Whether it is a CEO of a big company or a student going for higher studies one has to be apprehensive nowadays.
I only wish it were as hassle free like a simple overnight 12hr train ride Bangalore Kakinada town Seshadri Express where a journey to the land of the Kanaka Durga temple Vijaywada where one sat at Krishnarajapuram and was there early morning!
Going by incidents one has to be careful with one's movements in the aircraft or speak to other Indians in an Indian Language or even harmless MTR mixes which student's normally take to get a feel of home are likely to be suspected. While their concern is understandable they must make a difference between ordinary inncocent Indians irrespective of our religion,caste or creed and the terrorists! We all forget to fasten our seat belts. I does not mean we are terrorists. They must go after the reall people and punish them.
I myself haven't faced it overtly in my travels in the US or Europe. In fact, I have faced in the Middle East because all Indians are generally treated as employees / labour, even though you may the GM/CEO of a company there. In the eyes of the immigration / cops we all suck.
Coming to the current event, what if there is some profiling? How else would the security identify potential cases. Sure, they may make mistakes, so long as they don't kill/harm the suspect as it happened in UK last year, I think the travelling public shd realize its for their good.
Considering the current scenario, when muslims are in the forefront of recent incidents, what else can one expect? One of my Hindu friends, was also given an extra body search because he has a beard!! He went along with the process since he understood and the authorities were very polite.
First lesson in these troubled times is for travellers to be careful and follow instructions. The security officals will not take chances, when they suspect someone. Better to cooperate with them and the travel staff, to avoid unpleasantness. This particular incident clearly demonstrates that the detained lot did not follow instructions.
I don't feel with the instances that happenend lately with the NOrth West Airlines is in any way related to racial profiling... Its just a matter of plain security... Unfortunately with the attacks that occur often airlines are at a major risk....
And anyone who does not adhere to the flight regulations should be detained no matter which country he belongs to...
No body is a Super Human to understand what is in others mind...Its only with interrogation that one can understand the motive of such indifferent behaviour...
I am an Indian and I was flying to Europe from Singapore early this year. My check-in was smooth. My first and second security check was also very smooth, But just before I could enter the "waiting" area before boarding the plane, I was stopped by a local airport security staff.
He got hold of my passport started asking my various questions in the NAME Of security. The questions were: Why am I flying to Europe? What is my final destination? Whether I am flying on business or on holiday?. When will I return back? etc..
To me, all these questions were purely useless questions at the gate before entering the plane. If at all, they should have taken place much earlier.
What was even more annoying was that the Australians (it was a Qantas flight) and other "White" people were let in without any questions.
Hence, forget about the Western security agencies profiling Asians, the samething is done by the Asian Security agencies also..
I guess cultural difference plays a major part in the incidents you have mentioned and my long travel experience says that every time I was in flight people from Middle-Eastern or Indian sub continents background were always fiddling with phones even after polite requests were made and were always very loud specially if they were in group of three or more without even thinking there are other passengers on board and they might be disturbing them. Having said it its not all passengers from these origins but majority and there are some western passengers but in very less numbers.
I have been living out of India from almost 10 years and I believe with so much happening across the world .i.e. Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Spain, U.S and London. Has changed general publics view and they are more conscious while traveling in air after all life is most important thing we have and I guess its quiet easy to get threatened by the small incidents I have mentioned earlier like mobile phones and talking loud in unheard language.
There are certain behaviours which are considered inappropriate in certain situations. If such behaviours are indulged in either because of national character or because of relogious disposition of the individuals, they draw the attention of concerned people and therefore get into bad light.
The 12 muslim men on Northwest flight had indulged in actitivities which definitely arouse suspicion in the minds of fellow passengers as well as the flight crew. In such a situation what the flight crew did was the best. i.e not to take any risk with the passenger's lives but to opt for safest possible alternative. There is a distinct behaviour pattern amongst muslim men/women irrespective of the place to which they belong, that they tend to be rebellious. And they tend not to conform to requirements considered normal in many situations. It is not to say that all muslims have this problem. There are many of this tribe who are extremely decent and well behaved, from whom others can take lessons in extreme humility. But a good number of them across all races tend to rebellious and therefore tend to cross the border between acceptable behaviour and unacceptable behaviour. That is the troube.
The airline authorities were just right in doing what they did. After all life is more precious than the sophoric subject of racial discrimination. Had passengers on Mumbai train been more alert perhaps they would have noticed some alien looking men boarding & alighting from trains. We all have the right to rise above these petty "secularist" style of thinking & save ourselves when there's the need.
Passengers should not be compensated at all, as the very actions taken by the airlines and the crew were to save those very passengers.If anybody has to pay or be sued against, it should be those 12 passengers who were hell bent on breaking the flight rules.Fortnately, in this case those people were ignorant,unaware civilians and not actual terrorists.What if instead of these 12 civilians, there would have been 12 terrorists who were trying to fiddle with their cellphones and preparing to cause some harm to the aircraft and the passengers inside??? I dont think we would have been talking in the same vein as we are all trying to do now. What the airlines did was very necessary and justified precautionary measure.In this age of terrorism, all passengers, including us, the asians need to learn more and help the authorities by following rules and guidelines within the aircrafts.If there are any instances of flagrant violation of civil rights or cases of racial profiling, than of course we need to to raise our voices, but not otherwise. In this case, the 12 passengers totally ignored the rules and repeated warnings by the crew and brought this situation upon them.Lets grow up!
