India, Nov. 30 -- While this is perhaps a universal phenomenon, Indians, I suspect more than anybody else, revel in the paraphernalia of power. In my book, Being Indian (2004), the chapter on power begins with a random scene I witnessed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. A convoy of cars came screeching to a halt. The escorted car had a blue light on top. A policeman in the front seat, machine gun slung around his shoulder, leapt to open the door. A young police officer stepped out. Uniformed minions, walkie-talkies in hand, sprang to clear the way. The official at the entry point fell back with a deferential salute. Gun-toting escorts guided the officer to the VIP lounge. The choreography of power in our country is fascinating - and revolting - to watch. Even a deputy director of a minor department in a state has outlandish plaques in the front and back of his official car with a red or blue light on the top and the bonnet. A minister's importance is judged not only by the patronage he distributes, but by the size of his office and residence, the army of subordinates who bow to him, and the number of security personnel detailed to protect him. Senior bureaucrats will be miffed if the lettering announcing their designation or their office is not large enough. For a VVIP convoy, traffic is routinely stopped, including ambulances; route laga hai (the route is on) is the fatalistic acceptance of this outrage. The blunt truth is that even after decades as a democracy, the mentality of a stratified society-akin to the caste system-continues to thrive. When a person's entire worth is dependent on the position he occupies on a hierarchical scale, the assertion of auqaat or status (and its recognition by others) becomes of crucial importance. In order to preserve status, one has to be seen to be above those below, and below those above. This spawns a sickening spectacle of dominance and sycophancy. The latter is particularly nauseating. For instance, a well-educated civil servant will consider it blasphemy to call his minister by name or prefaced by "mister". It must always be "sir"; sometimes a sentence will both begin and end with "sir"; if the minister is seen approaching, he will move to one side with alacrity, as if his "junior" presence could be defiling; when the boss speaks, he will keep his head deferentially bowed, or nod zealously to show agreement; and if the boss cracks a joke, he will laugh as if it is the best joke he has ever heard! What is typical of such a power structure is the misuse of power if unchecked, and the servile sacrifice of self-esteem before a superior if required. Once, my wife and I were in Jaipur, when the hotel where we were staying was besieged by policemen because the chief minister was to come. A junior police officer abused me when I requested him to allow my car to enter the premises. We were forced to alight, and he even pushed my wife in his zeal to clear the way for the VVIP. Livid, I complained to a minister in the Rajasthan government. She apologised and said the director-general of police would call me. He did, almost immediately, and said that he was sending the officer concerned (whose name I had noted down) to apologise. Soon we got a call from the lobby, saying that the gentleman had arrived. When he saw us, the same arrogant and abusive official - much to our embarrassment - literally fell at my feet craving forgiveness. He was, I knew, neither ashamed of how he had misbehaved earlier, nor about the abject manner in which he sought clemency. We admire stories of how in some countries even prime ministers travel by bus, go shopping like ordinary citizens, and live in simple apartments. But in the Indian tradition, the powerful are not expected to be reticent or modest in the projection of their power. Governor general Lord Wellesley (1760-1842) told the East India Company in London that to rule the "natives" it was essential to build palaces to awe them into submission. The British left long ago, but powerful Indians continue to do the same to awe Indians, while paying lip service to the priority of the aam aadmi....