So, I was travelling back from Chennai to my hometown today. I am sitting in the plane with earphones plugged in, to avoid any disturbances. A lady, about mid thirties turns around with a sorry looking face and muttered something. It almost scared me, so I took the earphones off, to hear her out. Turns out, she’s asking for my phone. That freaked me out to no extent. All the thoughts starting from “how dumb is she, or is she doing it on purpose, or did I do something wrong”, crossed my mind. The next question that popped out of my mouth was, “Why?” And thanks to my bad ears, I first heard, ” photo kheechne ke liye(to click photos)”. All I could express was, “WTF!?”
Then just to make sure I heard it right, I asked her again. And this time I guess I heard it right. She said, “phone karne ke liye. Mere husband ko phone karna hai(to call. I have to call my husband.” I was in a double “WTF!?” state. In the middle of the flight journey, this woman wants to call her husband? Then looking at her face and expressions I realised may be she was travelling in the plane for the first time, and also belonged to the labour class. I know, I shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance but, couldn’t help it. My flight was a connecting flight for Kuwait.
After a while, as I was looking out of the window, the evening skies darkening, I realized, it wasn’t her mistake. Often people from India are taken/called to the Gulf countries for various jobs including the job of a domestic servant. So, the ‘not very educated’ class is chosen as a target for the same. It is the responsibility of the person who hires them or calls them for the job, to explain them the basic etiquette to be followed in the public places that they may not have been in before, like flights. The safety issues, why your phone can’t be used, how to ask for the help to the flight attendants, not to talk too loudly to the people accompanying them, and clear any doubts that they may have.
It is not just about the flight and the passengers in it. If it isn’t for the educated people like most of those reading this article, then how else are we supposed to develop as a society? Whose responsibility is it, anyway?
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