Tura: Roads are a public utility that everyone uses for travel. However, some people believe that they have the right to demand that others move out of their way when they are using the roads. Welcome to the culture of the VIPs and ministers of the state of Meghalaya!
A recent incident in which a speeding convoy hit a car and did not stop to check on the well-being of the occupants demonstrates the extent to which privilege has infiltrated the system. This behaviour shows a lack of concern for the safety and rights of others on the road.
That the people who were the victims in the case are a government employee and his wife, who is the sister of a former MLA, just indicated where priorities lie for those seeking to escort VIPs and ministers in their day-to-day businesses. Further the fact that it was the convoy of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma should have made those accompanying him even more careful, something that was eschewed in the case.
On the afternoon of December 10, a couple was hit near the NEHU, Tura, campus by a vehicle that was part of a convoy carrying the Chief Minister of Meghalaya to a clan meeting in Tura. The couple, who were returning from a nearby village, was injured in the collision. Despite this, the convoy did not stop to check on their well-being and continued on at high speeds. The couple were, Sengban Marak, DTO of SWGH, and his wife Juri D Shira.
The couple involved in the collision suffered injuries as they were pressed against the dashboard of their car, which also sustained significant damage. It is expected that a case will be filed with the police, though the DTO was not available for comment.
This incident is not an isolated one. Many people in Meghalaya have experienced being pushed aside by vehicles carrying VIPs or government officials who believe that their time is more important than others on the road. This behaviour is widespread and is a source of frustration for drivers in the state.
“You should just see the aggression in the people escorting VIPs. They just want you to give way even if that means you push your vehicle out of the road. If you don’t, angry hand gestures by over-eager policemen will taunt and haunt you. Of course, all these come with sirens blazing and speeds that are mind-boggling for hill roads,” said Maxbirth G Momin, a resident of Tura on the issue.
The aggression, it seems, is all-pervading as the entire convoy, be it 4 vehicles or 20, move at breakneck speeds disregarding all safety matters for the sake of making up for a time. Whether that perceived emergency is real or not is debatable.
In January of this year, a motorcyclist was killed in an accident near Songsak in East Garo Hills. The accident involved a police vehicle that was part of a convoy escorting the home minister, Lahkmen Rymbui. The circumstances of the accident are still under investigation, but witnesses claim that the police vehicle was in the wrong lane at the time of the collision. The investigation into the matter is ongoing.
What seriously makes the ministers and VIPs think that their privilege to use the road is greater than anyone else’s is beyond understanding. Accompanied by sirens and red lights, their presence on the road makes everyone else uncomfortable.
“Even on roads where there is hardly any traffic, you will still hear the sirens and red lights go. It’s scary how they force cars off the road or make them stop completely. When there is really no emergency, why the need for such a show unless you just want to convey that you are more privileged than the rest of us,” felt another resident, SD Sangma.
The issue of sirens is not limited to only ministers and VIPs. It percolates to even the police force. It is not uncommon to see traffic being stopped completely just to allow for some senior police officials to get from their place of residence to the office. This happens on a daily basis in some districts and is done with impunity even during normal times.
In 2013, the Supreme Court of India had come down heavily on various governments of the country over the misuse of sirens and red beacons. The court called for action against those who use these symbols of power and called on politicians and bureaucrats to limit the use of sirens and red beacons. Prior to the ruling, it was common for the relatives of ministers and bureaucrats to use sirens and beacons and to receive state-funded security.
In many cases, it was found that criminals, using beacons and sirens, were upending crime as security forces were fearful of checking VIP vehicles, something the Apex Court had noted.
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While the ruling provided some relief to commoners for a while, these bad habits were not about to become history just yet. A few years after the SC ruling things once again seem to be back to where it was previously with none the wiser.
“How can getting to your office be an emergency unless you are already late in which case it is not the public’s fault? It seems the time of flaunting power may just be back and this time with a vengeance. Imagine the definition of humility among ministers and VIPs has changed to acknowledge people who don’t use the beacon and siren,” felt a resident of Mendipathar on the condition of anonymity.
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