Shreshta Bharat

I traveled to Bangalore last week. When I reached the airport, I realized that the airlines are very well equipped to handle the health crisis and safeguard passengers. Airports have started taking intensive hygiene measures to curb the spread of virus by setting the guidelines for flyers. However, I saw that the guidelines were not being followed. For example, airports have clearly demarcated queue lines with safe distancing. It was sad to notice that flyers are not following these guidelines - in between two marked spaces, there were three more people standing! They were all in the haste to reach first “ yena kena prakaren” (anyhow and somehow). I had to often remind flyers around me, not to crowd and to stand in a marked space.

While airlines are providing all the sanitization facilities, (face masks, shields etc.), unfortunately nobody was following social distancing protocols and that made me feel, the moment this pandemic turns it back on us or we turn the clock back to normal, I think we will all go back to old normal. This pandemic has taught us many lessons. If we don’t adapt to this new normal - which is for the benefit of the nation - then it will be an opportunity gone waste.

We should use these new learnings to create new norms – reduce traffic, reduce pollution, have more safety measures, have more decorum and discipline in everything that we do. How do we bring about a culture that will help build the nation that we all want to see in future? I always keep wondering that companies spend a fortune and lot of effort in bringing a culture, rightly valuing its importance. Should my Bharat also have a culture of discipline and bring back the value based statement ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ which has always been the ethos of Indian culture. Airlines are contributing towards it and we can take a small steps by following discipline towards achieving our dream of “Shreshta Bharat.”