DNA Edit: Guns And Posers - The privileged and their sense of entitlement

Ashish Pandey, the son of a former BSP MP, brandished a gun at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Delhi to intimidate a person. In true filmi style, he was telling the world about his privileged status, his lineage and the clout he enjoys.

Pandey’s action stems from a strong sense of entitlement. He has been brought up in a milieu where his actions, however unlawful, have been condoned or overlooked. He knows the law can be twisted at will.

His father or brother, who is a BSP MLA, will make a couple of calls and make all this go away. In India, sons of politicians and industrialists can get away with even murder, so flaunting a firearm is a lesser crime. Wealth and power distinguish people like Pandey from law-abiding citizens.

A society, highly hierarchical on caste and class lines, nurtures deep fault lines that have the potential to cause considerable damage. It’s a wonder how status quo still prevails despite obvious provocations. Public places in India, especially the roads, give a generous glimpse of how deep this culture of entitlement runs.

The naked display of power and the brazen show of wealth are inextricably linked; for those at the receiving end, there is no escape from this ugly reality. Had the video depicting the incident not gone viral, Pandey would have never known that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable in civilised society.

In this case, the victim is the son of a former Congress MLA, which makes the face-off an interesting study of conflict within the affluent class.