Visiting a Government office is not exactly the opportunity one looks forward to. My work required me to visit Mantralaya, the Government of Maharashtra’s office in Mumbai. We got down from our car in front of the entrance to find that one had to obtain a ‘visitor’s pass’ to enter the premises. That discovery shocked me because 300 pesons were in queue to enter. But my colleague, an Army officer was not discouraged. The security personnel, actually police, were sitting under a canopy. You had to pass through the barricade they had created. My colleague went to the constable and informed her that we were invited by a certain Minister to meet him. It was true. So we had a direct entry, one pass was issued. We walked through the canopy jubilantly not caring to look at the 300 persons in the queue. But not before being frisked by police. We were under the watchful eyes of at least a dozen police constables all the time.

The canopy opens on to a small way between two buildings and parked under the buildings were a dozen cars with special numbers like 7070, 9696. Obviously belonging to the Ministers.

People in high places are guided by numerology, feng shui, astrology and the like, at every step. Having ensured that their fate is not left to chance, why do they want to be protected by an army of men?

Vivek