We were in Singapore some years ago. Our guide was an ethnic Chinese. He was polite and polished. But one thing was clear, he thought rather poorly of India and Indians, perhaps not without reason. A bit too poorly, for my comfort. And so I was looking for an opportunity to nail him. Before taking us to our destination he would describe the place in minute detail. May be, I thought I could confront him when we actually arrived at the destination, which I believe could not be so perfect. But no, the destination turned out to be even better than the description. So, every time I was left speechless.
The guide gave due credit to India for its achievements in Information Technology. However, according to him in comparison with China, India lagged behind in every other detail. My day finally arrived on the fourth morning when a copy of the Straits Times was delivered to my room. To my delight, one of the news reports read “India launched ten satellites on a single rocket including one with a powerful camera that can shoot clear images of even road signs which would be a boon for the country’s military. Besides, carrying eight Canadian and German Nano satellites, the rocket carries another Indian satellite called IMS-1 which has a hyper-spectral imaging camera that would capture various mapping data that India intends to share with developing nations in Africa and South East Asia”.
When I mentioned it to him, his immediate reaction was that China has done better. I handed over the newspaper to him, and asked him to read where it said that no country had ever launched ten satellites at one go. He grudgingly accepted the achievement. I savoured my first triumph.
On our return journey to the airport, he spoke with pride, describing the various attributes of the newly expanded and modernised Changi Airport. On our arrival we could see that the airport indeed was a marvel and there was no airport in India close to it. As we shook hands, I casually mentioned to him, that we had just commissioned a new airport, at Bangalore. “You must see it, it is great, your airport is nothing in comparison”, I intentionally needled him. “What is so great about the Bangalore airport?” was his query. I had thrown the line and he had fallen for it. “The Bangalore airport”, I said “is bigger than the whole of Singapore, you have to just have a look at it”. He saw the implications and both of us laughed out loud. I had made my point.
Nowadays, air travel is no more a luxury so one finds oneself at the airport quite frequently. Today, as I return from appearing before the National Green Tribunal at Pune, I find myself stranded at Mumbai Airport, with very little to do. The flight as often is delayed.
Tired of sitting, I decide to walk around. I realise there is something intriguing about airports in India. An airport seems to have a “civilising effect” on anyone who enters it. Everyone is well-dressed neat and clean. No one dares throw anything around. People speak in low tones. There is none of the hustle and bustle of the railway platform or bus station. The walls do not drip red with paan. Even little children seem to behave differently. In short an airport seems to impose discipline and order. The atmosphere inside looks distinctly, European. Queues form in an orderly manner and everyone waits for his turn. The poor and the rich, all seem to be aware of the rules and the need to follow them. The chaos of India is a distant nightmare.
I am suddenly woken from my reverie and brought back to India by the announcement “Air India flight to Goa is delayed by 45 minutes”. All fellow passengers sigh. And, that is all. No noisy remonstrations. I land at Dabolim, well past midnight, three hours behind schedule. Passengers step out of the Arrival Lounge and are immediately back to their normal selves, haggling and shouting with taxi drivers seeking to fleece the unwary.
And that brings us to the question, why do Indians normally so disorderly and ill behaved, turn law abiding citizens once inside an airport? How is it that everyone dutifully stands in the queue and waits for his turn? And more importantly how is it the same perfectly behaved citizen turns into a typical Indian, the moment he steps out of the airport?
As I proceed home, I think how bad the situation would be, once Dabolim Airport is closed and one has to travel from Mopa. And then a thought strikes me. The airport seems to induce a sense of discipline in us. Does a solution to the chaos and disorder, which is part of our regular lives, lie with the airport? Since, citizens seem to behave so well at an airport will our problems not be solved, if we declare the whole of Goa an airport? And that could sort out another intractable problem facing us right now. The airport issue could be settled in a jiffy. No dispute over Dabolim or Mopa! Just imagine.
You are reading this, only because the Air India flight from Mumbai to Goa is delayed and I am stranded at Santa Cruz airport. An idle mind you will agree is a writer’s workshop!
(Radharao F. Gracias is a senior Trial Court advocate and a former Independent MLA)
