Ever since a new political dispensation came in Delhi politics and started announcing its commitment to stopping VIP culture of the previous regime, a fresh debate is being seen engaging the public. These politicians said that they would not occupy big government bungalows, drive costly cars and accept showy security paraphernalia. They further added that all policy decisions would have public participation. Such catchy slogans came to the public notice as something very surprising. The question arises, are they the only and first lot of politicians to be credited with this innovation?
In mid-1990s, I was associated with the security in Parliament when I had the opportunity to see the leading politicians of all hues from very close quarters. Without taking name, I can say to have seen even one-time MPs coming to attend the House in big costly foreign cars. I was told that these cars were being provided to them by the multi-national companies. Bhogendra Jha, MP/CPI used to come often on foot. When the House ended in the evening, I used to see Mamta Banerjee, MP/Cong, Chaturanan Mishra, MP/CPI and half a dozen South Indian parliamentarians, waiting for the ferrying mini buses near the portico to get back to their residences.
Mamta Banerjee was invariably seen in white khadi saree with indigo border, white blouse, hawai chappal and a khadi bag hanging from her soldier. When Atal ji was the Prime Minister, on her request, he had gone to her small accommodation in Calcutta to see her mother. Even after changing the political party, winning the election and becoming the Chief Minister of West Bengal, she has neither changed her dress nor opted for a posh residence. During Jyoti Basu’s rule, I had seen half a dozen CPI(M) ministers and MLAs smoking foreign cigarettes and putting on very costly sports shoes. She was never talked about her simplicity in the political circles of Delhi.
Today, people have heard that Manohar Parikar, CM, Goa also is equally simple so far as squandering public money is concerned and comes to office on his personal two-wheeler. Narendra Modi, CM. Gujarat stays in a very small house and has only two attendants. He loveseating self-cooked ‘khichri’. He likes to put on well stitched pyjama and kurta which are purchased from the khadi bhandar near the Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad. You talk about Lalu Yadav, Om Prakash Choutala, Prakash Singh Badal, Late Jyoti Basu, Sheila Dikshit, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Karunanidhi, Karunakaran and several others who earned bad name for the interference of their close relatives in the state matters. On the contrary, except his mother, Modi does not give any lift to other relatives. To cap these all, he accepts only Rs. 13,400/- per month as salary. Should not the so-called neo-aam aadmi leaders steal a leaf from the books of above leaders?
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