Lagegi Aag

On the night of April 21, 2024, I happened to read and get deeply invested in two seemingly disconnected news items, which I realise now how related they are:

First

Our great supreme leader, the honourable fancy dress competition winner, said yesterday in an election rally in Rajasthan that the Congress party wants to take your wealth and give it to those who have more children and (if that particularly horrible stereotype peddling wasn't enough) "infiltrators". Then he went on to say that they are planning to take wealth and gold from women and give them to Muslims and that they will also take your mangalsutra. Oh, and if all of this wasn't enough, he used the dog whistle of "urban naxals" too. This was all in a 2 minute clip. I haven't heard the full speech from the rally. All of these are lies, hate speech and propaganda. That the PM of a country which has 22 crore Muslim citizens says this is just unimaginably horrible. If a fact check is needed, one can read this statement in the PMO archives themselves (from an era where PMO actually stood for something). The clarification is really worth reading. It is something which each and every Indian government as well as the powerful elite should strive to do. The Congress manifesto of 2024 too is worth reading. It is well made as opposed to the BJP manifesto which was released as a formality and contains 56 photos of Modi in different fancy dresses. My favourite is the CPI(M) manifesto but that's a different conversation. In the meantime, instead of reading different links, just see this amazing video on the hate speech and its fact check by Dr. Medussa:

Second

Chinmay Mandlekar (popular Marathi actor) and his wife Neha are facing immense trolling ever since the right wing trolls found out that their son's name is Jehangir. Trolls are pouncing on the fact that Chinmay has played Shivaji Maharaj multiple times on film and TV. They both have released statements. Neha's statement is good and worth hearing. Chinmay's statement has some problematic aspects like patriarchal language ("head of the household") and refusing to utter any 'M' words like Mughal or Muslim. Chinmay is also fiercely 'apolitical' and says that he has voted for different parties in every election and has never promoted any specific party. That holds up well upon a cursory glance of his Instagram timeline. But he has played the significant role of Farooq Ahmed Dar a.k.a Bitta Karate in the "oscar award worthy" film Kashmir Files. The film resulted in actual Islamophobic slogans in theatres and its success prompted a glut of other propaganda films. Granted that Chinmay did not make the film and perhaps for him getting a role in a big Bollywood film was a big deal. He might have acted very well too (I haven't seen it) but after the movie came out and he saw it (hopefully) and the reactions and discourse around it, shouldn't he be feeling any remorse? It’s a difficult question to answer but it is an important question to ponder. On a related note, Adil Hussain recently expressed regret on playing a role in the horribly misogynist film Kabir Singh made by Sandeep Reddy Vanga (director of ‘Animal’). Adil said that he finished his scene in one day but after seeing the movie he felt embarrased and hoped that his wife will never see the movie. This is the kind of reflection that we need.

Coming back to our supreme leader behaving like a Bajrang Dal shakha pramukh and making deplorable comments – the rot stems from the top. Seeing the PM make such statements gives impetus to all his ministers (chief or otherwise) to say similar and more horrible things. The Election Commission of India being mute spectators and mainstream media just ‘reporting’ the speech as it is without fact checks or calling it out, gives even more leeway to hate mongers. This trickles down to common people and they start believing that it is normal and actually rewarding to say such statements. And ultimately, social media which breaks the barrier between celebrities and their fans/haters makes it possible to say whatever you like to celebrities. The trolls who are hounding the Madlekars for naming their son Jehnagir are just building on the Muslim hate espoused by their hero, the Prime Minister. 

I really feel bad for the Mandlekars and even more so for their 11 year old son. They should not have to go through this. It’s great that they are standing up for this, albeit with some misplaced beliefs. But they and their oppressor caste community members (like me) need to realize soon that remaining ‘apolitical’ is a privilege and a complete disservice to humanity. Chinmay Mandlekar remaining apolitical, deciding to act in a propaganda film, remaining aloof about what is happening in his country and the world never thought that he will be personally affected by this just for naming his son Jehangir. But, as Rahat Indori has said, 

“Lagegi aag toh aayenge ghar kayi zad main

Yahan pe sirf hamara makaan thodi hai”

(Rough translation)

“Any fire will consume the whole neighbourhood

My house doesn’t stand apart on its own”

Farewell, my sanctuary

On a cold, windy February afternoon in Vienna, I was walking down my usual neighbourhood street, when I saw a small sign outside my favourite local cafe. I crossed the road to read it and got hit by the horrible news. Daniela's Back-Cafe, my sanctuary, is closing down. I pride myself on not getting attached to things or places. But then again, Daniela's cafe is was so much more than just a cafe for me. 

I consider myself lucky to live in Vienna, where there is such a historic cafe culture that the question, "What's your lieblings (favourite) cafe?" is a usual form of small talk. The Viennese cafe culture is part of the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. I love the big cafes with the high ceiling, marble top tables, Thonet chairs, and newspaper holders. But Daniela's cafe was different. It was small, homely, and local. It was started by a woman entrepreneur - Daniela, who was ably supported by Sabine. Daniela's cafe did not have newspaper holders but it had a variety of newspapers that were passed around by the stammkunden (regular customers). Every season, Daniela's cafe would be decorated differently and tastefully. Birthday celebrations for the staff and friends would happen in the cafe itself. Table reservations were not needed. The special guests obviously had their stammtisch (regular's table). But if you did make a reservation, you would see your name written not on plain white paper but in chalk on a tiny blackboard mounted on an even tinier easel. 

View from my corner table

I moved to Vienna in November of 2018 as my wife was starting a PhD in Austria and noticed the cafe when our landlord was giving us the grätzl (neighbourhood) tour. Soon, I started going to Daniela's every other day. Often for just a lovely warm cup of coffee while occasionally indulging in a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs with a butter crossaint on the side. Over time, my customizations of coffee with heiße (hot) milk and breakfast with crossaint instead of the Austrian Kaisersemmel (crusty star-shaped bread roll) became known to both Daniela and Sabine and I could just order kaffee (coffee) or Frühstück (breakfast) and my custom order would be delivered. When I took guests to the cafe, after taking their order, Sabine would confirm with me if I wanted the "usual."

The usual coffee

The usual breakfast

While I went to Daniela's cafe fairly regularly, it was nothing as compared to the real cafe regulars. They went each and every day, mostly at the same time. Just to have a coffee, read multiple newspapers, and chat. Some times they returned tupperware from the earlier day's take-away lunch just like you would with a friend or relative. I miss reading newspapers in Vienna. It was a big part of my life in India, and I've been lucky and privileged to have grown up in a family that reads multiple newspapers every day. Many times at home, we would ask, "Are you done reading Indian Expresss?" Hearing simlar questions and seeing the newspaper exchanges in Vienna was heartwarming for me. 

One of the most vivid (and pleasant) memories of the COVID-19 pandemic for me was the day Daniela's cafe opened just for take-away after the first lockdown. I was missing the cafe a lot and obviously went to get my usual coffee (first time in a take-way cup) on the first morning. There, I ran into one of the cafe regulars, and we were both so thrilled to see each other. As the years went by, I started chatting more with the regulars and they became a big part of my life. I used to inform them about my India trips, and they always wished me safe travels and good health. They were fascinated and curious about India and my life there. One time, after a relatively long conversation in my horrible, broken German, I apologized for my German not being good. They sweetly replied, "That's absolutely ok. Even we cannot speak Indian." It is worth mentioning that among the cafe regulars, I was by far the youngest and only non-white patron. But I was never made to feel aware of these differences. I got only warmth and pleasantness in the cafe from everyone. We were also invited for special Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations. I too made it a point to get some Indian sweets for my cafe friends, which they thoroughly enjoyed every time. 

It's only been a month since we came back to Vienna from a 4-week trip back home to India. We went to the cafe and were greeted so warmly by Daniela and Sabine, asking about our health and travels. We had a long conversation with the cafe regulars and exchanged pleasantries with the non-regulars. Normally, coming back to Austria from India in the winter is quite depressing. In India, especially in Pune, December / January is the best time. The weather is pleasant, sunny and it is green despite being winter. There are lots of functions happening, so you're meeting many people constantly. Coming back to Austria in January, where it is freezing cold, grey and the trees are devoid of life, can be quite a disappointing change. But a visit to Daniela's cafe made us feel welcome and 'at home'.

In 2019, the initial 6 - 9 months after moving to Vienna were quite tough. My wife was suffering from anxiety, depression, and home sickness. It was my first time living out of my home, and I was also getting used to a lot of things. But I was lucky that I loved Vienna from the beginning and didn't mind the cold, grey weather. But it was important for me to get my own time to unwind and relax. My visits to Daniela's cafe played a huge role in giving me 30 minutes of relaxation and warmth that gave me support to face the remaining day. And that is why Daniela's Back-Cafe meant so much to me. It was my sanctuary. Farewell!

Between nepotism and privilege

On 18th February 2021, social media went crazy when Arjun Tendulkar was selected by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL Auction. There are (as usual) polarized opinions about this. Depending on who you talk to, you will either hear that Arjun has been selected only on the basis of his father or that Arjun is a tremendously hard-working youngster who deserves this chance completely. I feel that the circumstances are more nuanced and there are multiple truths to this namely:-

1) Mumbai Indians have seen Arjun closely in the past few seasons. They think he shows great promise and want to develop him. This is not the first time they have taken such chances with uncapped players.

2) Arjun is extremely privileged. He has had many doors being opened very willingly purely because of his father, one of them being able to train with the Mumbai Indians team which has led to his selection.

There is no doubt that Arjun is extremely talented and hard-working. You cannot play for India Under-19 or even for Mumbai if you do not possess both these qualities. At the same time there is no doubt that he is extremely privileged to have perhaps the greatest cricketer of all time as his father. This gives him access not only to a fantastic cricketing brain but also to other great players. There are tens and thousands of extremely talented and hard working youngsters in Mumbai but how many will get access to bowl in the Mumbai Indians and India nets? How many can get Zaheer Khan and Mahela Jayawardena as unofficial mentors? How many can get to bowl at international batsman, see how they play, practice and train on and off the field? This is all due to privilege and that must be acknowledged. 

I myself have been a beneficiary of this privilege in my professional life albeit at a much smaller scale. Apart from the privileges of being a male, cisgender, heterosexual, Hindu, upper caste and upper class, I am also the son of parents who were and are at extremely senior management positions in the IT industry. I love and respect my parents. They place a very high value on honesty and integrity. They were sure for their and my sake that we should not work in the same organization at the same time. Even while sending the resumes of me and my classmates for a project in the final year of my engineering, my father explicitly told his ex-colleagues that we should not get any special preference and should go through the same evaluation process as everyone else. Alas, that did not happen. We were literally asked to choose from 3 projects that we could work on. We chose one, worked really hard and were eventually offered an internship for 9 months after we graduated. I am in no way doubting the hard work we put in but the doors were opened because of my privilege. 7 years later when I was searching for a new job, I happened to meet my father's friend at a party. We got talking about my career plans and a month later I was asked if I would like to interview at his company. The friend, also being of extremely high integrity, ensured that he was nowhere involved in the selection process. I went through 3 rounds of interviews and was eventually selected. I have no doubt that I would have been rejected had the interview not gone well but again the doors were opened due to privilege.

The acknowledgement of all kinds of privilege is where most Indians struggle. One of the recurring themes of the Bollywood nepotism debate a few years ago was star kids vehemently stating that they work as hard as everyone else so why should they be called out. As Ankur Pathak correctly pointed out in a Huffington Post article, the difference is that star kids can afford to churn out one flop after another and still get films but outsiders are lucky to get even one chance to prove themselves. Siddhant Chaturvedi put it so aptly in this video, "difference yehi hai ki jahan humaare sapne poore hote hain, wahan inka struggle shuru hota hain".

More despair than hope

Ever since I read the book 'In the Garden of Beasts' by Erik Larson, I've been meaning to write a post on the similarities I see between current India and 1933 Germany. It's ironic and sad that I started writing this finally on India's 73rd Independence Day. But since the last few weeks I've been very troubled by the actions of the Indian government and the complete lack of empathy shown by fellow Indians. I know this is (sadly) not new and more the norm these days. But since the BJP was voted back to power overwhelmingly in May 2019 and Amit Shah became the Home Minister, I have become very scared for the future of the Republic of India. The UAPA Amendment Act which empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists, the blunting of the RTI, the communication blackout in Kashmir, house arrests, use of Public Safety Act in Delhi, muzzling of debates are few of the many actions which fill me with despair.

Whenever Modi is compared with Hitler or when people talk about growing fascism in India, they are told by others (BJP sympathizers) that this is an exaggeration or hyperbole. That's because the sympathizers think it's unfair to compare Modi or BJP to a man or regime which killed 60,00,000 Jews. However Hitler's rise to power and the resultant genocide did not happen overnight. It's extremely important to notice the signs, patterns and trends which lead to the rise of fascism. Erik Larson's book is based on the career of the American Ambassador to Germany, William Dodd, particularly the years 1933 to 1937 when he and his family lived in Berlin. This was before the start of the actual  world war and the mass murders. I found many parts of the book very relatable to what is happening in India in the past few years. Here are some of the sentences I highlighted and how I think they relate to India:-

"She countered that there was so much else that was good about Germany. In particular, she praised the enthusiasm of the country’s young people and the measures Hitler was taking to reduce unemployment." 

This was the view of Ambassador Dood's daughter, Martha. She constantly defended the Nazis against her father who had seen the signs very early on. I see a lot of this happening in India since 2014. Since the majority is unaffected by the bigotry and injustice they keep on talking about how Modi is taking India forward from an economic and development point of view. While that aspect itself is debatable, for me it doesn't really matter. Even if India's GDP was growing at 10% right now it cannot wash over the social injustice. 

"As of January 1933 only about 1 percent of Germany’s sixty-five million people were Jewish" 

This is a very good example of how populist decisions and utilitarianism can affect so many people but when looked at in terms of percentage seems so little. The Nazis didn't directly kill Jews. It started with persecution and antisemitic legislation. The first major law to curtail the rights of Jewish citizens was the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service in April 1933, which excluded Jews and the “politically unreliable” from civil service. In the same month, a law was enacted which restricted the number of Jewish students at German schools and universities. In India I see the same apathy when it comes to laws which don't affect the majority. The upper class were not affected by demonetization. The NRC is not affecting anyone outside of Assam (yet).  The same happened in Germany too. Since only 1% of the people were affected, majority of Germans, tourists, observers didn't care about the laws which curtailed freedom. But even 1% of 65 million is 6,50,000.

“At a time when hundreds of men have been put to death without trial or any sort of evidence of guilt, and when the population literally trembles with fear, animals have rights guaranteed them which men and women cannot think of expecting. One might easily wish he were a horse”

This was Ambassadar Dodd's observation in 1933 Germany. This is not far from the current situation in India where it's sometimes safer to be a cow than to be Muslim.

"What most occupied the attention of the State Department was the outstanding German debt to American creditors."

The American Ambassador William Dodd kept highlighting the dangers and signs back to the American government. It's not that the international community was not aware of what was happening in Germany. Sure the world was not connected in the way it is today but still other powerful countries did have an idea of what was going on in Germany. But they had their own post World War 1 problems and were more interested in rebuilding like USA was more interested in the outstanding debt to creditors. Hence as Indians we have to remember that this is our problem. Highlighting the injustice to the global community, United Nations etc. is not going to help much. 

"Throughout that first year in Germany, Dodd had been struck again and again by the strange indifference to atrocity that had settled over the nation, the willingness of the populace and of the moderate elements in the government to accept each new oppressive."

This is very true of what has happened in India since 2014. Everything is being normalized. Reactions and outrage to murder by lynching is lesser. Muzzling of debate, free speech is considered a norm. Muslim haters like Ajay Singh Bisht and Giriraj Singh are Ministers, terror accused are part of the Parliament. The BJP kept pushing the needle and were rewarded with an even bigger mandate in 2019. The sad truth is that majority of Indians just don't care about fellow human beings.

Gerda Laufer, a socialist, wrote that she felt “deeply shaken that people whom one regarded as friends, who were known for a long time, from one hour to the next transformed themselves.” 

This is the saddest parallel that I have experienced. Since 2014 debates have become extremely polarized. It's been hard to see so many friends and family members defend an authoritarian regime so vociferously. So much so that I have stopped discussing politics in order to safeguard relationships. It has led me to an echo chamber which I know for a fact is not good. But at the moment it seems unavoidable.

Vielen Dank 2018!

As 2018 winds down and the internet gets flooded with 'lists', one is compelled to look back at the year gone by. It was a pretty massive year for me. I moved from India's most livable city Pune to the world's most livable city Vienna, Austria. While I have no doubt that Pune is indeed one of the best cities in India it's too early for me to make any judgement about Vienna. It would also be unfair to judge Vienna during the cold grey winter though the city does a lot to distract you from the depressing weather with its Christmas markets, decorations and the wonderful Glühwein. 

My first time living away from Pune or India was challenging right from the time of gathering documents for the Residence Permit application till the 7 month long wait for its approval. However, rather than writing about the bureaucracy of India and Austria, I would like to dwell on and thank my real Christkindel and Santa Clauses. My parents, in-laws, friends and other relatives did everything they could to make the move and transition possible. Right from financial assistance, packing, farewell parties, wonderful gifts to brown cardboard boxes filled with goodies. They have done as much as one can do when you're separated by an ocean and 4.5 hours of time difference. But we've been lucky to have met many wonderful people in Austria who have helped in filling this void. 

Martina & Minou - Our local guardians who were there for us right from the time that we landed in Austria. In fact, much before that. Minou is my wife's friend from the UK whose mother Martina lives in Austria. Martina gave us an informal residence contract for our residence permit application without ever speaking with us. Minou came all the way to the airport to pick us and our 6 bags from the airport. They gave us a wonderfully comfortable room in their house and told us multiple times that we're welcome to stay as long as we want. Minou also helped us to complete the formalities with the government. Heck, we even got a very good apartment in Vienna thanks to them! Apart from all this priceless help, the most important part was living with them for the initial three weeks helped us immensely in coping with the fact that we're away from the support system of family and friends back home.

Jakob, Mathais & Ines - It's tough to make friends once you get to a certain age. It's even tougher in a completely new country where you don't speak the language. Wittgenstein once said "The limits of our language are the limits of our world". Out first new friendship in Vienna was spawned when Jakob overheard my wife talking about practicing her German and offered to help us practice our German with him and his friends. In the dark age of Brexit, Trump's wall and right-wing majoritarianism this act of kindness just bowled me over. Also got me thinking if I would ever do that if I hear someone talking about wanting to improve Marathi in Pune/India.

I hope to meet more such wonderful people in 2019 and to pay forward the kindness that I've got from them. Happy New Year!  

Sangamwadi Gundagardi

In 2016, I had to go to the Sangamwadi bus stand to collect a package for my wife. Luckily I had just come back from a work trip so I asked my colleague to drop me there on the way. I told him I'll take a cab after collecting the package. I collected it and booked an Uber. Whilst I was waiting for the cab, I was accosted by 3-4 rickshaw drivers who started inquiring where I wanted to go. I told them I am waiting for my cab. Upon hearing this they became aggressive and started asking me how I could book a cab as they don't "allow" it. One of them told me to cancel it and take his rickshaw and pay him the same amount as the cab. I refused and waited for the cab.

The cab came eventually but stopped a fair distance away. I walked over to it and the poor driver was very nervous. He asked me to get inside quickly and told me that if anyone asks I should tell that this is a private cab and not an Uber. He said the rickshaw drivers become violent and damage cabs in this area. He said this is a common problem prevalent since a long time. I reached home and didn't do anything except talk about it with family and friends.

In March this year, my cousin asked me to book a cab for her from Sangamwadi bus stand to her house. She was coming to Pune by bus. I was in office and didn't recollect my earlier incident. She faced an even more harrowing time. Again, the cab waited for a her a bit away from the bus stand. A rickshaw driver told her he won't allow her to board the cab. As she went towards the cab, he followed her and told the driver that if he doesn't leave immediately, he will "break his head". The cab driver still went ahead and waited for her but the rickshaw driver continued following her and didn't allow her to board the cab. She bravely stood up to him and told him that she will lodge a complaint against him to which he told her he's not scared.

She searched online and found these 2 numbers to call on: 020-26058090 & 020-26057414. She called one of them and was told to submit a written complaint via email or post. She chose the email option (not surprisingly) and gave a detailed account with rickshaw number to  mh12@mahatranscom.in. A few days later she got a call from the Pune RTO asking her to come and give her statement. My brother and I accompanied her to the RTO. All of us were skeptical as to what will transpire. After 20 minutes of waiting (since it was break time), we were taken to see Mr. Gaikwad in his cabin. He heard her completely, checked with his junior as to what all has been done and asked her to identify the rickshaw driver. We said we didn't want to meet him as we wanted to avoid confrontation as far as possible. He then took us to a very senior officer, Mr. Raut. Mr. Raut also patiently heard what we had to say. He told Mr. Gaikwad that we didn't need to come to the station as we had given the statement on email. Any identification that needs to be done can happen over WhatsApp or Email. He assured us that they will meet both the rickshaw driver and the owner and decide what action needs to be taken.

The next day, my cousin and I were sent photos for identification and 2 days later I got a call from Mr. Gaikwad. He said they discovered the rickshaw driver was driving without a license. They fined him and the owner Rs.5,500/- for both offenses. He also sent me a receipt of the fine which they had paid. We were amazed at the speed and efficiency of the RTO and its officers.

While I was happy that the rickshaw driver was punished and that this might set a good example, I wanted to follow up on the larger issue at Sangamwadi. My colleague told me that he has got very good response from the website Aaple Sarkar. I submitted the generic complaint of rickshaw drivers at Sangamwadi Bus Stand not allowing commuters to board cabs. Within 4 days I got a call from an inspector at Laxminagar Police Chowky, Yerwada. I was asked to come to the police station to give my statement. I went there the next day and an extremely helpful inspector took my statement in detail. He assured me that they will go that evening itself and give a notice to the rickshaw drivers. He said some other people had complained earlier about this too and this behavior should not be tolerated. He said the best way is to call 100 for any urgent action or contact the police station or complain online if you face the problem again.

I was pleasantly surprised in both these cases at the efficiency and helpfulness of the RTO and Police. Kudos to them for their quick action. I have realized that we should always complain in the right channels about any injustice which happens rather than just cribbing about things at the dinner table. We have a lot of online grievance portals available which we can make us of. If the complaint is not registered, the state cannot take action.

I would urge everyone reading this to give me feedback on their experience at Sangamwadi bus stand. I will follow up with the police in case this problem is still present.

Also, here is a short list of grievance portals:-

1. Complaint against rickshaw drivers - Send email to mh12@mahatranscom.in OR call on 020-26058090 or 020-26057414
2. Aaple Sarkar - Can be used throughout Maharashtra. Very effective.
3. PMC Grievance Management System - I have got very good responses here.
4. Pune Police Facebook Page - I have got mixed responses here but worth a try.

Stranded!

There are some things which you never think will happen to you till they actually do. I had heard first hand stories of people being stranded in cities or cars due to rains, volcanic ash or something else. I never thought it would happen to me, though, there was no reason why it would not. This is a real account of what happened with me and my colleague during the recent Chennai floods where we were stranded on Chennai Airport for 36 hours.

I reached Chennai on the afternoon of Monday, 30th November. I had seen the weather forecast while I was packing my bag and saw that there was 100% chance of rain on Tuesday. It didn't change my plans much as I knew I would be shuttling between different locations in a cab and would be back to Pune on Tuesday night. My drive from the airport to my relatives house was quite uneventful. It did drizzle a bit but everything was normal. In a few hours though around 7.30 PM, it started raining and it just didn't stop. It rained the entire night and was raining in the morning of Tuesday too. I had 3 meetings on Tuesday in Chennai. As the day progressed, all three got cancelled due to the rain.

My colleague had come to Chennai since Sunday and he had hired a car with a driver so we had transportation to go to the airport. We left for the airport at 5 PM for a 10:20 PM flight. Normally the journey doesn't take more than an hour so even with the expected traffic and water logging we figured we will reach in maximum two hours and then will have to kill time there. How wrong were we to be proved later! The traffic was so bad that we covered barely 5 kilometers in 2.5 hours. We were literally inching our way forward. But apart from one water logged road there wasn't any problem.

All that changed when we reached an area called Guindy. We had taken a diversion and were about to join a main road. The road was one way with a huge divider. Our driver stepped out for a bio-break and came back saying there's a lot of water. Most of the traffic was trying to get to the farther side of the divider where it was not water logged. Our driver lost patience (anyone would) and took the car in the near side and we were now in water. We quickly put our windows down in the event that if the doors don't open we had an escape route. Suddenly we felt water coming into the car. It rose up to seat almost and we knew the time was coming near to get out of the car. As expected, the car stalled and now we had no option but to get out. We quickly took our laptop bags and suitcases out. The water had entered the boot as well. We started wading through knee deep water with our bags over our heads and got to the other side. A lot of people had got out of cars and were walking. We tried to see if there were any hotels nearby where we could stay before figuring out the next plan of action.

At this point, we met our first angel. A traffic policeman upon hearing our predicament, started stopping every possible car to see if they could get us to the airport. This was a man with his hands overfull with the rain, water and traffic but willing to help two strangers who were clearly not from this city or state. After 6 cars refused to help for valid reasons, we met our second angel. This stranger said he will drop us to the airport without even mentioning any financial remuneration. Later we found out he didn't even want to go to the airport but went out of the way to drop us there. Such instances of strangers going out of their way to help those in need have been the cornerstone of the recovery in the Chennai floods.

On the airport we quickly changed into whatever remaining dry clothes that we have. That was a bit hard to find so my ensemble was a formal shirt, shorts and leather shoes. I wasn't too worried as function was more important than fashion and I was expecting to be in Pune in a few hours. We were checked in by our airline and told that the flight was on time. The airport was already very crowded though and there was no space in the lounge. We were hungry so we had a good dinner where we got a message saying our flight has been delayed to 12 midnight. However around 10 PM we heard the news that all flights have been cancelled and the airport is shut down. Having seen the condition of the roads outside the airport we knew that there is no way for going out. Thus started our marathon stay at the airport.

At the airport, we were near the departure gates. Hence there was no dearth of options to eat, drink or even buy a few supplies. I bought myself a book to combat the boredom and some socks to combat the cold. We spread some newspapers on the carpet and also got some sleep. Though it was not the most comfortable option it wasn't bad. We could hear the rain pouring down throughout the night and there was a TV showing the local news. One look at the horrible condition of the people in the low lying areas and we thanked our stars that we were stuck at the airport and not outside. We had continuous electricity along with food and water. The airport was the safest place that night.

The next morning we saw the condition of the runway and taxi area and we knew then and there that no flight will take off. The area was completely submerged with water.

In no condition to take-off

Chennai Airport shut down

After one night at the airport everyone was in a frenzy to get out. People were trying to arrange for cabs but of course no company in their right senses would send a cab to the airport. It was just impossible to get there due to the flooded roads. There were people trying to arrange buses to go to Bangalore. All this was being done by passengers. The airlines were helpless and the airport authority too didn't have any constructive message. It seemed as if no one was ready to take a call on the evacuation nor were they confident that the passengers should stay put at the airport. We kept getting snippets of information from airport and airline officials. It was up to us whom to trust and take our call. Luckily we also had some local experts telling us not to get out of the airport as the situation in the city was quite bad. I had no mobile coverage while my colleague had sporadic coverage that too in one particular location of the airport. We were using the plug point near a TV to charge our phone and a landline to call at home.

In the afternoon, there was an announcement that there will be buses which will go to Bangalore. On hearing this everyone crowded near the exit. There were 400 - 500 people with all their luggage crowding near 1 small door. The buses showed no signs of coming and when we told our plan to go to Bangalore to local experts they were quite skeptical because the water hadn't receded. After some time we heard that the buses were arranged on the insistence of some passengers and was not an airport authority initiative. We took a call to not get on the buses which we anyway might have missed due to the sheer volume of people trying to get on them. It meant one more night at the airport but our reasoning was that it would be better than getting stranded in the middle of a water logged road.

Since we had now come in to the arrival area our options for food were quite limited. Still there was a CCD outlet there and we had stocked up on some food and sweets. Again, our airline called us to give us dinner. I keep on mentioning the food part because of an article which I read in the Times of  India, Pune edition on Saturday where one of our fellow passengers is complaining about not getting anything to eat from Tuesday night to Wednesday night. This is complete over exaggeration. We were stuck in the same place and had multiple options to eat along with airlines themselves giving meals. Even if the airlines didn't provide meals, you could get a wholesome meal veg or non-veg for 100 - 150 rupees. It was really disappointing to read this in the paper considering the horrible state of the local people caught in the floods throughout Tamil Nadu.

Our options to sleep were now slightly limited as there are no carpets in the arrival area. However my colleague resourcefully found a carpet area on the conveyor belt. We spread newspapers there and made our bed. I also spotted a Sari shop and remembering that I felt cold the previous night, I bought the cheapest sari from the shop to use as a blanket. Thus our second night also passed peacefully.

We woke up to a dark Chennai airport the next morning. In the middle of the night the power ran out due to water. This was a clear sign for us to now think of evacuating the airport as now there was no electricity and limited food options available. Thankfully the rain had receded significantly and we hadn't heard of any problem for for the 5-6 buses which went out last night. Right on cue, we heard news that a bus was about to arrive at the airport. This bus would then take us to a metro station from where we were to catch the metro to another station and take a bus to Bangalore. Thus, there were 3 legs of the journey to safety.

The first leg from Chennai Airport to Alandur metro stations was uneventful. There was one patch of road which was water logged with a big crater but the bus didn't have a problem. The metro station was crowded but manageable and we got into the metro. The metro was over-ground and went very slowly but without any problems. However, on this journey we saw the terrible state of the city and its people. There were cars stranded and parked on flyovers as it was impossible to go further. People were wading through chest deep water with bags on their heads. Ground floors and first floors of buildings were completely submerged. Bridges were underwater or completely filled with debris. Cars were left stranded half under water. The journey was an eye-opener to how lucky we were to be at the airport in a dry place with power, food and water.

Once again, locals helped us out by telling us the correct station to get out on which was CMBT station. There we found a bus to take us to Bangalore. That journey was also uneventful and once we reached the highway we knew we were safe. We stayed in a hotel in Bangalore that night and came back to Pune 3.5 days later than scheduled.

One thing which irked me a lot was the unverified and false reporting done by the media. On Thursday night in Bangalore I saw a news flash on Times Now that 1000 people were stranded at the airport. This was totally false. When we left the domestic terminal there were less than 100 people on the airport. Such false reporting adds to the fear and panic of those watching the news. One good friend who helped a lot in Chennai posted on Facebook saying just go by social media where you are more likely to get verified first hand information rather than news channels.

Coming to the airlines, while there wasn't much they could do in the wake of a natural or man-made disaster, it didn't stop them from making a huge profit in these conditions. The Bangalore to Pune flight on Thursday night was for 25,000 rupees. Bangalore to Delhi was even more than that while Bangalore - Indore - Delhi was 56,000 rupees! We get angry when rickshaws charge double rates. This was even worse. 

As I write this, the recovery has begun in Tamil Nadu and things are slowly getting better. Hopefully the sun will start shining brightly again, but the real ray of sunshine has been the unselfish work done by so many good Samaritans to help those in need.