SIREN, HOOTER, RED LIGHT – A HEADACHE IN INDIA
Introduction: The Everyday VIP Parade
Every Indian who has spent time in urban traffic has experienced the shocking, forceful intrusion of a siren. During an unbearable period of cacophony, stop-start traffic and impatience, a procession of blaring hooters, in-vehicle escort vehicles, and red-beacon vehicles, races through the chaos, as though they are royalty who alone have the right to dictate the terms of the public roadway. They engage in blatant violations of the rules of the road or traffic laws. The tragedy is that most of these high-speed, no-rules motorcades, are not even carrying life-saving emergency responders. They are carrying ministers, bureaucrats and self-proclaimed/approved VIPs, racing towards no emergency other than to placate their own inflated egos. The absurd irony of it all is that it's one thing for a country that is so self-righteous about being the world's largest democracy, to allow an episode like this, which seems less like a call to action and more like a loud cry for inequality.
It is more than just a nuisance. It arrives as an everyday evidence of systems of abuse, one grounded in society's rotted sense of entitlement and privilege obstinately overzealously manifested, necrosis from sacred necessity, the pursuit of privileged status - real and imagined as on complete display, forever! This is the stunning cruelty of our humanity - if a person of authority requires their rights and privileges from the traffic signal - that is their right and you must wait because that person waits for no emergency. And whomever is standing at that intersection waiting is often left - with subtle anger and also starkly illustrated long after the ruckus of traffic has died-down, and the audacity of colour of entitlement fades away, the realization of - some lives matter more than others.
Section 1: The History of VIP Culture in India
Colonial Roots, Democratic Hypocrisy
To understand why sirens and red lights are abused in India, we must revisit our colonial past. The British colonial administration maintained a rigid class hierarchy that included elaborate symbols of authority. Beacons, sirens, convoys, and processions were not merely functional; they were performative demonstrations of power and control. The native Indian population was meant to stop, wait, and obey.
Post-independence, India's political architects pledged to dismantle these visible markers of subjugation. In practice, though, the new leaders slipped into the vacated seats of colonial privilege with disturbing ease. The very tools that once oppressed Indians became instruments of status among them. Red beacons, long convoys, and the piercing sound of sirens became the new lexicon of power, perpetuating a feudal mindset in a supposedly free nation.
According to a 2020 report by the Centre for Policy Research, over 76% of respondents in a pan-India survey felt that politicians and bureaucrats continue to behave like colonial rulers, demanding deference and special treatment. This mindset fuels VIP culture and its visible artifacts like sirens and red beacons.
Section 2: The Siren — A Sound of Abuse
From Ambulance to Arrogance
Sirens, ideally, should be synonymous with urgency and life-saving action. In civilized societies, they are reserved for ambulances rushing patients to hospitals, fire brigades battling blazes, and police vehicles responding to crimes. In India, however, the siren has taken on a different character. It is no longer a distress signal; it is a declaration of superiority.
From district collectors to municipal chairpersons, from politicians to their personal staff, sirens are used to intimidate, not to alert. The irony is deeply troubling. While real emergency vehicles struggle to make way in congested streets, bureaucrats use sirens to skip traffic lights and reach events that are neither urgent nor essential.
A 2023 survey by the SaveLIFE Foundation found that over 57% of ambulance drivers faced delays due to non-emergency VIP movements. In Mumbai alone, emergency response teams reported an average delay of 9.4 minutes during VIP movements, enough time to determine life or death in many trauma cases. The abuse of sirens reflects not just administrative negligence, but a moral failing of those in power.
Section 3: Hooters and Horns — The Noise of Entitlement
Honking the Power Syndrome
Noise pollution in India is not just a public health issue; it is a symbol of social disorder. Among the many contributors to this menace are the loud, often illegal hooters and multi-tone horns fitted into VIP vehicles. These devices are not installed to clear traffic for emergencies, but to broadcast authority. Whether it is a local MLA or a senior bureaucrat, the loud honk serves as a warning: clear the way, or face the consequences.
These horns are often customized, loud enough to induce anxiety and hearing damage. Despite clear regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act and the Noise Pollution Rules, enforcement remains lax. A 2022 study by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed that Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata exceed the permissible decibel limits for traffic zones by 25-40%, with illegal hooters being one of the main contributors.
Police officers often turn a blind eye to offenders, especially when they carry the aura of political patronage or administrative power. More dangerously, the proliferation of such horns has led to a disturbing social mimicry. Local thugs, self-styled leaders, and even minor officials now imitate VIP behavior, further amplifying the problem. The street becomes a theatre of intimidation, where power is measured not in policy or service but in decibels.
Section 4: Red Light on the Car, Red Light for the Nation
Symbolism of Suppression
The red beacon once served as a quick identifier of authority, particularly for emergency and high-security vehicles. Over time, however, it mutated into a status symbol. Its misuse became so widespread that in 2017, the Supreme Court of India stepped in, banning its use on all vehicles except those related to emergency services.
The decision was hailed as a significant blow to India's entrenched VIP culture. But like many well-meaning reforms, it soon encountered resistance and circumvention. Government vehicles began using police stickers, fake IDs, and tinted glasses to signal impunity. Even private individuals began outfitting their cars with faux indicators of state affiliation.
A 2021 RTI filed by activist Anil Galgali revealed that over 1,200 private vehicles in Maharashtra were found misusing red beacon lights or police signage. This reflects not only regulatory gaps but a public endorsement of VIP mimicry as a shortcut to authority.
Today, the red beacon may be officially restricted, but the mindset it represents is far from extinguished. In essence, the "red light" has shifted from being a tool of governance to a visual metaphor of oppression. It tells the common citizen: step aside, someone more important is passing.
Section 5: The Price We Pay — Time Lost, Lives Lost and Insult
If Privilege Prevents Justice
This culture has a real price, not just a mental one. In many cases, ambulances could not progress because of VIP convoys, allowing preventable deaths to occur. There was a shocking incident in Noida last year when a dying infant was delayed from getting medical help by a political motorcade.
Firefighters have said that reaching burning buildings has been delayed since the roads at intersections were kept open only for visiting government officials, not for them. Last year, when a fire truck in Ranchi was delayed by a VIP convoy, it led to a commercial building burning down and businesses suffered crores in losses.
In 2019, ICRIER calculated that road congestion while VIPs travel in Indian metros leads to a daily loss of nearly Rs. 700 crore in productivity, without considering the negative effects on people’s health and mood.
Section 7: Police Officers See What They Want
Who is Likely to Tame the People Based on Claims?
Law enforcement officials often share blame for this crime crisis. The guidelines exist, but they are seldom applied in practise. Police officers, traffic marshals and district authorities are usually hesitant to stop VIP citizens as they expect to be threatened or moved.
A wink from someone in the know in Delhi or Mumbai will let you skip the red light. Transparency International India found in 2022 that 38% of traffic police officers say they come under political influence when stopping government vehicles.
In rural districts and small cities, strongmen become famous like VIPs by using fake or borrowed government vehicles or by bribing officials. People use their influence to twist and distort what the law says. There is a constant cycle of trouble in this system. Those meant to carry out the law must obey those who break it. As a consequence, the general population feels less sure about law enforcement. More and more people consider laws to benefit those who are in charge and not to be fair for all.
Section 7: How Do We Fix This?
Step 1: Clear Guidelines and Enforcement
Before anything else, the government should come up with one clear set of rules about how sirens, hooters and red lights must be used. No other vehicles should be able to drive on them except those officially recognised on emergency duty. Officials who commit any offence should face strong penalties, including losing vehicles and having their privileges suspended. A 2023 NITI Aayog report says that having the same emergency plans in every state could speed up response in cities by 35%.
Step 2: Real-Time Monitoring
The right technological solutions can be important for achievement. It is important that the government requires GPS technology and recordings in dashcams for its vehicles. Appropriate bodies should be watching these systems at all times to see whether travel patterns are used as intended and if the systems are being abused. By tracking ambulance performance with GPS in 2022, Karnataka reduced violations of response-time standards by a significant 41%, showing that technology achieves better results.
Citizens may also use a citizen reporting mechanism.
A straightforward mobile application or web page ought to exist to allow citizens to submit reports with video or photos of inappropriate behaviour. Since transparency and accountability are important, their complaints should be solved in a timely way and whistle blowers must be defended. Actions similar to those in Estonia and South Korea have gotten citizens more involved and prevented misuse of public assets.
Step 5: Adjust the Way of Thinking
Laws and technology are only as strong as the reasons they were created for. India’s political and bureaucratic leaders should show others how things ought to be done.
Challenging VIP culture, giving up privileged convoys and encouraging humility through media speak out campaigns can greatly help transform the way people think about public office. During 2021, Chief Minister Vijayan was pictured often without a vehicle convoy, showing a new approach.
We conclude: America Treated Like a Captive by Noise and Bright Lights
Siren, hooter, red light — these problems reflect a more serious trouble in Indian democracy. They embody the lack of fairness, exploitation of control and formalisation of advantage for some. Every time you hear a siren along a busy street, it is not to warn of danger — it marks the withdrawal of democratic values.
We need to dismantle the red lights on car dashboards and also the red thoughts in our minds that prefer superiority over equal rights. Everyone has to help on this road, because it can’t be smooth just for some people.
No comments:
Post a Comment