Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as a ‘government of, by and for the people’. The word democracy itself stems from the Greek word ‘Demokratia’ which literally means the rule of commoners.
What does it say about democracy when an elected representative of the people, chooses to physically and verbally abuse an employee for simply doing his job? We all are aware of the behaviour exhibited by our esteemed MP, Ravindra Gaikwad during the Pune-Delhi flight on March 23.
Despite his staff being informed about the craft AI 852 being an all-economy flight, Gaikwad took offence over denial of a business class seat and hit the AI duty manager Sukumar Raman with his slipper—not once, but 25 times. He even boasted about the same. When politely reprimanded by an air hostess, he mentioned that he has many cases pending against him and one more wouldn’t really make a difference.
This shameful incident leads one to wonder about a few facets of the democracy practiced in our country. First and foremost, what does this say about us—the people? India is not a dictatorship where we have a leader thrust upon us. We choose our leaders. How could a man like Gaikwad, who has at least three criminal cases against him including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and criminal intimidation, be elected by mature, conscientious adults?
Unless of course, it is a fallacy that all voters are mature and conscientious. Maybe at heart, we are all still primal beings and the moment we get power, our thin veneer of social norms and behaviour is discarded. It is worth wondering if ultimately we Indians, haven’t really evolved much from the 'Early Man' days when the primal instinct was dominant.
Maybe we appreciate our leaders misusing power and developing an exaggerated sense of self … because we ourselves want to do it. The moment we get power (even if vicariously), we revert to being and behaving like animals. The other thought that comes to mind is, ‘are we truly deserving of the right to vote?’ Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand and we don’t know how to deal with responsibilities. We form opinions based on religion, caste, loyalty and sell our vote for a few freebies. As voters, we do not even know the job our representatives are supposed to do and whether they have the qualifications and aptitude for the same. What are the odds that this case of physical intimidation will not take a hue of ‘assault on Marathwada pride’ with Gaikwad projecting himself as the protector of the Marathwada identity? And who knows, he may win the next elections with a thumping majority because the voters will see a hero in him.
Equally shameful has been the official response of Shiv Sena. The party has supported him with the Sena spokesperson Raut mentioning that “any person—be it a minister or a common man—is likely to lose his temper if someone misbehaved with them”.
One doubts if Raut would have been so philosophical in his approach had Sukumar lost his temper and hit the MP. Sena politicians have also said that Gaikwad ought to have been treated with ‘respect’. Pray, what does ‘respect’ mean? He was given the best seat available in the plane.
He was ‘requested’ multiple times to deplane. Did the AI staff not deserve respect? Were the 115 passengers waiting to board the plane for its next journey, not deserving of any respect? Respect has to be earned. It cannot be forced. It is wrong for any MP (and his party) to think that he deserves respect at the cost of others. It is people like Sukumar and the employees of AI, who pay taxes and actually fund the fat salaries and perks our incompetent MPs get. Instead of assaulting them, Ravindra Gaikwad should have fallen at the feet of the AI staff in sheer gratitude.
It is no wonder that our Parliament is worse than a dysfunctional family—the poor, hapless MPs are forced to react to all the provocations they are subject to.
Hence the shouting, the breaking of furniture, the roughing up of each other …where is the time for quality debates, productive ideations and issue-based discussions? For MPs of Gaikwad’s calibre, it is far easier and more natural to beat up a person than it would be to study the impact of GST on the economy of Maharashtra or the ways to combat the agrarian crisis in Osmanabad. It seems that MPs like him neither know their responsibility in the Parliament nor are they capable of fulfilling it. Lastly, if there has been any hero in this incident—it has been Air India and the Federation of Indian Airlines. In a show of solidarity, the FIA has shown courage in refusing to let Gaikwad fly on any of its member airlines’ flights. Typical to its street arm tactics, Shiv Sena has taken offence at this and ‘warned’ AI of possible black listing.
Thankfully, the other political parties have been unanimous in condemning his behaviour. However, it is only when strict disciplinary action is taken that the people will possibly start having faith in the political system again. Mere words and token apologies won’t suffice. This is a wakeup call for all citizens of India. We elect goons, we get hammered. When we vote for criminals, we will become the victims. The equation is as simple as ‘what we choose is what we get’. Ultimately the Parliament is a reflection of the society and the choices it makes. If our Parliament has ‘respected’ members like Gaikwad, what does it say about us?
Today, I, a voting citizen of India, hang my head in shame.
The author is an IIM-C alumnus and a corporate professional
Email: aditikhingu@gmail.com