Sonny, dearest

One of the occupational hazards of being a well-known public figure is the possibility of being embarrassed by one's children. Some months...

One of the occupational hazards of being a well-known public figure is the possibility of being embarrassed by one8217;s children. Some months ago, when the future heir to the British throne, Prince William, was said to be cavorting with a fashionable crowd which thought nothing of snorting cocaine of an evening, his father suffered sharp pangs of anxiety under the ubiquitous gaze of the tabloid press.

Then there was the case involving the son of British home secretary, Jack Straw, who was caught peddling cannabis, and instantly figured on the front pages. More recently, British Prime Minister Tony Blair had to face his moment of truth when his eldest child, 16-year-old Euan, was hauled up by the police for being 8220;drunk and incapable8221;. Even his legendary spin doctors couldn8217;t save Blair from this one! There is more than a trace of irony in the fact that just the other day Blair had proposed that drunken louts be punished with on-the-spot cash fines. His police chiefs had, however, vetoed that proposal.

Be that as it may, there is the lesson for Indian politicians, especially those blessed with precocious and problematic progeny, in the trials and tribulations of the British prime minister. The fact is, with all his power and influence, he did not attempt to short-circuit the system of justice and chances are that even if he had tried to do so, he would not have succeeded. Now, like any other parent of a delinquent, he along with his wife will be required to accompany his son to the police station where the lad will be cautioned against repeating the crime of imbibing alcohol before having reached adulthood.

The possibility of such a conclusion to a case involving VIP children here in India is remote, very, very remote indeed. A few timely calls to people in high places and a quick exchange of crisp currency notes, if required, would have done the trick and the matter would be soon forgotten.

In a misplaced zeal to 8220;protect8221; their progeny, no matter how grave their crime, parents and relatives think nothing of committing perjury and destroying evidence. For weeks after he had shot Delhi model Jessica Lal at pointblank range, Manu Sharma, the son of a former minister, eluded arrest.

He could do this only because of the help extended to him by friends and relatives. Again, in the BMW case that rocked Delhi over a year ago, attempts were made to wash the car involved in that ghastly hit-and-run episode, so that its young occupants would not have to face the consequences of their actions. There is a principle that was being violated in both these cases: No matter how high an individual is placed in society, the law is always above him or her. Young Euan Blair would have, hopefully, learnt his lesson. It is difficult to be as sanguine about VIP delinquents in India and their over-indulgent parents having learnt theirs.