prodded to use the VIP pass

Using VIP status to get special treatment at public places is one of the most famous ways of flaunting it. And so is done by the ostentatious Indians aplenty. As and when there is an opportunity we would go right ahead and move around flaunting our 'status'. 

There are different categories of VVIPs. And there are as many or probably more different ways of flaunting that 'status' of theirs.

To make it simple they have been classified below in a heirarchy similar to that of Cricket teams in India.

We have the Indian Cricket Team. The VVIPs who reside in Lutyen's Delhi and their kind. Their most effective way of showing off is to have you wait for ages for them to pass. In extreme situations the wait could be as long as an hour. You'd understand what that means if you're a Delhiite and have to pass through that area and have had to wait for something like 10-15 minutes on a bike when the temperature is over 40 degrees.

The IPL teams. The film stars. I don't even need to get started, the mention of a certain character named 'Rakhi Sawant' is enough. Thanks to people like her, so many people have stopped watching TV. While there are others who have started...

Then we have the Zonal Teams. The people who have contacts with the aforementioned(ICT). Their most effective way of flaunting their status is by getting free passes to the Cricket matches being held at Ferozeshah Kotla. It is common knowledge that after the free passes have been distributed the only places remaining for the crowd to watch the game from are the trees and thankfully Delhi has plenty of them.

Next we come to the State Level Teams. The Sarkari babus. Go to any public body and you'll know how they flaunt their status. Want a hint? Here it is: Don't wear a watch when you go to the MCD office.

Then there are the University, College and School Teams: These are the ones who all of us have to deal with at some stage or the other.

These are the people around you who have, more or less, a celebrity status on a microcosmic level. This category also includes the people around you in school, college, university who move about flaunting their badges and designations. The Prefects, Presidents, members of the Student Body etc.

Remember that teacher in school who used to give marks frugally to have you begging for more.

Or those special guests who arrive at least an hour late in gatherings of friends and families.

Then the committees managing your institute/dorm etc, who excel in implementing all kinds of ridiculous illogical rules.

The Traffic Police constable who talks to you rather condescendingly even if you are not at fault.

Or that clerk in your university who would talk to you in only one manner - condescendingly. He wouldn't consider you important enough to even raise his eyes from the file that he just picked up while talking to you.

Broadly speaking these are the various categorisations of 'celebrities' that we come across. Or did I miss out someone? Anyway, the fact is that most of these celebrities are not even celebrated except for the honours doled out to them by a select group of maniacs.

One is through with all the gassing, time to come to the point. Somehow, one landed up in the last category of celebrities, the student body... And by virtue of the work that the student body performs it has some special perks. The one that I've used the most out of all the perks is the small office that we have with a couple of PCs and printers. Imagine, a campus with no space to keep your foot... and you have a fair sized office to yourself and your friends. And in addition a LAN connection, access to intercom. And... the list continues.

The other advantages include:

1. Entry to all fests organised by all colleges of the university free of cost(includes Mithibai ;). The visiting card does the job. This is not a written down rule, just mutual respect. I've used this just once and that too just to have a look at how the team went about organising their event. Never really had time for more.
2. Option to get clicked with the celebrities backstage. Done that once, didn't even care to get the pics.
3. Invitation to all events of college - again mutual respect within college. Of course, the event should be in a well known 5 star(JW Mariott, Grand Hyatt and the likes) and lunch/dinner should be there.
4. General information about what's happening in the college. Policy decisions and all.

... the list continues.

One such minor perk is that entry into/exit from any college event is not restricted. That's primarily because in most cases we are the ones organising the event. Never in the two years have I stood in a queue(for college related stuff). Now, just recently we had our Fresher's party, organised by Juniors at JWM. When I reached there, there was a queue. I was in no hurry so I joined the queue, it feels good when it's just for a change. (Prof. V Raghunathan to note) Seconds later a group of girls came and stood right behind me. Already half drunk and constantly chattering. I could not bear the noise and the queue was moving rather slowly. So, I stepped out, went straight to the gate and stood there. The plan was to enter after the guy behind whom I was standing in the queue entered. So there I was chatting with someone - can't recall who it was. I guess, the liquor from the girls had already got to me.

Then it happened. One Mr. being his usual over smart self passed a rather snide remark about my intention of jumping the queue surreptitiously. I ignored. The person with whom I was chatting had, by now, entered. A second remark, followed by a third.

OK dude. You stand in the queue. I'll enter and, do so openly. Do what you can. I asked one of the juniors to arrange my coupon and enter, I did. Ego!