The intent behind the austerity drive of the Congress Party may be pure and aimed at promoting the development and welfare of the country by cutting unnecessary costs. However, a conflicting viewpoint can also be considered in this context. The twin issues of security and inconvenience faced by the common man deserve to be taken note of.
Rahul Gandhi’s decision to travel in a train was met with skepticism from various quarters. The task of providing security to one of India most protected figures in a public transport vehicle proved a major headache for officials. This was further compounded when stones were hurled at the train, breaking two windows as the train passed a village en route from Punjab to New Delhi. The police downplayed the attack saying that it was not aimed at Mr. Gandhi. This incident has thrown up serious questions about the limits to which high-risk leaders can stretch austerity in public life.
Some Congress Party leaders were quick to take up the matter with the Director of the Special Protection Group (SPG). The SPG, which was formed after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is responsible for the security of national VVIPs. However, preparing security measures for a journeying VIP will always remain a daunting proposition. It gets even more difficult when a certain change is made prior to a journey.
Many security experts oppose austerity at the expense of security. There have been many arguments between leaders and security chiefs in the past in this context. In December 1989, the Secretary in charge of Internal Security was successful in dissuading the then Prime Minister, V.P. Singh against taking a commercial flight for domestic travel. In another incident, former SPG chief and director of Intelligence Bureau Shyamal Dutta tried to discourage Deve Gowda from taking a commercial flight to Bangalore on becoming Prime Minister in 1996. But the SPG had failed to stop Gowda from doing so.
Apart from the problem of security that arises due to the austerity drive, there is yet another issue: the inconvenience faced by the common man. An increase in security checks and other formalities would be a common occurrence when Ministers and other high officials begin to travel on commercial flights and passenger trains. The innocent public would have to face even more baggage checks, sanitization, blockages and scrutiny. The threat faced by the public in terms of terrorist attempts also increases manifold when political leaders adopt such moves.
Political leaders should always abide by the advice of their security personnel, refraining from unplanned and adventurous rides aimed at propagating the agenda of political parties. They must also take into account the high expense such situations would entail, to be incurred by the Government by way of strong security measures. The austerity drive could be addressed in better ways that would not disrupt the day-to-day living of the general public.
SBG
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The Journalistic Eye 