Tag: VIP culture
14 Results
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Only gallery-play?
Only a thin line differentiates Socialist populism from the dismantling of a VIP-culture, and the Railway ministry seems to be tottering on it. rather than get down to the hard but unglamorous task of shedding the “risky” tag that now attaches itself to train travel. Mishaps marked the arrival of the new minister just after …
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October 11, 2017 -
Haryana directs to take strict action against using loud speakers or multi-toned horns
Following the ban of red beacon lights, loud speakers and multi-toned horns are apparently being used in Haryana to exhibit VIP status. Taking note of the incidents of using loud speakers or multi-toned horns atop their vehicles by the vehicle owners with a view of exhibiting their VIP status as an alternative to beacon lights, …
September 20, 2017 -
Crowded bandwagon
Prime Ministerial diktat may have ensured the dismantling of red beacons, but securely intact remains the VIP culture of which those lights atop cars were symbolic. And, as often happens when VIPs are at fault, a lowly inspector of police in Punjab takes the rap and gets suspended. The “crime” under focus not being any …
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August 20, 2017 -
Cult of the VIP
Consider the paradox. Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted his party MPs from Uttar Pradesh last week to give up the mindset of lal batti, specifically to be humble, shun any notion of hierarchy, and freely mingle with the common man. In parallel, the UP government directed all District Magistrates to earmark separate lanes for MLAs, …
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July 31, 2017 -
Flutter in the wind
Old habits die hard, and so does the deeply ingrained feudal mindset of our rulers who feel that they are and shall always remain more equal than all others, no matter if the country they live in happens to be a democracy that promises equal rights and liberties to every citizen. So they are not …
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June 24, 2017 -
Purely symbolic
The theory that “well-begun is half-done”, unfortunately, is unlikely to come into play in respect of the government’s excessively-hyped ban on red beacons on VIP-carrying vehicles. The claim is that a bid is underway to dismantle a sickening, discriminatory culture, when in reality only a symbol is being addressed. Ushering in a “cultural” revolution will …
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April 22, 2017 -
Now, demand for ban on pressure horns and hooters
With the ban on red beacon lights atop official VVIP vehicles slowly becoming a reality in most parts of the country, a Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer on Friday sought a similar ban on the use of pressure horns and hooters on vehicles. Through a demand notice to the chief secretaries of Punjab and …
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April 21, 2017 -
Himachal Governor Acharya Devvrat shuns red beacon
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat on Thursday removed the red beacon from his official vehicle. His move came a day after the Narendra Modi government put a countrywide ban on it from May 1. Devvrat directed the removal of the red beacons from his official vehicles along with other vehicles attached with him, an official …
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April 20, 2017 -
VIP culture: State CMs remove red beacons from vehicles
Following the Union government's announcement to ban red beacons on official vehicles from May 1, chief ministers of many states and Union ministers have embraced the decision and removed the red beacon from their respective vehicles, just a day after the announcement was made. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was the early trendsetter to …
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April 20, 2017 -
Govt will not reduce security given to VIPs: Venkaiah Naidu
The government has no plans to cut back on security to VIPs, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said, a day after the Centre banned the use of beacon lights atop all vehicles, except emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire brigade. "With regard to security, it is necessary in the interest of the country because …
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April 20, 2017 -
Tamil Nadu CM, 4 other ministers remove beacons from office vehicles
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday removed the beacon light from his car following the Union cabinet decision to do away with the VIP culture. The chief minister personally removed the red beacon light from his car a day after the Union cabinet decided that beacons atop all official vehicles will have to be …
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April 20, 2017 -
Amarinder welcomes Centre’s decision on red beacons
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to get rid of red beacons from all vehicles from May 1, saying it is a "healthy step that will further strengthen the country's democratic fibre". Such regressive symbolism promoted by the VIP culture that has prevailed in India for decades needs to be …
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April 19, 2017 -
Haryana min takes jibe at Punjab’s move of ending VIP culture
Haryana education minister Ram Bilas Sharma on Saturday took a jibe at the Congress government's bid of ending the VIP culture in Punjab, saying that banning use of beacons is futile if the ministers in neighboring state still travel with a number security guards. Sharma told The Statesman that merely advertising something is not enough as …
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March 25, 2017 -
Red Beacon: VIP culture alienated common people from leaders
Justifying his government's decision to ban red-beacon lights in Punjab, the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said VIP culture has eroded the democratic systems of the country and alienated the common people from their own leaders. Reacting to reports of certain individuals refusing to let go of the red beacon status symbol, the …
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March 21, 2017