Frisking of Kalam – Is it a ‘Salam’ or an ‘Alarm’

This blog has been sometime coming thanks to the overload of work suddenly.

Let me build the context, which most of you would have already read about in the Newspaper’s or seen it on television – today, all the news channel just need ‘any’ story to run through a week of programs. The news channels are really becoming an absolute no brainer, with dead stories. Mr. Abdul Kalam, the erstwhile President of our country was frisked by an American Airline on Indian Shores.

So what – this is one of way looking at this issue. He is like any other traveller for the airline and as per the norms of the airline they frisked him. But for god damn – he was the ‘President’ of this country, the highest office in the country, though we all know it’s just a rubber stamp, so what ? I would have not bothered if it was any other Babu in his place, but lets give it to Mr. Kalam as everyone knows, how different he was / is to all the other Babu’s who run our country. This man is a genius and what has he not done for this country’s scientific movement and this is the reason for me write about him and the issue into a blog.

In India, if we receive a head of a state of any other country we drive through into the tarmac to receive them. So is it not basic to underestimate the treatment Kalam received. Also, lets be realistic to the fact that, the airline was just being American in their approach – so rigid and do not care attitude that they posses, that they feel there exists no other country apart from the states. Man !, he was escorted by jawans and is that not evident that he is a VIP in this country. Also please explain to the world the ignorance of the staff in the airline not only, in not identifying the VIP (Cause all Babu’s have this clout – will even give this to the airline) but not identifying the ex president, who sports a rock star hair style which is so identifiable or Kalam – able.

Having said all this, what was the aviation ministry doing about it – did not disclose this issue for more than a few months after the incident had happened. Then it woke up to ‘SALAM’, ‘Kalam’ and Babu’s on the issue and created a huge furore. The timing of this furore has been perfect, especially looking at the restructuring of the national carrier and the bail out issue of 20000 crores hanging like the Damocles sword over the ministry. Praful Patel has always been a shrewd player, and his timing on this one has been perfect. The public suddenly have turned their attention to the Kalam issue and we only see Praful delivering interviews on this issue and the TV channels have forgotten about Air India. The choice to ‘Salam’ was brilliantly executed.

Over and above all this, there is an underlying issue which the media certainly have not picked up in detail. Sitaram Yechury made a statement in the parliament – ‘he stated that Kalam’s name resembles one of a Muslim and that could be a reason for his frisking’. A very valid point considering the fear with which the Americans live with respect to the Muslim world. Irrespective of Obama embracing the Muslim world through his speeches across and in the Middle East this fear will linger long. The American airline could have very well done the frisking on the same basis, the basis called fear. If this is the case --- then we are in real trouble in India.

The simple fact that India boasts more Muslim’s in a country outside the Islamic world and the instance of frisking every Muslim traveller is astonishingly idiotic.

This certainly is the ‘ALARM’ India needs to wake up to and look at this issue with a microscopic eye and dig into the context of the airline frisking Kalam.

Whatever said and done and written by me, this fiasco is a certain grey mark on the aviation industry and more on the aviation ministry.

Please for heaven’s sake give some respect the seal of the country, the head of the nation and the seat called the ‘President of India’.