India, Jan. 2 -- Jammu once again stood still - not because of a natural calamity or security threat, but because a few VIPs decided to move and show their presence. On New Year's Day, Baghe Bahu Road turned into a symbol of administrative failure, where roads were blocked, citizens were halted and humiliated, ambulances with patience were stuck, and journalists were harassed - all in the name of VIP movement.

Is it a hazard of governance or institutional arrogance?

When an ambulance is forced to wait in traffic while VIP convoys pass unhindered, the system sends a chilling message: Privileges of VIPs matter more than Commoners' lives. What kind of administration justifies blocking an entire city so that a handful of powerful individual...