Opinion Our great Indian rush & scramble

We hail from the land of Buddha and Gandhian principles are ingrained in all of us so it’s difficult to understand, what makes the Japanese so calm in dire circumstances and Indians so frustratingly self serving?

One can only shudder to think how a similar evacuation would play out on a plane full of Indians. (File)

Leher Kala

January 14, 2024 01:40 PM IST First published on: Jan 14, 2024 at 07:14 AM IST

It’s every flier’s worst nightmare, the horrifying sight of smoke and fire inside a plane. Miraculously, all 367 fliers onboard the Japan Airlines flight that collided with a Coast Guard plane at Haneda Airport in Tokyo escaped because passengers displayed admirable maturity by not panicking, and following instructions.

According to newspapers reports, people kept sitting in their seats, though it was evident the cabin crew were terrified themselves. Ultimately, fire resistance features on the Airbus slowed its spread but the compliance of passengers who didn’t unscrupulously run roughshod over each other to flee, was critical to saving lives.

Also Read | Watch | Japan Airlines plane collides with coast guard aircraft on Tokyo airport runway, erupts into flames

One can only shudder to think how a similar evacuation would play out on a plane full of Indians. The crew would be disregarded contemptuously, overhead bins would be snapping open, hand luggage flying around and the inevitable, harrowing scenes of chaos and carnage would be discussed by shrieking anchors on news TV channels for weeks afterwards.

The tragic “me first” attitude we witness daily on Delhi’s roads reveals a hopeless selfishness. Indians lack the foresight to see that in an emergency involving hundreds of people, an obligation to the common good is their best chance for survival. The day airlines start fining people for opening seatbelts and standing in the aisle while the plane is still taxiing, is when things will change.

Also Read | How Japan Airlines crew led 367 passengers to safety from a burning plane

We hail from the land of Buddha and Gandhian principles are ingrained in all of us so it’s difficult to understand, what makes the Japanese so calm in dire circumstances and Indians so frustratingly self serving? Culture is learnt, no one is born with it. Perhaps, since Japan has a long history of quakes and tsunamis, crisis preparedness is an ongoing drill for citizens, who then develop the innate understanding that controlling the fight-or-flight instinct benefits everyone. Meanwhile, no one has taught Indians anything. What they have gathered, however, is that when you’re one among 1.4 billion in a land of scarcity, you have to actively hustle your way through because absolutely nothing comes easy. We wear this insecurity like a second skin from childhood. Anxiety-ridden students realise early on they need perfect scores and develop an unbecoming competitive instinct that influences an overall attitude. So, overcrowding, or elbowing others out of the way on public transport is acceptable behavior. Drivers know that if they offer courtesies like stopping when the light turns yellow, their car will likely get hit from behind.

Also Read | ‘It was a miracle’: How passengers escaped as their plane went up fireball in Japan

Indians are sadly lacking in modern etiquette but however barbaric they may be outside, inside the home, old-fashioned values continue to thrive. The young are expected to respect the old and centuries of casteism have ensured a majority of us fear the powerful. It’s possible that meekly cowing down to insufferable conventions makes us let loose the minute we exit home. However, in this era of self-improvement, it’s really time recognition dawns that if we want to experience tranquility in our day-to-day existence, we have to consider the larger social structures we operate within.

Nobody can be happy obsessively striving, and stepping on people’s toes to get ahead. Ancient Stoic wisdom that has seen a resurgence since the world grappled with Covid sums it up nicely, that we should be grateful for what we can control — do your bit excellently — and stop dwelling on the rest. It’s also worth gloomily recalling that no matter how maddening a situation, it could always be worse. So, the next time someone barges forward while de-boarding and squeezes into a packed coach to reach the baggage claim where they need to wait anyway, it’s within our power to not roll our eyes in vexation, and serenely wait for the next bus.

The writer is director, Hutkay Films