DISCLAIMER: The writer has taken every precaution to confirm the accuracy of facts presented in the article(s). But the writer does not hold responsibility if any fact turns out to be inaccurate.
Hi everyone!
This is my second blog entry and it deals with the subject of Very Important Person (VIP) treatment to celebrities and the negative impact that VIP culture can have.
In India, debate on this issue started when former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked and made to go through security check. A large section of Indian media raised hue and cry of insulting former President and accuse Americans of being arrogant. They ignored the fact that American laws require security checks for everyone. Whether that person is a celebrity or an ordinary citizen, he/she has to go through such checks.
Here on Independence Day on 15 Aug, the celebrations rarely received coverage from media. Why? Because media had a bigger news. The news of Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) being detained at Newark Airport for questioning. SRK was not representing India. He was there on the invitation of some Jingoists who wanted him to join the party. Still Indian Embassy intervened and only then he was let off the hook. He says that he was humiliated. When he humiliated many people in India to satisfy his ego and ridiculed many actors like Manoj “Bharat” Kumar who are considered as legendary, he was happy. Now just a security check which is a part US Laws, made him feel humiliated. Even Salman Khan (another Indian actor) said that things go this way in US. SRK is an arrogant man in real life and he has never denied that. Now finally he has seen that there is someone above him.
Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) later said that Americans did right thing by detaining him. Few days ago, he was saying that he does not want to go to US. Few years ago, when Pepsi and Coca Cola were being accused of having pesticide in their drinks, at that time, SRK, who was endorsing Pepsi, said that if Indian government banned them, then he would go to US, only to drink it.
Just because Americans treated him like any human being, he got offended because on Indian Airport, he is treated as an incarnation of God. Why? Because he is a movie star and Indians like to see their celebrities receiving VIP treatment. He said that when Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox come to India, he would perform security checks on them. In India, the rulebook says that only women should search women. I don't know what SRK is. Now Americans should be more careful when he comes to US next time and interrogate him to make sure whether is it safe to allow him or is a possible sexual predator. In US, statements or past acts of celebrities (and sometimes ordinary citizens) have often been used to nail them in an attempt to prove certain allegations against them. Once a pop superstar was dubbed as racist as one of her private conversations with a personal friend got leaked online. The conversation was recorded secretly, possibly by some paparazzo, in which the pop star could be heard cracking a joke on an Asian race. The pop star was well known for her friends-circle and list of former boyfriends who belonged to different races and there was no way she could be racist. But she had to apologize for saying something that was limited to her room and was meant only for humor. Even in India, people often get into legal problems for hurting the sentiments of certain community if they poke fun on them in public. But it is common to see people poking fun at other communities while sharing jokes in households. If that pop star could be dubbed racist by an Asian community for something she said in private and meant only humor, then SRK‘s statement should not be seen as humor as he had said that on a public platform which makes him bigger culprit than that American pop star.
Even Bob Dylan was frisked the same day at New Jersey. He did not raise hue and cry because American celebrities do not believe in VIP culture. Celebrities like Mariah Carey, Eminem and George Clooney are subject to security checks at airports like any Tom Dick or Harry in USA.
Now somebody may say that Indian laws call for VIPs to be exempted from security checks. However, according to international laws, the airlines are a part of the territories of those countries in which they are based in. Dr. Kalam was boarding the flight of a US based airline service which was subject to US laws. After Indian laws clear a passenger, he/she becomes subject to the laws of country he/she is visiting. Many times, such security checks are performed on aero-bridges, just before the flight so that the rules of any country would not be violated. It would have been better if Indian media had covered it the right way by saying that Kalam had set an example for our arrogant politicians to follow. Our government would not have been fuming like this had some Chinese, Pakistani or some airline service in Middle East would have frisked Kalam.
In USA, someone is exempted from security checks only if he/she is traveling on a charted flight.
When Brad Pitt was in India, some police complaints were filed against his security guards and they got arrested. When Pitt came to bail them out, Police Commissioner used this opportunity to meet him as a fan. After discussing his movies that he liked, he let his security guards off the hook. Media was there when so called racist incident (for which Pitt‘s guards were held responsible) took place in the school but not a single camera from any TV channel had recorded Pitt‘s guards yelling racist remarks on local people. According to media reports, Pitt even urged and requested Indian media to show the footage to police if this was true. According to a news report published on an online edition of a Mumbai based tabloid, Pitt and Angelina Jolie even declared that they would fire their security guards if the allegations against them were found to be true. Still no TV channel came forward as their purpose of sensationalizing a trivial issue and grab some eyeballs was served.
SRK wanted to use his frisking incident to promote his movie called My Name Is Khan which is based on the racial profiling of Asians, esp. Muslims in US. He knows that people would like the movie if Anti-American feeling in India is strong. It was sad to see many Indians in US criticized his frisking. Some of them said Anti-American things which sound suitable from the mouth of Communists and Taliban type people. I wonder why they live in US if they hate Americans so much. In India, evading security checks is a status symbol. An Indian movie called New York was hit. The message that movie carries is that a man becomes terrorist when FBI harasses him. What about those terrorists who don't even know about FBI? Terrorists like Osama bin Laden and Aamir Ajmal Kasab were never arrested or tortured by FBI. I know that Indians (except me) would be hurt and accuse an American film-maker of racism if he demonizes Indians the way FBI was demonized in New York. We all know how uncomfortable Indians get when they see movies portraying India as a land of cannibals, snake charmers, elephants and flying carpets.
SRK and his team wanted to shoot a scene of My Name Is Khan in White House but they were denied permission. Of course, SRK felt offended as when somebody says no to him, he feels insulted.
Recently, US Embassy in India denied visa to a Member of Parliament called Shahnawaz Hussain. MP, his party (BJP) and his boss (Advani) were furious and accused US of visa-denial because Hussain was a Muslim. There have been instances when many Hindus have also been denied visa but I never saw any Hindu saying that he was denied visa because he was a Hindu. They filed a complaint with PM Manmohan Singh, ignoring the fact that every sovereign nation as the right to decide visa rules and no country can force another country to grant visa to any one. This does amount to interfering in the internal affairs of US. After PM's intervention, visa was issued to Hussain without Hussain being asked to fulfill formalities. Indian politicians never mess with countries like China and Saudi Arabia like this. They know that Americans are polite and can be taken for granted. Their kindness is seen as weakness by Indian politicians. US Ambassador Timothy Romer was almost bullied and visa was issued. Romer knew that BJP activists would riot and vandalize the Embassy to protest against visa denial and Indian government would not take action against them. That is why, he had to issue the visa.
Indian Ambassador to US, Mr. Ronen Sen does not need to take orders from US President. Because American President would never find it necessary to go gaga over such trivial issue. In 2005 or 2006, American rap star Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent wanted to come to India for a concert. Indian government denied him visa because many years ago, he was involved in some criminal offences. Then US President George W Bush did not pressurize Indian Ambassador to grant 50 Cent a visa because Americans are tolerant and believe that every country has the right to grant or deny visa to anyone. And most importantly, American government also does not pamper American celebs. They are not like Member of Parliament (MP) friend of SRK who scolded Indian embassy in USA and ordered them to intervene and save SRK from being treated as common man.
A similar outrage was seen years ago when USA denied visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who was going to US on a personal trip, that also on government expanse. Modi is not a Muslim. The laws on the basis of which Modi and Hussain were in USA long before Modi and Hussain would have born. It is unfair on our part to express outrage and indirectly ask US to change their laws so that our VIPs.
In USA, politicians (even sitting President) would have to pay for their personal trips from their own pockets. US government would pay for their expanses only if they are on an official tour. But in India, ministers, MPs and Member of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) are entitled to have their personal expanses paid by government. Nobody finds it wrong because we Indians have accepted VIP culture as a way of life. Had Modi got the visa, he would have gone to US to meet his personal friend with his expanses paid by Gujarat government. So Gujarat government and Indians should thank Americans for saving Indian money.
VIP culture also claimed the life of an innocent man called Sumit Verma who had kidney problem. Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh was the Chief Guest at the convocation ceremony of that medical institute in which Verma was brought. But security staff of Prime Minister refused to let him and his family members in as the security of PM seemed to be more important to them than the life of a human being. Later PM apologized to the family of that victim of system but apology from PM could not bring Verma back to life.
This incident shows that due to our acceptance and tolerance of VIP culture, this culture has also started claiming human lives. In future, we may see the loss of more innocent lives if this culture continues.
Manu Sharma, the son of a powerful politician was convicted in Jessica Lal Murder Case. In jail, he receives a VIP treatment and he was granted parole on flimsy grounds. The silence of important politicians like New Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram shows that even they do not find anything wrong with VIP culture even if it is used to meddle with judiciary.
When Shibhu Soren was convicted of the murder of Shashinath Jha, the VIP treatment to him in jail (according to reports in media) and the luxury facilities given to him jail made a mockery of justice and proved once again that our politicians are above the law.
That is why the sooner we open our eyes and shun this VIP culture, the better for the future of our country and for the growth of our society as a democratic and civilized one.
