Mat Pee, Mat Pee….Peeke `Pee’ mat kar

(The Air India `Pee Gate’)

So much is written, said and shared about this horrible and condemnable incident of an Air India passenger urinating on a fellow passenger an old lady of 70 years.  He is named shamed, hunted down and sent to Judicial custody.  As reported, he consumed alcohol in large quantities and no one including him would have done that shameful act unless he is heavily inebriated.

Traumatization to the elderly lady: I feel so bad for the elder lady of 70 years who has been put to such humiliating and traumatising situation without any fault on her part.   Someone unzipping himself and urinating on is the least one could expect to happen in an international flight.    Taking the incident lightly and casually the cabin crew had made her sit on the same seat after change of dress.   The least they could have done is to make her sit in another seat even if that required to upgrade her to business class when it was reported that they were few vacant seats.    As if this is not enough, in a bit to cover up the Air India crew has falsely propagated that there was an understanding between her and the accused and they let the passenger go scot-free.

 Failure by many on many fronts:

a)      Air India crew: The biggest failure in this entire episode is that of Air India cabin crew and the pilots.   First, they have served the accused lot of liquor, he was reported to have taken 4 pegs before lunch itself and no one sure how many more pegs has he downed before that ugly incident.   When the incident was reported by the lady to the cabin crew, they took it very casually and lightly.    Neither they confronted the accused, nor reported the matter to the commander of the flight and made sure that some appropriate action is taken against the accused.   No action seems to have been taken to isolate him, report the matter to the airport authorities of destination airport and hand over the accused to the airport security/police and get him arrested.   As if this is not enough, she was made to sit on the same seat after giving cloths to change. The crew which has lady members were so unmindful how discomfortable it will be for a lady to continue to sit on the same seat without any words of comfort.    Another shocker is that when the lady wanted to lodge a complaint, she was given a piece of paper to write down her complaint and hand it over.   It is surprising that Air India does not have compliant register with serial number and does not give a copy of the compliant to the complainant.   In the absence of it the cabin crew may any time deny any complaint being lodged with them and refuse to take any action.

     The commander of the flight is responsible for safety of all passengers and vested with full powers to take any action on any passenger not conducting himself well with cabin crew and fellow passengers.   In this incident though the matter was reported to commander of the flight he did not take any action to isolate the accused or report the matter to the airport authorities and gone by the version of cabin crew that there is an understanding between the lady and the accused.

b)     Co passengers:  The behaviour of co passengers of not coming to her rescue either during or after the incident is equally shocking.   It is quite unlikely that none of the fellow passengers specially those sitting in the row and couple of rows on either side not observing it, but they did not push him or pin him down.   When such things happen in any public place, unfortunately, the people around look on the other side and behave as if it does not concern them.    I expected the fellow passengers to protest until the cabin crew initiated some action against the accused. 

c)     Air India top management: The worst culprit in this entire episode is Air India top management, now owned by TATA group.   Firstly, they have not trained their cabin crew and pilots how to react in such circumstances and then the massive efforts to cover up for over 5 weeks till it was exposed by media.   They have not reported the matter to DGCA and not filed FIR with police.     How a top industrial house like TATAs can be so ill advised by their legal team and did not realise that the acts done by the accused falls squarely under sexual harassment, indecent behaviour with a female in full public view and causing mental trauma to an elderly lady and there cannot be any arrangement or comprise in a criminal case.  It was their duty to file a complaint with the police to get FIR registered and let the police investigate.   Despite the fact the lady has reported to have filed a complaint in the portal of Air India, they held for a long time after media exposure that there was an understanding between the lady and the accused, and they let the accused go on that basis.   It is only after anger and outrange by the public and huge pressure mounted by the media that the CEO of Air India has condemned the incident and put cabin crew and pilots under de roaster.  TATA group brand has taken a huge beating with this incident, and it is unfortunate that TATA group is behaving like any unprofessional outfit.

d)   DGCA & Ministry of Civil Aviation: For some strange reasons DGCA, the most spineless regulator we have in India, always bends its back to accommodate the private airlines and let them have their way squeezing the hapless airlines passengers and putting them to all sorts of inconveniences.   Unlike other regulators we hardly find DGCA taking any stringent actions against the airlines, penalising the erring airlines or suspending their operations which will pinch them to make them mend their ways.   Even in this episode DGCA and Ministry of Civil Aviation are the last to swing into action after massive exposure by media.  

The Uncontrolled drinking habit: 

 It has been almost half a century that I have been advising my dear friends and colleagues to an extent of pestering and irritating them not to drink in public places and not be in the company of those who keep pushing them to have a drink or two (or many more) pegs than what they can handle.  But as can be expected they hardly heed.  The worst part is that they don't get drunk (which word they neither accept or like to be used for them) in their home or small parties of close relatives or friends but in full public view in marriages on public roads in Car-O-bars behind baraat processions in places like Delhi, office parties before junior colleagues and female colleagues.  In marriage we are invited to solemnise a pious occasion and the least one expects is not to get intoxicated and similarly when you are in an office party before junior colleagues and female colleagues, one is expected to be at one’s sober best and when one is intoxicated, he can be expected to be anything but sober.    The best (or worst part) is that howsoever one is drunk and gone much beyond control of his/her physical and mental faculties, they always feel and say that they are under control.  With their tired looks n weird behavior all people specially females around them feel the discomfort and they do what best they can - avoid them.  I am witness to many incidents where highly educated well placed, very cultured and respected persons behaving in most ridiculous manner in parties specially in marriage parties under influence of alcohol bringing shame to themselves and their family members.  A time comes when they try to justify their behavior saying that they had couple of pegs more as if their behavior is acceptable on extending this excuse.  It's not uncommon in India that many males drive vehicles after consuming good amount of alcohol which makes driving highly risky for them as well as for others.  I never could understand people who are well off to maintain a SUV and who cannot abstain from drinking engage driver for a day or hire a cab to avoid putting themselves and innocent people on the road to risk of serious accidents.  Lack of strict laws mandating compulsory arrest for few years and cancelation of license for life and lack of strict enforcement of law are root cause of this menace.   The over confidence about their control after downing few pegs, no fear of law or their ability to fix cops become a heady cock tail.   I always wonder why people should go through all these hassles and run the risk of being putting themselves in embarrassing situations when there is no restriction on their consuming alcohol in their home

In this episode Mishra is holding a very senior position in an American MNC and was travelling in business class on an international flight.   What was the need for him to consume alcohol and that too over 4 pegs to an extent of losing complete control over himself and end up doing such a shameful act.    One act of indiscretion his word has come crashing down.    Now he has been arrested and booked under various sections of IPC, his employer has sacked him and issued a public notice of the same.    He may end up serving few years jail sentence, may find it very difficult to get a job or visa to America or any other countries.    Every person is condemning his behaviour and no one has any sympathy for him and he deserve none.  Now he and his clever lawyers are trying to pass it off as act done by a person under intoxicated condition, as if it is less of a crime  to first get intoxicated and then do such criminal acts.    Earlier we have seen an ugly scene where star comedian has insulted his fellow comedian Sunil Grover in an international flight under inebriated condition.   Though matter remained between them, Sunil Grover has walked out of the comedy show and the comedy show took a beating in TRP ratings and could never regain its past glory after the exit of Sunil Grover though many comedians were tried out as his replacement.    

Hope this unfortunate incident serves as a warning to all those who don’t think twice before getting intoxicated in public to introspect and abstain from drinking in public.  

 

S. Prabhakar

7.1.2022