A goof-up at the airport
When I find information spreading like wildfire on social media, I am reminded of an incident which took place almost 35 years ago, when I joined the information and public relations department of Punjab.
Soon after the training programme, my maiden assignment was to deliver a U-matic cassette of an important Cabinet meeting chaired by the CM at Doordarshan Kendra, Delhi, for its telecast in the evening news bulletin, through a passenger at the Chandigarh airport. I reached the airport an hour before the departure of the scheduled flight of Indian Airlines from Srinagar to Delhi via Chandigarh. I started looking for the right person who could help me. I requested a woman to carry out this unpleasant job. She quickly declined my offer saying, ‘Sorry! I have to get a connecting flight to Mumbai from there. So I won’t be able to oblige you.’
Trying frenetically to convince several passengers to relieve me of this onerous task — a duty which I was supposed to discharge with utmost commitment, being a public servant — I mustered the courage to request a Punjabi gentleman, wearing jeans, white T-shirt and a black jacket, to help me out. He graciously took the cassette and shared his contact details. I heaved a sigh of relief when he proceeded for security check.
In those days, the only medium for the exchange of messages was the teleprinter service. Simultaneously, I sent across the message to our department official in Delhi, giving him minute details of the person’s appearance and clothes so as to easily identify him.
The official reached the airport on time. An hour later, he informed me over the phone that there was no such person with the details provided by me. I rang up the person, who furiously retorted, ‘Mai koi thode pio da naukar han jehda othe khada dedh ghanta thode bande di udeek karda reha, par thoda koi banda cassette lain nahin aya (Am I your father’s servant? I waited for one-and-a-half hours for your person, who didn’t even turn up).’
After apologising profusely, I urged him to cool down. Thereafter, I spoke to the official concerned and reverted to the passenger. ‘Sir, my colleague said he didn’t spot anyone wearing a black jacket, the key marker.’ Admitting his mistake, he said, ‘I removed the jacket the moment I alighted from the flight as the weather was hot as compared to Chandigarh.’
As the coverage could not be aired on DD, my immediate officer was questioned for this goof-up. Cautioning me, he told me to be careful in future as he had done the utmost to ward off an unpleasant impact upon my job at this incipient stage. Now, towards the fag end of my career, the incident echoes in my mind.
