Public anger and police action put trust, rights and political leadership under scrutiny.
“Don’t sell Chai to a Matcha generation”, read a poster held up by a cheerful protester in Mumbai. It couldn’t have been stated more pithily. Thousands of Mumbaikars pouring into Shivaji Park, raising slogans, flashing posters (“I speak today so my kids can live without fear tomorrow”) — just too wow! Women protesters thanking Mumbai Police profusely, gushing “’You are the best!” — double wow. I devoured clips of SoBo hot mommies in shorts and tees taking to the streets to enthusiastically participate in their very first andolan — I wanted to hug them. Instead of sweating it out at Shivaji Park, they could have met for an energetic Padel game or a mahjong session at their swanky club. But no, something significant had shifted. They weren’t there to create content. These were not ‘influencers’ looking for numbers. Most of the reels I watched featured concerned citizens worried about their fundamental rights and willing to fight for them.
The Delhi story is different. It is a strident “Janata ki Awaz Suno” political cry that is echoing around India. Cynics can call this a carefully orchestrated drama choreographed by a photogenic, middle-aged brother-sister duo hogging the headlines as they are seen being dragged, roughly manhandled and shoved into cop vans by Delhi Police (most of them minus badges). It makes me wonder — imagine the short-sightedness of the political bosses in Delhi! They are handing this protest on a platter to the incensed Opposition, which is frothing at the mouth and demanding the resignation of “Gyanu”. The optics say it all — like Rahul Gandhi calmly munching on a kathi roll or rushing to protect a prone Priyanka Gandhi, who is dramatically clutching a copy of the Constitution and refusing to budge. Then there’s Renuka Choudhary showing “red-red eyes” (Bong shorthand for
displaying rage) to reporters as she slams the BJP. And look — it’s Jaya Bachchan sporting her party’s red topi as she physically hits out at a TV cameraman.
It’s become a question of “vishwas” — trust. Belief. Faith. Anger and aggression are sure signs of weakness and panic. A political party that is confident of its unassailable position would never fall
for or be upstaged by high drama enacted by opponents. As of now, the BJP is on the backfoot as the ongoing protests gain momentum plus public sympathy. Cops seen mercilessly attacking unarmed
protesters is hardly the way to generate “vishwas”. What these bully tactics show is fear. Fear of women. Fear of students. Fear of protesters. And most of all, fear of Rahul Gandhi’s growing popularity as Gen Z cheer him on and hail him as their hero. This is the Janata Ki Awaaz that the BJP continues to scorn, mock and ignore. Resistance and disruption — the absolute birthright of youth worldwide. Mighty empires have been dismantled overnight by those willing to risk it all for a larger common good. A peaceful protest is being barred in the national capital of the world’s largest democracy. Gyanu’s days of rigging elections are numbered. If the BJP bosses continue to be in
denial and protect this man… well then, wake up and smell the chai! It’s game over, Bro!
I love conspiracy theories. Please don’t tell me to blindly accept the official version of the “Cockpit Diaries”. Yes, the ghastly story is no longer front-page news. Which suits the principal non-state actors just fine. But I’m stubbornly stuck scrolling scraps of news even as the story dies a slow death in the media. “Like a vertical roller coaster”, is the chilling description of Flydubai’s flight FZ1073, which plunged 16,000 feet in 30 seconds before getting levelled out, according to Alberto Paduanelli, an aviation instructor who recreated the descent in a flight simulator. The world is still reeling from the
unprecedented horror in the cockpit that could have killed 170 innocents, but for the heroism of the captain, our very own Smit Machchhar. Hold the thought for a minute. And visualise the scenario if
you dare — an unsuspecting captain grants his co-pilot a few minutes off to say his prayers. Which Smit says is standard ‘courtesy’ extended to crew. The co-pilot goes behind the captain’s chair, ostensibly to pray. Within seconds, the captain feels blows to his head. He is stunned and mistakenly thinks something is wrong with the aircraft. The blows continue and the heavily injured Captain responds like a true leader and lurches towards the knob that unlocks the cockpit door. This single act of a wounded man fighting for his own life, yet thinking of saving the lives of his passengers first, has ensured Smit Machchhar a permanent place in the Hall of Heroes.
The world watched open mouthed as the first live telecast with Captain Machchar went viral. The captain calmly and methodically narrated what took place during the attack. He did this from his hospital bed, with a fractured, dented skull and blurred vision. It is interesting to note that this key interview with Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, which was watched by a stunned global audience, excluded the name, nationality and identity of the attacker. The word “namaz” was not uttered. And the assailant was not identified as a ‘Muslim’. No direct reference was made to the weapon used during the attack — crash ax? Knife? Hammer? Was Captain Machchhar briefed by Israeli Intelligence?
Significantly, the murderous co-pilot’s name (Hamam Al-Hamami) and nationality (Omani) emerged much later. Why the secrecy during the interview?
As more details keep emerging one also wants to know the name of the brave, multi-talented plumber — the one who expertly levelled the nose-diving aircraft, knowing exactly what needed to be done during such an emergency, having watched aviation videos. I still don’t know the name of the passenger-pilot who (coincidence!) happened to be on the doomed flight and swiftly took control to safely land the aircraft… surely both these men are heroes, too? As are the persons responsible for subduing the rogue co-pilot and tying him to his seat with… was it headphone wires?
Not to be cynical, but some bits and pieces of the cockpit drama don’t add up. Was it a hijack attempt? A terror attack? Or a case of a brainwashed, suicidal pilot booking his place in heaven? So far, Oman has not issued a formal statement. The politics of the region being hypersensitive, even experts trying to decode the motives of the murderous co-pilot are pussy footing around the shocking incident that has left regular frequent fliers jittery. Could the deadly attacker be a part of a sleeper cell? How did he manage to secure a job with Flydubai in the first place given his dodgy track record? Could there be other trained cockpit-assassins waiting in the wings to carry on similar attacks in future? Will this averted disaster lead to a ban on prayers inside cockpits, regardless of religious compulsions?
Aviation will carry more than 5.1 billion passengers this year, at a record 84% load factor. At the end of the day, it’s about margins and profitability. Greed. Airlines will cut costs. The bottom line will take precedence over safety. Short cuts will happen. It’s business, baby. Fly, if you must. The risk is all yours… but remember, not every captain is a superhero like Smit Machchhar.
