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These
charming stories illustrate the chief difference between an
important person and a self-important one. The former has
no need to assert himself nor the desire to. Unfortunately
many of our politicians, celebrities and wealthy belong to
the self-important category. They want to assert their importance
by arriving late, violating traffic laws, bumping passengers
on planes, moving around with several sycophants, holding
up traffic and using missiles of influence to get their way.
The
pomp and ceremony earlier reserved for presidents and prime
ministers is now enjoyed by every public servant of inconsequence.
It is not uncommon to see every politician of some rank accompanied
by 1 or 2 gunmen and traveling in a convoy of at least 10
cars. Jayalalitha during her first term as Chief Minister
traveled in districts in convoys of 1000 cars holding up the
traffic hours on end. It is quite common for a CM on tour
to travel in a hundred-car convoy. It has also become fashionable
for every middle level public servant to have flashing lights
atop his official car.
This
VIP culture is not just restricted to public functions or
official business, but is on display everywhere and is just
too unbecoming when also seen in Temples. Surely we should
not cast God in our own image!
Will
someone tell our self-important VIPs that only the very insecure
person wishes to be to recognized immediately and attended
to elaborately. The really important person rests easily within
himself, and if he struts and pushes, the effect is to diminish
his stature, not to enhance it.
Have
you ever had a chance to observe while sitting on the deck
of a swimming pool. The good swimmers are on the far side
doing their 50 laps with such ease and grace, whereas the
beginners at the shallow end kick and splash, making the maximum
noise. A quick learner will realize that overkicking and splashing
will just tire him but not take him too far.
I
have to end with an amusing incident that happened several
years ago. Another thing, important people shouldn't be seen
carrying anything - no briefcase, no papers, not even a newspaper.
The RBI Governor was visiting Hyderabad. All the senior bankers
and officials received him at the airport. With each one trying
to out do the other, his briefcase was forcibly taken out
of his hand. By the time the Governor came to his car nobody
knew who had his briefcase and he had to be kept waiting outside
a full ten minutes before they finally located it and put
it in his car. One reason why VIPs are usually late for meetings
and inaugurations!
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