Thursday, December 16, 2010

Singhs on a plane !!!


With the recent incidents of Indians being harassed at US Airports particularly India’s Permanent Representative at the UN Hardeep Singh Puri’s turban being asked to be removed as part of the intensive security search at Houston airport , one can go on arguing whether we should do the same to US national coming to India, why should we take this lying down and many more likewise ideas. Though individual religion beliefs should be respected but why only diplomats and babus get extra cover than normal ppl. But the question is, are the Indians only being marginalised, I guess all passengers are being searched as part of security clearing no matter which religion or natonality.

I presume,  westerners while at job, just do what they are expected or told to do. Nobody wants to roam the courts for cases and legal sues for negligence at work. They I guess might even frisk their own siblings to cover their jobs. Which doesn't seem wrong in any sense, so why not we just leave them do their job. If there is nothing to hide, why to worry. In India, a popular person could easily pass thru all security barriers without much fuss, which looks less cumbersome, but is that the right practice ? 
Recently I saw the movie - 'Inside Man' starring Denzel Washington about a bank robbery in NY. There was a particular scene which they would not have included had it not been rampant. The movie was superb, not to mention the Indian presence thru out the title and end credits by AR Rehman's Chal Chayan Chayan song being played along.


In the movie, the bank robbers release a sardarji outside the bank with hand tied and a message hanging on his neck. The police first thinks him as part of the robbery team and while checking, they remove his turban. The sardarji repeats that he is a Sikh and against his religion to touch the turban (reminds me of my old friend - Nimmo). Denzel Washington interrogates him but sardarji asks for his turban back before answering any question.

Sardarji : F****** tired of this shit. What happened to my f****** civil rights? Why can't I go anywhere without being harassed? Get thrown out a bank, I'm a hostage, I get harassed. I go to the airport, I can't go through security without a random selection. F****** random, my ass.
Denzel Washington : I bet you can get a cab though.
Sardarji : I guess that's one of the perks !!