This picture of PM Modi’s convoy is a hammerblow to VVIP culture. Here's why

There is something heartening in the picture above -- an indicator of how VVIP racism, a culture that is deeply entrenched in the country, may be showing signs of waning and it is being led by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi, who reached Guwahati on Saturday to inaugurate the Global Investors' Summit, 'Advantage Assam', earlier in the day ensured his convoy didn’t disrupt traffic as it passed through the national capital.

Being stuck in traffic for VVIP envoys to pass through, over the years, has become a daily habit in India, but with PM Modi's consistent insistence on least disruption and disturbance to the common man, there seems to be hope of ending the ‘lal batti’ culture as it hopefully filters down from the very highest levels.

As seen in the picture, even as the PM’s convoy passed through New Delhi, the traffic on the opposite lane remained unaffected.

In April 2017, the Union Cabinet issued a notification to end the culture of flashing red beacons, more popularly known as ‘laal batti’, with effect from May 1 that year.

The red beacon, or ‘laal batti’, signifies influence and privilege for those in power. But the ban on the red beacon does not affect only them. It’s a bid to establish the concept of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘New India’ that stresses on ‘EPI’ – Every Person is Important’.

The Prime Minister had said in his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' that the decision to get rid of red beacons was aimed at removing the VIP culture from the mindset of certain people. He had underlined that all the 125 crore people of the country have equal value and importance. PM Modi had said getting rid of Red beacon was an administrative decision but efforts have to be made to remove the VIP culture from the mindset also.

Another facet of the picture is that it entails a hammer-blow to the biggest enabler of VIP culture - procedure. While security is present on the divider, it's not intruding on either of the lanes -- a far cry from earlier years when traffic on both sides would be made to come to a standstill, often for extended periods of time.

PM Modi first travelled like a common man with no traffic blockades on October 20, 2014 when he attended the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) convocation ceremony. No roads were blocked and commuters were allowed to travel on the same road as his cavalcade. A 100-metre gap was maintained between the vehicular traffic and PM Modi’s convoy’s head and tail as a measure of protection. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had instructed Delhi Police that only the required number of cops would be assigned for PM's security. The PMO had also ordered the Delhi Police that traffic restrictions should be minimal and demanded an end to the practice of blocking traffic on the opposite lane.

Meanwhile, PM Modi is currently attending the Global Investors' Summit, 'Advantage Assam'. The two-day event, starting Saturday, will showcase the state's manufacturing opportunities and geostrategic advantages to foreign and domestic investors.

The Summit has been organised by the Assam Government, in association with the industry body the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), aiming to position the state as India's Expressway to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.