The recent floods at Srinagar have caused havoc in plenty. Not just to property and livestock, but even to the lives of those who are alive. When a calamity of such nature strikes, we are all ever so ready to point fingers and find fault with what all the authorities have NOT been doing. News channels are full of stories filled with tragedy and anyone you speak with, has a similar line to tell. More often than not, we fail to notice the good that has been done. I am not sure if I should use words like fortunate or privileged, during a tragedy, while describing what I saw, but in the end, it was an eye opener for me. I came back home with an all new level of respect for Indigo Airlines, with whom I was there.
Indigo is a client of the company I work for. When the crisis struck Srinagar, Indigo requested for a counselor to offer onsite counseling assistance to the employees. They were also kind enough to open up the counseling service to the stranded passengers and pretty much anyone who needed some psychological help. So, I was flown in to Srinagar, via Delhi. Before I boarded the Delhi - Srinagar flight, I wondered if there would even be anyone on the flight. I mean, who in their sane mind would fly into Srinagar now, when everyone there was trying to get out. Surprisingly, there were enough and more people on the flight. As we settled in, I came to know that a lot of them were relatives of those missing, who were flying in to search for them. Then there were quite a few staff of Indigo, who were rushing in to Srinagar to assist with the overload of work. As we took off,the crew were as pleasant as ever. Food and water/juice was distributed to all passengers free of cost. No questions asked.
Chaos, is the first word that came to my mind as soon as I landed in Srinagar. The airport was packed with people trying to find a seat on any flight possible. There were people who had tickets for few days before and even people who have no tickets at all. The security apparently were having a tough time trying to control people on the outside, from entering inside. There was hardly any space left inside. The food stalls wore a deserted look and the stench from the toilets were unbearable. People were hungry, frustrated, tired, all rolled into one. I was escorted somewhere towards the back, to the Indigo office. Here too, the atmosphere was chaotic. With limited flights, they were trying to fly out as many people as possible. They were trying to feed as many as possible with the limited supply of food.
I was given a room to sit, where people could come and speak if they needed to. However, the same room was used to store all the food supplies. The same room was where the crew came in to grab a bite. What I simply sat there and observed for the rest of the day was simply mind blowing. I saw humanity at its very best. I saw a corporate giant like Indigo, expose its heart and soul, and a big heart that too. I spoke with two ladies who were part of the ground staff. Both looked dead beat, but went about their work without much of a break. I caught them when they came in to grab a bite. Apparently, they belonged to Mumbai, but was flying in and out daily from Delhi to assist with the work in Srinagar. They were asked to head back and take a break, but they refused. They volunteered to stay back and work in the time of need. After a quick bite, they were both off again.
I chatted with a doctor, who again was flying in and out of Delhi on a daily basis. He had volunteered for this and he said that he would continue to do this as long as the need existed. He would rush out each time someone fainted or vomited. Sometimes the sick would come in and he would attend to them, with a smile. Then there was Basheer, who was more or less like a helper. I was not really sure what his role was, but he seemed to be carrying all the boxes and also getting everyone some hot masala chai, to keep going. He offered me my first tea as soon as I sat down. The next hour he offered me the next. Following that, every hour he just kept bringing it, with a very pleasant smile, all through the day. Whether he was making tea or lifting boxes or handing out food, he did it with a very warm smile. You could simply feel loved by him.
Since there is no supply of food locally, any flight that came in to Srinagar was bringing in food and other basic supplies. There was food that was meant for distribution to the passengers and there was also food in boxes marked "staff food". Even after the usual food ran out, each and every employee of Indigo present there welcomed in anyone coming in search of food. They did not hesitate even for a second before they took the warm food out from the "staff food" box and handing it over to them. They made sure that the stranded ones ate, before they ate. Some munched on biscuits and apples and gave away their warm meal to the needy. Basheer as always, handed out the meals with a smile, making sure to check if an individual was vegetarian or non vegetarian.
I also got to observe and interact briefly with few high level officials. Almost all of them had flown in from Delhi and would be returning the same evening. This would continue on a daily basis. I hear them talk about how they did not want even a single empty seat on a flight out. Accommodating people with older tickets and newly bought tickets was a logistical nightmare. These are the ones that could afford to fly out. But what about the poor laborer who cannot even afford a train ride? Indigo was flying them all for free. More than 50% of the seats on the flights out were free tickets. Not a single rupee was taken from them. Most of them did not even have a proper photo ID, and it was the first time they were even coming close to an airport. That day, it did not matter.This flight was open to all.
A couple of flight took off through the day. I was put on the last flight out, along with all the other staff who were shuttling to and from Delhi. Though we were scheduled to leave at 4:50 pm, we only took off at 9:15 pm. Here again, the group was a mix of passengers, staff, crew and more than 50% who could not afford a tickets and were inside a plane for the first time. I shared my row with two other crew who were heading back to Delhi. They told me that they would need to be up by 4 am the next day, to catch the first flight into Srinagar. As hard as it was, they all wanted to do it. They somehow wanted to be a part of the rescue and rehabilitation mission in any way possible. Every one of them was going to be back the next day.
I wish I had paid attention to the name of the captain of the flight. I could have at least asked him towards the end. He was one of a kind. An ex army personnel, who was coincidentally stationed at Srinagar 15 years back. Now he flies out of there under a different circumstance. Right when we boarded, he walked up and down the aisle, speaking to people and checking if we were all fine. He then walks up to the rear end of the plane, where all the laborers and first time flyers are seated. He chats with them and makes small talk and reassures them that everything is going to be fine. Once he was back in the cockpit, he was constantly talking to everyone, mainly addressing the nervous first timers, explaining about the aircraft, its safety, few technical details etc, which I am sure played a huge role in putting few at ease. We did not fly so high, so each time we flew over a city, he would ask us to look out and see the city lights below. So we did see Pathankot, Ludhiana and few more. He said that on an absolutely clear night, you could even see the lights in Lahore. An entertaining flight indeed.
The cabin crew matched up to that as well. Service was with a smile, and somehow, that day it seemed genuine. Food and juice was served on the house and no money collected. We could all eat as much as we wanted to. Some of the staff on board ate a little more. Understandable, since during the day they sacrificed their food, plus now, they could simply relax.
In an hour and twenty minutes, we touched down in Delhi. There were gasps heard from all over the plane. Some gasps probably meant they were relieved to be back, while some meant, "where do we go now". As I got up and walked forward I see all the crew and captain near the exit. Even after a long and tiring day, they looked as pleasant as ever. When they said thank you, you could see they meant it. I don't know about all the other times I have flown Indigo, but this time, their smiles were genuine.
Indigo is a client of the company I work for. When the crisis struck Srinagar, Indigo requested for a counselor to offer onsite counseling assistance to the employees. They were also kind enough to open up the counseling service to the stranded passengers and pretty much anyone who needed some psychological help. So, I was flown in to Srinagar, via Delhi. Before I boarded the Delhi - Srinagar flight, I wondered if there would even be anyone on the flight. I mean, who in their sane mind would fly into Srinagar now, when everyone there was trying to get out. Surprisingly, there were enough and more people on the flight. As we settled in, I came to know that a lot of them were relatives of those missing, who were flying in to search for them. Then there were quite a few staff of Indigo, who were rushing in to Srinagar to assist with the overload of work. As we took off,the crew were as pleasant as ever. Food and water/juice was distributed to all passengers free of cost. No questions asked.
Chaos, is the first word that came to my mind as soon as I landed in Srinagar. The airport was packed with people trying to find a seat on any flight possible. There were people who had tickets for few days before and even people who have no tickets at all. The security apparently were having a tough time trying to control people on the outside, from entering inside. There was hardly any space left inside. The food stalls wore a deserted look and the stench from the toilets were unbearable. People were hungry, frustrated, tired, all rolled into one. I was escorted somewhere towards the back, to the Indigo office. Here too, the atmosphere was chaotic. With limited flights, they were trying to fly out as many people as possible. They were trying to feed as many as possible with the limited supply of food.
I was given a room to sit, where people could come and speak if they needed to. However, the same room was used to store all the food supplies. The same room was where the crew came in to grab a bite. What I simply sat there and observed for the rest of the day was simply mind blowing. I saw humanity at its very best. I saw a corporate giant like Indigo, expose its heart and soul, and a big heart that too. I spoke with two ladies who were part of the ground staff. Both looked dead beat, but went about their work without much of a break. I caught them when they came in to grab a bite. Apparently, they belonged to Mumbai, but was flying in and out daily from Delhi to assist with the work in Srinagar. They were asked to head back and take a break, but they refused. They volunteered to stay back and work in the time of need. After a quick bite, they were both off again.
I chatted with a doctor, who again was flying in and out of Delhi on a daily basis. He had volunteered for this and he said that he would continue to do this as long as the need existed. He would rush out each time someone fainted or vomited. Sometimes the sick would come in and he would attend to them, with a smile. Then there was Basheer, who was more or less like a helper. I was not really sure what his role was, but he seemed to be carrying all the boxes and also getting everyone some hot masala chai, to keep going. He offered me my first tea as soon as I sat down. The next hour he offered me the next. Following that, every hour he just kept bringing it, with a very pleasant smile, all through the day. Whether he was making tea or lifting boxes or handing out food, he did it with a very warm smile. You could simply feel loved by him.
Since there is no supply of food locally, any flight that came in to Srinagar was bringing in food and other basic supplies. There was food that was meant for distribution to the passengers and there was also food in boxes marked "staff food". Even after the usual food ran out, each and every employee of Indigo present there welcomed in anyone coming in search of food. They did not hesitate even for a second before they took the warm food out from the "staff food" box and handing it over to them. They made sure that the stranded ones ate, before they ate. Some munched on biscuits and apples and gave away their warm meal to the needy. Basheer as always, handed out the meals with a smile, making sure to check if an individual was vegetarian or non vegetarian.
I also got to observe and interact briefly with few high level officials. Almost all of them had flown in from Delhi and would be returning the same evening. This would continue on a daily basis. I hear them talk about how they did not want even a single empty seat on a flight out. Accommodating people with older tickets and newly bought tickets was a logistical nightmare. These are the ones that could afford to fly out. But what about the poor laborer who cannot even afford a train ride? Indigo was flying them all for free. More than 50% of the seats on the flights out were free tickets. Not a single rupee was taken from them. Most of them did not even have a proper photo ID, and it was the first time they were even coming close to an airport. That day, it did not matter.This flight was open to all.
A couple of flight took off through the day. I was put on the last flight out, along with all the other staff who were shuttling to and from Delhi. Though we were scheduled to leave at 4:50 pm, we only took off at 9:15 pm. Here again, the group was a mix of passengers, staff, crew and more than 50% who could not afford a tickets and were inside a plane for the first time. I shared my row with two other crew who were heading back to Delhi. They told me that they would need to be up by 4 am the next day, to catch the first flight into Srinagar. As hard as it was, they all wanted to do it. They somehow wanted to be a part of the rescue and rehabilitation mission in any way possible. Every one of them was going to be back the next day.
I wish I had paid attention to the name of the captain of the flight. I could have at least asked him towards the end. He was one of a kind. An ex army personnel, who was coincidentally stationed at Srinagar 15 years back. Now he flies out of there under a different circumstance. Right when we boarded, he walked up and down the aisle, speaking to people and checking if we were all fine. He then walks up to the rear end of the plane, where all the laborers and first time flyers are seated. He chats with them and makes small talk and reassures them that everything is going to be fine. Once he was back in the cockpit, he was constantly talking to everyone, mainly addressing the nervous first timers, explaining about the aircraft, its safety, few technical details etc, which I am sure played a huge role in putting few at ease. We did not fly so high, so each time we flew over a city, he would ask us to look out and see the city lights below. So we did see Pathankot, Ludhiana and few more. He said that on an absolutely clear night, you could even see the lights in Lahore. An entertaining flight indeed.
The cabin crew matched up to that as well. Service was with a smile, and somehow, that day it seemed genuine. Food and juice was served on the house and no money collected. We could all eat as much as we wanted to. Some of the staff on board ate a little more. Understandable, since during the day they sacrificed their food, plus now, they could simply relax.
In an hour and twenty minutes, we touched down in Delhi. There were gasps heard from all over the plane. Some gasps probably meant they were relieved to be back, while some meant, "where do we go now". As I got up and walked forward I see all the crew and captain near the exit. Even after a long and tiring day, they looked as pleasant as ever. When they said thank you, you could see they meant it. I don't know about all the other times I have flown Indigo, but this time, their smiles were genuine.
