Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan is aiming to trim not just govt expenditure but also some of the ceremonial trappings of his office. He has directed police to dispense with the guard of honour traditionally accorded to the chief minister during district visits.Prescribed in the Kerala Police Manual, the guard of honour is a long-standing feature of the protocol governing the chief minister’s official visits outside the capital. Typically comprising five to seven police personnel, including a guard commander, the contingent lines up at the guest house to formally receive the chief minister on arrival.The request was reportedly made “with folded hands” to state police chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar when he met Satheesan to invite him to the launch of the state police’s anti-drug campaign, Toofan. The chief minister is understood to have said that police personnel should not be diverted for what he viewed as a colonial-era ceremonial practice. Arguing that the force was already stretched by manpower shortages, he maintained that officers would be better deployed on active duty.Sources said Satheesan also clarified that he was not seeking a blanket abolition of the practice. “Those who want such ceremonies can continue to have them. Just leave me out of it,” he is learnt to have said.The request has, however, caused some unease in official circles, with the guard of honour long regarded as part of established protocol and an institutional tradition rather than a personal privilege accorded to the chief minister.Sources said the state police chief was initially reluctant to do away with the practice, but Satheesan remained firm. Confirming the development, Chandrasekhar said the matter was under consideration. “We will review the ceremonial aspects. However, there will be no compromise on security arrangements,” he said.If implemented, the move would mark yet another break from established official protocol. Soon after assuming office, Satheesan pared down his motorcade, opting for a significantly smaller convoy. Instead of a long string of escort vehicles — often numbering anywhere between six and a dozen or more — he limited it to a pilot vehicle and a single escort vehicle.
