Letters: Dismantle VIP fortress

With reference to the editorial, “Air India-Sena MP row: Govt maintaining official no-fly list is a bad idea” (March 30), there is something wrong with our elected representatives: They believe they are not subject to the rules and regulations ordinary citizens stoically follow.

Being a government-controlled organisation one can understand Air India’s diffidence in drawing up a no-fly list. Other airlines are not constrained to do so.

Parliamentarians are elected representatives; they are meant to serve the public, not berate or lord over them. The space, culture and perverse incentives such VIPs create need to be shrunk, not expanded. Dismantling the VIP fortress is necessary because without doing so VIPs won’t realise how they are undermining the values and principles of a democracy.

As is the practice in other countries, a no-fly list should be drawn up to ensure compliance with security regulations. Flying today is prone to “elevated risk” episodes.

                H N Ramakrishna | Fairfax
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