The VIP syndrome...When will we get over it?

India appears to be humiliated and outraged and the reason??? One of our most popular figure of recent times, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam was frisked by Continental Airlines officials before boarding the aircraft. The print media as well as electronic media are up with arms in criticizing the 'incident'. There was ruckus in the parliament over this issue and our govt has lodged FIR against the 'guilty'. Frankly speaking, I am not amused. We have a history of beating around the bush on all the non-trivial issues in the world but will refuse to admit this ostensibly uncovered truth.

Personally speaking, I do not see anything wrong with the frisking of Mr Kalam. Like most of my fellow Indians, I also admire him and have high respect for him. However, considering what has happened in recent past, I think it is high time that we come out of the VIP syndrome. Why do we have to treat a VIP as some sort of God? Afterall, isn't a VIP a human being in the end ? To allow him to fly unchecked is a threat to the security to other fellow passengers. India has seen the Kanishka bombing and IC-814 hijack case...so why to take a risk? Or are we waiting for a VIP to hijack a plane before we accept our mistake and then make up laws stripping VIPs of this privilege. We have often heard of the criminal-politician nexus and a sizable number of our MPs and MLAs have criminal background. Treating them as the privileged ones is like playing with lives of people. Someday, we as a country have to learn to be tough, be proactive and to treat all its citizens at par.

Human life is of paramount importance and once lost, the void in the lives of relatives/friends can't be filled. If I was travelling in a plane, I would want EACH and EVERY passenger checked, whoever he/she may be. I do have a right to care about my own life..don't I...or have the VIPs have snatched away that also?