The red beacon is a manifestation of our feudal culture: Prakash Singh

The former BSF chief and former DG of police says implementation may be difficult at first

On April 19, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced at a press conference that red and blue beacon lights will be banned on all VIP vehicles from May 1. The only exception to this rule will be the beacons on emergency vehicles. The same evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in support of the ban, calling “every Indian a VIP”. PRAKASH SINGH, former chief of the Border Security Force and former director general of police, tells Manavi Kapur that it will take a lot more than just banning beacons to get rid of the VIP culture. Edited excerpts:

Is abolishing red beacons on official vehicles mere tokenism?

One may see it as tokenism. But this is a good beginning, provided it leads to other logical steps. This is certainly not enough by itself. Feudal culture is ingrained in our minds and metaphorically built into our DNAs. The red beacon is only a manifestation of this tradition.

When it comes to the states, all kinds of ruffians, rascals and scoundrels with the least bit of political clout can get police protection. This is just to advertise that they are “somebody”. This happens across the country, and while it is difficult to estimate, I would say nearly 10,000 people in every state enjoy these kind of privileges. There is no authorisation or official sanction and this only means fewer policemen on the streets doing their job. In my opinion, what was required was the pruning of the list of those given vehicles with red beacons. But it seems wise that the government has decided to cut the proverbial Gordian knot.

The implementation of this rule is going to be difficult at first. It requires an amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act that has guidelines on who needs beacon lights. Those clauses will need to be deleted, but till they are there, this practice can and will continue. If you study feudal culture in detail, you will see the problem being much deeper. For instance, chief ministers, present or former, are given bungalows. In larger states, this is becoming a problem. Why should they be entitled to these houses for the rest of their lives? I commend Nitin Gadkari for suggesting VIPs should live in multi-storeyed flats. 

Beacon lights cause chaos on the streets when traffic is blocked for VIP movement. How will this move help that problem?

There is chaos when it comes to traffic because we are not taking the help of technology to the extent we should be. Constables like to play safe and block traffic much before the actual VIP movement. Technology can guide you through GPS and you can reduce this inconvenience. For instance, the traffic department can track the prime minister’s movement and then reduce the time for which traffic needs to blocked. But we are carrying on with the old system. We have to ensure smooth passage of VIPs, especially when we have heads of state visiting the country, but the inconvenience can be reduced to the barest minimum. People in India are very patient, but you can’t test their patience this way.

Are there guidelines associated with the use of beacon lights?

The only guidelines are those that pertain to blue beacons. But even those we must clarify and specify. For instance, why does a high-ranking official need a beacon vehicle? Is it only meant to indicate stature? Before allotting a beacon vehicle, they must ask whether the official using it will need to respond in the event of an emergency. Only vehicles that will be used in emergency situations should be classified in that manner.

Internationally, what are the norms followed for VIP security and traffic movement?

The norms vary from country to country. In certain Scandinavian countries, the VIPs go unnoticed. They take public transport or even ride bicycles to work. But in the US, there is a stark difference. I suppose it also depends on the emerging threats. For instance, even Europe may now need to redefine this culture because of the rise of IS sympathisers and rebels.

Do you think this will help the situation in smaller Indian cities where the red beacon is used as a means of intimidation and to exhibit stature?

This dynamic is bound to change. Considering only the DSP or SHO of the state police in a district will have the beacon on their Jeeps, it will drastically bring down the number of such vehicles in the state. This will make it easier to spot those who are unlawfully using these lights. To an extent, this will help end the culture of goondagardi, but a lot of it will depend on the enforcement of this rule.