[Stop Laal Batti Dubbed In Hindi
Virginie Fayad
New Delhi: Come 1 May and the ubiquitous red beacon will no longer be seen atop cars of dignitaries and top government officials. The Union cabinet on Wednesday decided to put an end to the practice of using such beacons in a decision that covers all government vehicles, including those ferrying the prime minister, chief ministers, central and state ministers and judges of the Supreme Court and high courts.
Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways, termed the move a historic and democratic decision. This government is a government of common masses and thus we have decided to abolish the VIP culture of beacon lights and sirens," he said.
The red beacon or laal batti, allowed to only top public officials and politicians, has come to signify influence and privilege. The flashing red light (and the accompanying siren) is a sign of someone important approaching and a warning to make way. But what many see as a symbol of entitlement also serves as an aspiration for young men and women across the country.
The proposal to dump red beacons has been doing the rounds of the government for around eight months. A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked Nitin Gadkari to hold consultations with all ministers and come up with a final call. Though there was a division of thought among the ministers, the final call was taken by the PM."
The cabinet decision comes at a time when questions are being raised about the arrogance of elected representatives, in the wake of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad misbehaving with Air India officials after he was not given a business-class seat.
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