All about Ravindra Gaikwad-ing

Earlier this month, all televisions news channels had only one headline hogging the prime time for almost three weeks – Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad hits a 52-year-old Air India Delhi station manager 25 times with his sandal, in the aircraft. He delayed an aircraft by an hour refusing to alight at his destination, abused and threatened the crew, hit a senior station manager 25 times with his sandals and tried throwing him off the plane. He then left the aircraft with a swagger, bragging to anyone who cared to listen that he hit the man 25 times and would hit him again if the need arose because he was a Shiv Sena MP and had the party president’s hand on his head. There was widespread condemnation from across the length and breadth of our country. And rightly so, as no one has the right to take the law into their hands. Social media, print media, mainstream media, was agog with citizens decrying the brazen “dadagiri” of this goon MP and demanding prompt and severe action against this man. Television channels were tripping over themselves to get the “breaking news” on this topic and anything and everything this nonentity did was “breaking news”. Debates and interviews were aplenty, with every politician screaming his voice hoarse that exemplary trial and punishment should be meted out to this goon MP. And this raged on for days and weeks with the notorious MP showing absolutely scant remorse but flexing his muscles further. In fact, the whole country was baying for his blood, because Gaikwad is a habitual offender. Much was expected by an expectant citizenry from a Government that sang the anthem of “achche din”. A word of praise to the Air India management who had the spine to put this fellow on a “no fly” list thereby clipping his wings to fly, and to the other private airlines who closed ranks with Air India. What happened thereafter was such an anticlimax and a cause for all Indians to hang their heads in shame. A handful of ruffians and goons of a particular party elected by the people of Maharashtra as MPs and having an alliance with the ruling government, held parliament hostage, intimidated and almost physically assaulted the aviation minister (another senior citizen) and threatened to forcefully stop Air India from flying from Mumbai, if the ruffian was not allowed to fly. All parliamentarians (and I am ashamed to call them that) stood solidly behind their goon colleague who hit a senior citizen 25 times with his sandal, when on duty. Not a single MP, cutting across parties, even whimpered a word in protest against this goon in Parliament. I scratch your back, you scratch mine was shamelessly evident here. As Indians watched in disgust our spineless government in power, in a quest to maintain its alliance with the goons, soiled its pants and shamelessly lifted the “no fly” ban off this goon. That, my friends, was one of the “achche din” we were promised. And with that a new word was coined. Ravindra Gaikwading = Beating someone with a sandal 25 times

As I was pondering over this incident, my line of thinking changed tracks and for a moment I decided not to accept the theories and beliefs put out in the media trial of this man. I decided to play devil’s advocate. What if this man was provoked by the Air India staff? How often have we not encountered harrowing experiences with airlines? Flights running late, aircrafts cancelled at the eleventh hour, flights rescheduled hours later, flights cancelled and the like. How often have we not seen irate passengers advance menacingly towards the airline staff member who is trying his/her best to cajole them? But the common man has planned his flight well in advance , saved for it, eagerly awaited it and is looking forward to catch his connecting flight to reach his destination in time for a marriage, and is now being unceremoniously told that the flight is rescheduled hours ahead!. Gone is the connecting flight and the wedding muhurat!! But what irritates and infuriates him is that no senior airline official is available to satiate the anguish. Instead the junior staff they field to answer the barrage of questions fired at them by anguished passengers is not in a position to even tell them if they would reach in time for the delivery of the first child, leave alone the marriage. The airline staff (AI in particular) think they owe you no explanation and this condescending attitude could bring out the Ravindra Gaikwad in you.

Take some of the police stations, for example. They say you are better off in the company of rogues and traitors than in the men in khaki. You know the rogues and traitors with you and you are on your guard against getting robbed and framed. With khaki men around, you let down your guard and you are promptly robbed and framed. Which of us has not been harassed, intimidated, bullied and framed by the police at some time or the other? Whether it is to change panchanamas, register false cases, not file legitimate FIRs but file illegitimate ones, not arrest rogues and criminals, all for a consideration, it is well known that the only person who will get a raw deal with the cops is the law abiding citizen. You command a great respect with them if you are a politician, sarpanch, chamcha of a politician or sarpanch, a notorious person, and the like. The more notorious you are, the more clout you have with the law enforcers. You are often left tearing your hair in utter frustration and dismay, watching helplessly as the men in uniform knowingly and sadistically deny you the justice that is your fundamental right. In a fit of rage what if you resort to Ravindra Gaikwading someone?

Take some of the village sarpanchas. The entire village at times is neck deep in illegalities. Illegal shanties, illegal kiosks, illegal structures, illegal favors and patronage galore!  Water and electric connections and even house numbers at times, are promptly given to these structures and I don’t need to tell you how. But when a law abiding citizen wants to construct something in his own property, he is made to run from pillar to post, from this office to that, from this file to that file, bring this form and that form, sign this affidavit and that affidavit, come tomorrow not today, the sarpanch is not there, the talathi is not there, the secretary is not there, ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT THERE. It may not be long before it brings out the RavindraGaikwad in many law abiding citizens.

Take some of our politicians. Wolves in sheep’ clothing. Sweet-talk you, genuflect before you, pamper you, espouse ideologies which are just and right, denounce corrupt and communal mindsets, promise you the moon, give their heart to you in a platter — all this before elections. Bribe you, threaten you and assassinate your character if bribery fails, shower freebies on you and your family, use the church, temples and mosques all in a bid to be projected as a person he is not—– All this during elections. To hell with the electorate and their ideologies, to hell with right, wrong, morals, ethics, to hell with the world. he will see which side his bread is buttered, where lies the cream, where he can get positions of power, and loot and loot and loot. Loot enough and more to pander to his constituents, some of who are “lembdes” in the true sense of the word, get re-elected and start the Great Indian Loot all over again—– All this after elections.  Could be just a matter of time before the enraged electorate Ravindra Gaikwads you, Mr. Politician!

And how can we forget the masters of them all — the bureaucracy?  Take any government office. How many of us have not had to silently endure the harassment meted out to us in processing a perfectly legitimate activity? Fake ration cards, fake sale deeds, fake land ownership documents, grabbing of others’ properties, fake PAN cards, fake passports, can be easily obtained with jet speed processing, but the general public with legitimate papers is tossed around like a discarded empty sardine tin, all in an attempt to frustrate and give in to their extortionate ploy. Isn’t this provocation enough for someone to Ravindra Gaikwad you?

We can go on and on. Governments come and go. CMs and ministers and MLAs keep on changing. Every party keeps on extolling its nonexistent virtues and gives us loads and loads of hogwash. Some of our ministers have forgotten that the shelf life of the gimmicks of surprise visits, a few suspensions followed by front page news when taking over a ministry, is long over. What the common man wants is discipline and accountability which is the backbone of good governance and this should be seen on the ground. The fear of the concerned minister should deliver this result. The common man will then put you, Mr. Minister up on a pedestal.As things stand, it is the common law abiding citizen who always gets a raw deal. He is alone, unequipped and helpless to deal with the gross injustice heaped unto him. In frustration, what if he does a Ravindra Gaikwad?

It’s time the powers that be rise and take the raging bull by its horn. Cut the provocation, the corruption and the condescending attitude of the people who are being paid to serve us. A Ravindra Gaikwad could be lurking in the best of us.

(The author is an Engineer with a leading multinational company)