The chief minister’s own jam..!

It was a massive traffic jam we got into on Sunday in Mumbai: I was dropping my friend, a famous novelist and also a newspaper columnist to the airport, and he’d just told me how nice it was driving in the city when we hit the jam. It stretched on and on! “Must be an accident!” my driver observed as we inched forward inch by precious inch and my friend looked anxiously at his watch. “We’re going to be late! I might miss my flight!” he whispered.
I wondered what it was and as we slowly neared the airport, I saw hundreds and nearly a thousand motor cycles with placards and banners, all blocking the highway.
They were parked discriminately all over the large ten lane Western Express Highway.
The only road leading to the airport.
The police were helpless.
The cars and buses and trucks around were equally helpless.   
It was utter chaos.
We finally reached the airport and had hardly time to say our goodbyes as he ran in, hoping he’d catch the flight. I wondered how many had lost theirs.
It was today in the newspaper I saw the grinning face of Chief Minister Fadnavis of Maharashtra sitting on a motorbike. “Bike rally outside the airport!” the picture caption said.
It was then I understood the arrogant faces of the other bike riders as they blocked the paths of hundreds of cars. “You can’t do anything!” they seemed to be saying, “This is the chief minister’s own traffic jam! See there he is sitting on that Bullet!”
How often we see guardians of the law breaking the law for their own convenience and publicity. He was elected to see the law of the land was obeyed but as he sat on his motor bike and looked around he seemed to be stating, “It’s my state! We can do what we want!” 
To his followers, the others on their bikes, he was a god because he couldn’t be touched. The police were weary as they looked at us in the cars. What could they do, it was the chief minister’s own jam.
I see this in our country: Laws broken to show followers how powerful they are. It’s only in the next election they realise how foolish they were because I’m sure every single car occupant will realise later who created the mess. It’s a lesson for all of us. As we start occupying powerful positions, we have to start following laws and procedures even more. When you become the MD of your firm, when the chairman of an NGO, when the principal of a school or even the head of your family, you become not the maker of new, convenient laws but the guardian of the old ones. You don’t break them but keep them! 
I have never seen a rally starting from the airport before. I have never seen the highway blocked so completely. Never seen so many anxious faces at that spot. But then it was the chief minister’s own jam..!
    
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The chief ministers own jam..!

It was a massive traffic jam we got into on Sunday in Mumbai: I was dropping my friend, a famous novelist and also a newspaper columnist to the airport, and hed just told me how nice it was driving in the city when we hit the jam. It stretched on and on! Must be an accident! my driver observed as we inched forward inch by precious inch and my friend looked anxiously at his watch. Were going to be late! I might miss my flight! he whispered. I wondered what it was and as we slowly neared the airport, I saw hundreds and nearly a thousand motor cycles with placards and banners, all blocking the highway. They were parked discriminately all over the large ten lane Western Express Highway. The only road leading to the airport. The police were helpless. The cars and buses and trucks around were equally helpless. It was utter chaos. We finally reached the airport and had hardly time to say our goodbyes as he ran in, hoping hed catch the flight. I wondered how many had lost theirs. It was today in the newspaper I saw the grinning face of Chief Minister Fadnavis of Maharashtra sitting on a motorbike. Bike rally outside the airport! the picture caption said. It was then I understood the arrogant faces of the other bike riders as they blocked the paths of hundreds of cars. You cant do anything! they seemed to be saying, This is the chief ministers own traffic jam! See there he is sitting on that Bullet! How often we see guardians of the law breaking the law for their own convenience and publicity. He was elected to see the law of the land was obeyed but as he sat on his motor bike and looked around he seemed to be stating, Its my state! We can do what we want! To his followers, the others on their bikes, he was a god because he couldnt be touched. The police were weary as they looked at us in the cars. What could they do, it was the chief ministers own jam. I see this in our country: Laws broken to show followers how powerful they are. Its only in the next election they realise how foolish they were because Im sure every single car occupant will realise later who created the mess. Its a lesson for all of us. As we start occupying powerful positions, we have to start following laws and procedures even more. When you become the MD of your firm, when the chairman of an NGO, when the principal of a school or even the head of your family, you become not the maker of new, convenient laws but the guardian of the old ones. You dont break them but keep them! I have never seen a rally starting from the airport before. I have never seen the highway blocked so completely. Never seen so many anxious faces at that spot. But then it was the chief ministers own jam..! [email protected]