Why Smriti Irani’s quiet trip to Starbucks matters

Secondly, What’s so great about a minister having coffee at Starbucks?

The fact that she did so minus any fuss or entourage. The fact that she stood in a queue, placed her order and went to take her order herself.

Also Read: Smriti Irani walks inside Starbucks without any security, stands in queue and places her order just like all of us

That’s a rarity. For everyone who thinks they are someone make it a point to flaunt it. Many business executives and even rich kids come to Starbucks with entourages and “attitude.” And politicians, even unelected ones, generally come accompanied with a posse of security persons and secretaries, one of whom always seems to be only carrying cellphones and answering calls on their behalf.

Hey, this is “Tu jaanta nahin main kaun hoon? (Don’t you know who I am)” Delhi.

Here, on the other hand, was a representative of the people and a member of the Government coming and leaving without most people even noticing her presence. She did not want attention. She did not attract attention. She was very content in people not knowing “ki main kaun hoon (who she is).”

In Delhi, that’s a rarity.

Smriti Irani did not come to Starbucks as a Minister or a Member of Parliament that day. She came as someone much more important. Someone we keep forgetting. She came as a citizen of India.

And in times when people try to dazzle you with the trappings of power, where showing off seems more important than blending in that counts for something. That counts for something indeed.