In his recent Man Ki Baat telecast, the Prime Minister dealt with a number of important subjects of common interest including that of VIP culture that has become the mindset of some people in this country. The practice of putting up red beacon on top of a vehicle in which some big Government functionary or minister or political leader is travelling has come down to us as legacy of the British imperial rule. Unfortunately, along with some more legacies, it has stuck and become the tradition. Generally people in our country and State have developed hatred for red beacon or lal batti as they call it. The reason is that such persons as are designated Very Important Persons (VIPs) distance themselves from the masses of people who vote them to power. They distance because they are nurturing false sense of importance. Prime Minister Modi has taken a serious note of this VIP culture and mindset and as such in the Cabinet meeting of 19 April, it was decided that installing the red beacon atop the vehicle by any functionary would be banned from May 1.
This decision has come as a happy surprise to the people of the country and the State. Holding a position of authority and power does not make a man superior to other men in any respect. He is assigned a job including a sensitive job by the Government and that does not mean he becomes something of “other” than 125 crore people of this country. Modi has very rightly said that VIP culture should change into EPI culture which means that every person in the country is important. He has appealed the youth to ensure that the VIP culture does not survive anymore and is replaced by the EPI culture which is the demand of the times. The ban imposed on red beacon will apply to all Government vehicles, including those used by the Prime Minister, the Chief Ministers, Central and State Ministers and Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
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