GO THROUGH ME FIRST...

How India's valiant human shields protect important political leaders and visiting dignitaries

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

When Narendra Modi took oath as prime minister for the first time on May 26, 2014, hundreds of foreign and Indian dignitaries had gathered for the event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan's forecourt. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was visibly uneasy and was sweating profusely in the Delhi heat. His aides looked around for a bottle of water, but water bottles had been prohibited as per the security arrangements. An Indian security officer noticed Sharif's discomfort, walked up to him quietly and handed over a bottle of water he had stashed away in his coat pocket.

The summer sun is blazing once again, and with the country's next prime minister set to take oath in June, the atmosphere is no different for the personnel on VVIP and VIP security duty.

"In the Indian context, VVIPs are the prime minister, president [and vice president], and visiting heads of state," said retired IPS officer D.P. Sinha, who was secretary (security) in the cabinet secretariat and special director of the Intelligence Bureau. "There are other categories of VIPs who are provided security. The security officers are their body covers. It does not mean just taking a bullet. Threats must be detected and preempted."

In 2014, after Modi landed in New Delhi on May 17, then chief of the Special Protection Group, K. Durga Prasad, briefed him about security concerns. While Prasad himself would not leave the side of outgoing prime minister Manmohan Singh (the SPG chief shadows the sitting prime minister till he demits office), he offered Modi an SPG team.

"Modi refused the offer," said a person in the know, requesting anonymity. "He wanted his old security detail when he took oath." So, in his moment of glory, standing behind him were the Gujarat Police officers and National Security Guard commandos who had protected him as chief minister of Gujarat. "It was thoughtful of the prime minister," said the person.