caused to the general public by our servants and elected representatives, maybe we can force a change. slowly but surely. Somebody will take notice. Maybe a couple of newspapers. Some TV channels, definitely. There are plenty of journalists in the blogosphere, surely somebody will take notice? At some later stage, maybe somebody will file a PIL? Perhaps there will be enough concerted effort and interest to force the ruling classes to stop being such an inconvenience....

Keep that politician away!