The Car with the Red Beacon
WHY should anyone have a car with a red beacon? Well, It's a status symbol in India.
The Car with the Red Beacon — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.The Chairman of the Board was on a visit to the city - everyone knew he had some private work but to make it look official, he had a Revenue review meeting with his officers with everyone printing numerous copies of brochures.
A large number of officers including a Chief Commissioner and several Commissioners were in attendance at the airport to receive the Hon'ble Chairman. As the Ambassador car of the Chief Commissioner was not in good condition, they had arranged a private limo for the Chairman. The Chairman had one look at the car and said, "What - a car without a beacon - you want the Chairman to travel in this car?" Immediately the beacon on the Chief Commissioner's car was pulled out and it was fixed on the private car and then only the benign Chairman got into the car. In that city, hardly anyone knew what the Board was or who its Chairman was - yet the Chairman had to have a beaconed car - that is status for you.
Babus and Netas in India have a fascination for cars fitted with red beacons - even Arvind Kejriwal said recently, "As Commissioner, I could have made crores and travel in a car fitted with beacon light. "Who permitted a Commissioner to have a car with a beacon? The beacon light is thus a part of the perks.
But the Supreme Court yesterday in a landmark judgement put an end to all and sundry using the red beacon on their cars, directing that only constitutional authorities should be allowed to use the red beacon. But will the Supreme Court Judgement be enforced? Will the bureaucrats and politicians remove those illegal red lights from their cars?
Please also see the following in earlier DDTs: