Timeless traveler's dream
NINE-eleven (9/11) changed the world in more ways than one. Perhaps the most significant impact is felt in the sphere of air travel. Excruciating security standards have transformed pre-departure arrangements into a nerve-wracking experience. Once on board, one feels an absence of bonhomie since most co-travelers tend to be aloof, edgy and suspicious at the slightest deviant behaviour! Finally, on reaching the destination passengers are subjected to a virtual inquisition by over-cautious customs and immigration staff.
I often feel nostalgic about past air journeys when one could look forward to a chance meeting with an interesting person. I have had the privilege of travelling with many notable personalities like Sophia Loren, Asha Bhonsle and Ravi Shankar. On each occasion I greeted them, exchanged niceties and for a brief moment enjoyed a sense of reflected glory.
Once, on a flight from London to Delhi, I recall sitting next to Priyanka Gandhi and sharing our perspectives on the Bangladesh Liberation War! Those were the good old days when there was considerable potential for social interaction on a long flight. Today, even an innocent walk in the aisle to exercise cramping knees can trigger a security concern!
Two amusing anecdotes may help illustrate the prevailing level of paranoia related to air travel. Not too long ago, on a domestic flight in the US, a man was pinned down to the floor of the plane by security guards because he was acting "oddly." The man, a Muslim, was noticed bending forward several times purportedly looking for something. On investigation it transpired that he was, in fact, performing the rituals of the Muslim prayer. The act of frequent prostration was misconstrued as searching for an explosive hidden underneath the seat!
Another incident occurred on a long flight that I took to Washington. There was a commotion when someone was inside the toilet for an "unusually" long time. Passengers became suspicious and raised an alarm, which prompted the in-flight security to go into action. After several loud knocks, the door was force opened to reveal an old South Asian lady, who was simply unable to operate the door lock from inside. The petrified, sobbing woman was let out and calm returned to the cabin!
For many frequent travelers, the saga commences at departure, with long snaking lines, pat downs, and the likelihood of being put through the controversial body scanners, known as Smartcheck. However, the stress heightens at the disembarkation point where the grilling begins by forbidding looking immigration and customs officials.
Questions may range from the sublime to the ridiculous. One can handle mundane queries like "what is the purpose of your visit?" "how long was your trip?" "which countries did you visit this time?" and "how much money are you carrying?" But occasionally there is that odd question "I see you work for the World Bank, what exactly do you do there?" I am usually not at a loss for words, but to encapsulate my job description in a precise sentence with a long and agitated line of passengers waiting behind me can be challenging, to say the least!
So far, I have been lucky with my US entries and have not been taken in for "secondary" questioning -- the special arrangement created for people who need detailed interrogation and background check before they enter the United States. No one knows what criteria are used to single out people for the secondary. But a last name like Ali or Husain could easily qualify one for "random selection!" In the backdrop of post 9/11 religious profiling this is not surprising. However, I must confess that for a nervous person like me the possibility of being selected for any kind of "special treatment" generates tremendous anxiety.
Emotions aside and reflecting on a more rational plane, I fully understand why it's necessary to take security precautions. An airline staff explained: "All this is for your safety and security." Again, there is always that rare positive experience, like a recent interaction with as US immigration officer, which gives me cause for hope and optimism.
I was returning from a trip to Bangladesh and the officer posed the routine question: "Where are you coming from?" When I answered Bangladesh he smiled and remarked: "Oh! The country of Mohammad Yunus -- the guy who gives loans to the poor?" I felt a sense of elation and joy. True, I am now a resident of the US, but the umbilical cord that ties me to the country of my origin will never be completely severed, and whenever Bangladesh wins a laurel my heart overflows with pride and nostalgia!
The seemingly small but pleasant experience with US immigration set forth an interesting train of thought in my mind; Is there any way we can re-establish trust and cooperation among people of different races and religions? Rather than search for differences, can we focus on the basic aspirations that are common to most human beings: the desire of each person to lead a dignified life and ensure a secure future for the next generation? Is this goal very difficult to attain?
I derive hope from the raised awareness and heightened expectations amongst the common people around the world, as is evident in the sudden surge of "people's power" in the Middle East. Maybe this will bring a sweeping tide of change and help break the artificial barriers between nations and races that we have created over ages.
I am not sure if we will see a different world in our lifetime, but we can start with a vision and a dream like John Lennon:
"Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world....
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one."
The writer is a renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent and a former
employee of the World Bank.
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