When public servants behave like kings

A photograph of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan being carried by two policemen to flood-hit areas of the state has gone viral on social media, and even made it to the leading pages of several newspapers. The CM had gone there to take stock of the flood crisis, but the picture ensured he became a laughing stock himself.

The picture shows Chouhan being supported on the arms by two police personnel who wade through the drain, holding their CM's legs high enough so his feet don't touch the water.

It has sparked anger and inspired a series of memes and jokes on social media. The most interesting part of the episode is that the photograph was released by a Public Relations official of the MP government.

One report quoted sources in the government saying that Chouhan was carried as there was water in the nullah and the collector and the local police chief decided that they can't risk their chief minister getting hurt or bitten by snakes.

Whatever be the reason for the misadventure, it exposed the colonial and feudal mindset of the tall Indian leader. He claims to be a son of the soil, but it seems he has changed after becoming chief minister.

It's ironic that Chouhan hails from a party whose top leader, Narendra Modi, calls himself the Pradhan Sevak of India. If, as prime minister, he is Pradhan Sevak, then as a chief minister, Chouhan is just a sevak. And this is not how asevak behaves.

In the first week of this month, one of my Bhutanese friends shared a photograph of his king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck that, in stark comparison, drowns all of Chouhan's glory.

Like us, Bhutan too has faced wrath of floods over the past year. Like Chouhan, the Bhutanese king was inspecting relief work. At least he was prepared; he was wearing rubber boots.

Unlike Shivraj Singh, the king was standing in a flooded field himself and giving instructions to his employees.

While the king can be seen behaving like a servant of his citizens, Chouhan - an elected leader - is behaving like a king in his home state.

If our democracy throws up rulers like the MP CM, isn't a monarchy better?