vasich 31.01.2012 12:45
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![Politics post... Politics post...](http://bimmerin.net/ul_files/0_330592001328013937.jpeg)
Manmohan Singh (inset, above), unlike almost all his predecessors, will travel in a plush, black BMW. (background)Farewell Ambassador: The Prime Minister''s BMW - By Siddharth Srivastava Move over, Ambassador. Thanks to his predecessor A.B. Vajpayee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will move around with style—in an armored, custom-made BMW, writes Siddharth Srivastava. While the Indian political establishment may be divided over the way economic reforms should further progress in the country, there are no doubts about the ultimate badge of honor and status — it is he/she who rides a BMW, a brand that’s as multinational as it can get. And, made to roll over, is the symbol of political and bureaucratic power on the road till now, the completely swadeshi, bulky and often listless Indian Ambassador fitted with piercing sirens and red lights on top. The 14th Lok Sabha that met for the first time this week saw members, old and new, in a wide array of car makes, often in contrast to their avowed stance of equitable distribution of the country’s resources. Among those who stood out in their cars were Avtar Singh Bhadana, Member of Parliament, from Faridabad in Uttar Pradesh, one of the poorest states of India, in a black Mercedes; Rana Gurjit Singh, Congress MP from Jalandhar (Punjab) also a Merc; Congress MP Nikhil Kumar in a Honda City; former Prime Minister Chandrasekhar in a Honda Accord; Kuldip Bishnoi, first-time Congress MP, in a dazzling Hyundai Terracan bearing the number 0001; Samajwadi party leaders Jayaprada and Amar Singh in a white Lexus; Santosh Bargodia in a Hyundai Accent; Congress MP Praneet Kaur, wife of Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in her Mitsubishi Lancer. While the above pretty much served as an advertisement for the various brands that circulate in the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who alighted in a black custom-made BMW, stole the show. Actually, Singh should thank his predecessor Atal Behari Vajpayee under whose regime the BMWs replaced the fleet of bullet proof Ambassadors that all previous prime ministers rode in. A mention also has to be made about the lurking Lashkar-e-Taiba and al-Qaeda terrorists whose constant threat clinched the deal to procure the BMW for the prime minister. In order to enhance security and ensure comfort when the prime minister moves around in the capital, the Vajpayee government had ordered six bullet-proof BMWs that are also shock proof and mine-proof vehicles. The cars are a light-armored custom-made version combining features of the BMW 5i and 7i series that have special safety and security features, catering specially to VIPs around the world. Though questions had been raised about the need for six cars, each at over $250,000, the reasoning was that India could easily afford them, given the comfortable foreign exchange reserves. One of the first decisions of Vajpayee after he resigned was to renounce the BMWs that were sent across to Manmohan’s residence. Singh, a man of spartan habits, however, has decided that six BMWs are too many for his use and has made two available for the continued use of Vajpayee, given the security risk he faces. The remaining two were sought to be sent to Singh’s mentor Sonia Gandhi, but she has reportedly refused the flashy cars as her preference still remains the good old Ambassador. Although officials are tight-lipped about details due to security considerations, the look of the car is indistinguishable from the other standard 5i models but the cars offer a very high level of protection from an armed attack. The sedans have the ability to withstand direct hits from high caliber handguns and also protect its occupants from other physical attacks. Protective layers are built into the body of the car at creation rather than being retrofitted. This approach allows for a more comprehensive layer of immunity while maintaining the dynamic capability of the car at a very high level. Increased maneuverability of the car allows 360-degree movement from a standstill position. The cars are fitted with bullet-resistant windshields, door windows and rear windows. In addition, the protection also features extra strong protection glass and a number of optional special security features. These include the option of running the cars on flat tires at up to 80 km/h even if the tires have been shot out and a communication system that allows the occupant to communicate outside without having to open a window. The added security that the cars offer do not impose a significant weight burden. “The additional protection results in an increase in weight of no more than 150 kg with minor modification of the spring system and allows the car to retain a high level of performance with the ability to accelerate to 100 km/h in only 6.7 seconds (6.6 seconds for the standard 5i),” says an official closely involved with the prime minister’s security. The BMW roll out also marks, over the past couple of years, the slow but definite phasing out of the Ambassador, for long the favored car of anybody who wanted to announce power on the road. There are numerous stories of retired bureaucrats purchasing a second-hand Ambassador to retain a figment of the glory that they once enjoyed, at least on the road. In a recent decision the Delhi government plans to replace the Ambassador as its official vehicles. It will be the Ford Ikon, Maruti Baleno, Toyota Qualis or the Skoda Octavia instead. “The absence of low maintenance and dependability,” are the reasons given by Delhi Finance Minister A.K. Walia in an interview. Hindustan Motors, the manufacturers of the Ambassador, however, are gamely fighting on and say that the shift to other models is a result of “product fatigue.” “We sell about 15,000-20,000 Ambassadors every year, of which 20 percent is bought by the government. The ambassador is a national symbol for the common man. It has always been associated with the government. It is the appropriate vehicle from the security point of view and is easily driven in rural and semi-urban areas,” Soni Srivastava of Hindustan Motors was quoted in a newspaper recently. The company is trying to make the Ambys look more contemporary and has come out with two new models recently. But with BMWs for competition, the battle looks pretty much one-sided. Nobody knows as yet what Manmohan is going to do with extra two BMWs at his disposal. Lucky him. At any rate, few will mourn the passing of the Ambassador, which, rather like khadi, symbolized a spurious modesty of lifestyle far removed from the less pretty reality of politicians. - Siddharth Srivastava is a journalist based in New Delhi.
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