Law and the politicians - The wahab incident
April 9th, 2008
Many times I used to wonder why some of the rich guys in Kerala want to join politics. Even in last election, there were a couple of rich NRIs contesting the election. The reason is simple - with politics come power and to do anything against the law. It is as if politicians are mysteriously above the law.
Take for example the recent event in which Rajya Sabha MP P.V. Abdul Wahab was thrown out of an Indian Airlines plane. Wahab thinks he is above the law and above the rules and regulations at an airport simply because he is a Rajyasabha MP. So he arrived at the airport well after the take-off time. Naturally the pilot (who is responsible for the safety and operation of the flight) became angry and scolded the airport duty manager. It would have stopped there. Mr. Wahab thought being an MP he can do anything and started abusing the pilot. He even got into the cockpit to fight with the pilot!!
Now consider what would have happened If one of us did the same? First of all if we cannot reach airport 30 minutes before take-off, no one would escort us to the plane. If we tried to enter the cockpit, we would not only be thrown out of the plane, but also would have got plenty of third degree torture from police. I am also sure that a case would be registered against us.
Now here is the funny part. Mr. Adbul Wahab and his party is taking this incident to parliament Privileges Committee! This is what I would call mockery of the law.
Air India should think of giving a “bravery” award to captain Rajat Rana.
This is what Wahab had to say,
”I was well in time but the flight came late and the captain was pushing to take-off ASAP. He was fighting with a flight official on the stairs. I intervened and told him not to abuse the official he told me it’s none of your business to intervene. I said I am an MP and it’s my right to interfere. He told me you run the country, I will run the flight. I told him you are a glorified driver and I am an MP he told me I will not fly with you then I got out of the flight along with my family voluntarily,”
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April 11th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
That is well said.Barging into a cockpit is a criminal offence and the person should be punished whoever he is,,be it MP or PM.
And Pilot Rajat should be honored for following discipline and for his brave stand in kicking out the great MP/
April 15th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Why is it so important for one of them to be “glorified” again with a bravery award? He might have been a glorified driver but then the MP is a glorified public servant as well. But airlines have rules which you will have to follow glorified or not. It was the pilot’s duty to ensure uneventful operation of the flight and he did his job in dealing with anyone who comes in way of his job. The key is to note that the pilot just did his job. It was the MP that was being the jerk. I would rather warrant disciplinary action against the MP than award a bravery award to the pilot.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:06 am
oh! don’t take these things very seriously. Wahab is a VVIP. VVIPs are prone to be affected by the malayalam movie characters.
Wahab was in a hang over of some malayalam movie in which the hero calls his subordinate a “glorified clerk”
(only difference is that… in the movie… that was for something good)
April 18th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I would beg to difer from some of the views in this comments and the article. It is been recorded that the MP came to the Airport at 7:55, while the flight was scheduled at 8:55 and was in the VIP room. Usually from the VIP room, the Guests are requested to move to the aircrafts only after all the normal passengers are cleared. This flight itself was 20 Minutes late and the glorified pilot wanted to make up his time to the connection trip. Being a pilot who is going to take all these passengers up in the sky should not loose temper often. If he does, then he is not fit to fly as that temperament is dangerous to fly. He should be grounded by the airlines immediately on safety norms, leave aside the Wahab incident. Coming back to Wahab incident, an MP of Inida cannot be deplaned by a pilot of the state owned flight. This means, your car driver is asking one of your family memebers to get out of the car. The protocol does not allow that. So pilot has to be disciplined. I am a person who travels often and now I am scared to travel on flights where hot tempered pilots are flying. They may not have presence of mind on adverse situations
April 29th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Our colleague at the airport did nothing wrong, the Pilot wanted to reach Delhi for his girfriend’s birthday on 9th April and was screaming abuses at our colleague. Rajat Rana is the son of a very influential Sr. Pilot Capt. R.N. Singh and got his job also through backdoor because of his father’s influence in Civil Aviation Ministry and Indian Airlines. The MP only asked the pilot not to use abusive language and the pilot did not spare him as well