Obama's motorcade, daughters and the 'very important parents'

Given the age at which our politicians are deemed to be eligible for the nation's highest offices, the current gripe of Barack and Michelle Obama's daughters - of having presidential motorcades and bandobast at parent-teacher meetings in school - is unlikely to see an Indian echo any time soon.

Even if the likeliest candidate agewise, Rahul Gandhi, becomes prime minister pronto, it will take him some time to remedy his bachelor status and even more time for his children to become of school-going age. Grandchildren have been more common in Rashtrapati Bhavan and Race Course Road so far, and naturally, that has not really impinged on parent-teacher powwows.

In India, however, the privilege of vehicular and uniformed entourages is not restricted to heads of state or government; any person with enough clout or convincing argument for 'security cover' can move about with officially sanctioned gun-toting retinues around most places, including schools.

And in many cases, their offspring are also given their own mini-entourages. So, neither the 'protected' people nor their cosseted children would probably concur with Malia and Sasha Obama regarding the intrusiveness of Very Important Parents' security details.

Indeed, these conspicuous protection units are deemed to have a cachet equal to (if not greater than) a flotilla of luxury brand logos. Best of all, they come at no cost to the beneficiaries, only to the taxpayers.

Like the long line of white Ambassador cars and SUVs within the precincts of Parliament when the Houses are in session, the sight of a few of these cavalcades outside - and inside - trendy schools could only enhance the brand equity of these institutions as being safe and appropriate places for theprogeny of the privileged.