Two back-to-back incidents of male passengers on Air India’s international flights urinating on women co-passengers has raised quite a stink. And rightly so. This is an abysmal low in uncivilized public behaviour in recent times. While these incidents have resulted in outrage, disgust and ridicule as well as passionate calls for taking the offenders to task, they also say a lot more.
A basic fact check of both cases reveal that these pissfreaks were both males, both adults (in one case a 70-year old), both international travellers, both on the same airline, both piddled on women co-passengers, both presumably under the influence of alcohol. Further, both were Indians and both incidents occurred on Air India flights. I also presume that both were reasonably well-to-do since they were international travellers. Perhaps, they were school, college and university educated too. As a fellow Indian, to say that I am ashamed of such uncouth behaviour would be an understatement. Beyond the personal humiliation that any self-respecting Indian would feel, I am constrained to make several other hypotheses and observations.
Firstly, are Indian males more likely than their women counterparts to exhibit such depraved behaviour like peeing on another person? Secondly, are Indian male passengers on international flights also more likely to misbehave after consuming alcohol than their women counterparts? Otherwise, we could have seen any of the women passengers doing something similar to a male co-passenger.
Thirdly, does wealth, better education or what we commonly perceive as higher social status necessarily have a direct relationship with acceptable behaviour? I have not heard of the poorest, least educated or those from the humblest of backgrounds urinating on other people. Fourthly, does wisdom necessarily come with age. Have you ever seen a kid deliberately urinating on anyone? I have not.
Fifthly, both incidents took place on Air India flights. How were these offending passengers allowed to get into an inebriated state? What were the captain and crew doing? What were the other passengers doing? It appears they were just ‘moot’ spectators, pardon the pun in Roman Hindi. There is something called ‘collective responsibility’ which was forsaken by the rest of the passengers. Those who accept or remain silent are also guilty of turning a blind eye to such reprehensible behaviour.
Sixthly, I saw a television news item saying that matters were not escalated and reports were not filed immediately since both parties agreed to a ‘compromise’. What utter nonsense! Who would want to compromise with someone who has just pissed all over you? How could the airline authorities even think of such a course of action? Why were their names not made public? Immediate filing of a formal complaint and FIR should have been non-negotiable in both these cases. Finally, these men neither have the slightest respect for women nor do they have any shame about what their families, friends or rest of society will think of them. Such men are dangerous.
Apart from swift penal action by authorities concerned against these errant men and the airline staff, passports of the two offenders must be immediately revoked by their passport issuing authorities. If they are Indian passport holders, Sub-section 3 (c) of Section 10 of The Passports Act 1967 must be invoked to immediately impound their passports ‘in the interest of the general public’. Otherwise, they will continue to use their passports as ‘pissports’. Don’t say you weren’t warned…
I absolutely agree with the sentiment and the proposal for strict punitive measures that must be taken against the offenders. Moreover, the airlines should restrict the flow of alcohol since relaxation of self is one aspect and respecting the neighbors is another and if the latter is being compromised, the former is of least importance.
‘Mishraji’ has been traced and arrested.
Don’t know what offense he is going to be charged with but it is quite possible that our laws have no section which deals with such behaviour. Or else he will get someone from his biradari to use his influence to water down the charges, such as ‘dirtying a public place’!
Till then, let us content ourselves by pissing on this ‘Pravasi Bhartiya’ in print till such time as a bold and public-spirited male/female gets the opportunity to actually do unto him what he did to someone else.
A very well-articulated post! While there is an urgent need to punish the culprits, there is also a requirement to ensure that such incidents do not occur again. May be, there is a need to restrict the free flow of freely available alcohol onboard itself. Also, the crew should have behaved more responsibly.
Yes, as a fellow Indian I too feel very ashamed by such disgusting act. It is also sad that people around were just mute spectators.
I hope that strict action is taken on the defaulters by concerned authorities.
Sir, Social consciousness is the bedrock of a civilized society and these transgressions should be penalized. The second transgression happened because the first was let off scotfree.
So True sir. “Pissport” to be revoked…extremely shameful act..
Sir I share the shame of being an Indian male and now knowing further about Mr Shankar, the irony is worse…
A VP of an MNC who are entitled cannot handle drinks leave aside the ethics they preach!!
But more importantly my disgustion or feeling of disdain is for the culture of Maharaja when it’s now privatized where
” Sab chalta hain ” seems to prevail…
Why only air india staff but the airlines need to be penalized as there seems a missing culture of being human. Having read the FIR where this lady was denied a change of seat and was offered to sit on the staff seat for over 2 hrs, where it seems 1st class was empty. Then made to negotiate sitting across the offender as saving his name was more important being a frequent flyer.
Lastly just like Delhi incidents where even pulling a lady for kms is BAU or as is cutting body parts and disposing them …as a country and as citizens our existence is at question. What were the co passengers or the onlookers in these incidents , what moral obligations they have or are there any left!!
This is banana republic at it’s best !!
Well written sir. The collective responsibility point is very relevant. I can only think of two categories of people who would indulge in such reprehensible behaviour. Someone of unsound mind, or someone with a kinky fetish. The former requires counseling or medical intervention, and the latter, may be some cat-o-nine lashes.
Absolutely agree with you with each word. Infact not only international travel such idiots must be banned by all airlines a to fly onboard their domestic flights also for minimum 5 years.
Then only he and such other perverts waiting to try ( if any) will remember where when and how to pee.
Sir,
The condemnable act by the individuals cannot be pardoned and needs to be punished. However, I think there is also a larger systemic/social issue that needs to be addressed – the inaction by the aircrew and the apathy of fellow passengers, with the latter being more dangerous. Like you have rightly brought out, we need to take collective responsibility and there is an urgent need for a social wake-up call, if we want to realise the dream of Great India @100,
Warm rgds
It is indeed a sad state of affairs. What is more shocking is the way it was handled by the Airline which is now professionally managed by the best in business. I honestly feel that both the idiots (I will not extend the courtesy of calling them gentlemen) should be dealt in harshest of manner, whatever that may be.
Wonderfully written. Arrogance and lawlessness are highly prevalent upon modesty, dignity and etiquette in so called New India. Law of the land is so meek that given a chance everybody would like to piss on it. We had luckily passed a far better time.
Absolutely true…thank God that feminism is not so rabid in India….else these women wod have sued these guys for everything he had….these guys add to the reasons why women denigrate males these days….uncouth and absolutely putrid …
Very apt observations. What kind of scum would behave so? The matter should have been dealt with an iron hand by the airline and the authorities.
Spot on sir. Revoking their passports should be the starting point, followed by some exemplary punishment. In addition, the crew should be held responsible for abetment with further penalties for negligence in carrying out their duties.
Sir,
Very well written. Clearly civic sense does not come with money. The Airlines shouldn’t have let go with a compromise as the name of Air India also is taking a beating. Number of pegs being given to passengers need to be controlled by cabin crew to avoid undesirable situations.