I was at an awards function recently and there was a small crowd of not more than 100. Since it was literary in nature, the expectations from the motley crowd was high as there were august speakers invited and all were waiting for some good oration.
As is usual, I was in the hall well before the appointed hour and those gathered were indulging in some small talks and even well past the scheduled time of 6 PM, there were no signs of the function getting started. The organizer, a popular personality on TV shows was busy interacting with his own friends and fans and it was well past 6.30 before he took the stage. After mike adjustments, meets and greets the function started almost 45 minutes behind schedule.
The auditorium was soon reverberating with chaste regional language and the audience sat back to enjoy the evening, as the speaker's words and the air-conditioners humming started coexisting nicely. Then started the ringing of mobile phones one after the other and more than their resonance, the attitude of the owners were more irritating. Some chose to immediately pick the call. Some had a good look at the number before answering and in the meantime the phone kept on emitting the jarring loud tone. As though these were not enough, there was a young man who started speaking loudly dismissing the objections of others , before he was virtually evicted from hall.
Then there were small kids accompanying their parents, who were making merry at the last row with steel chairs the sound of which made it hard to hear even some of the speeches, all the while when the parents were not even trying to advise the kids to behave.
I was astonished at the attitude of these, which we dubiously claim as "Indian". I remember a Senior executive of a bank in Australia apologizing for being a minute late to the meeting, when we were waiting.
I have never heard the mobile phone ringing at any of the meetings even in offices, as it was mandated that we switch off or put them in silent mode. The same people when they are at different countries behave differently and appear impeccable in manners but when they are back , they resume their own 'culture'.
These remind me of the 'Sunday Gentlemen' , whom the famous novelist Irwing Wallace defines in his book of the same name as those who have been declared bankrupt and are in hiding from the public, but are allowed free to wander around the town only on Sunday and even the court or Police have no rights to arrest them on that day. These are also people who are otherwise clad in western dresses and warm handshakes with soft tissues to use on alighting from the car, but forget the basics in a gathering !
How I wish, these are followed by all at all times, not only when they are away from India.
As is usual, I was in the hall well before the appointed hour and those gathered were indulging in some small talks and even well past the scheduled time of 6 PM, there were no signs of the function getting started. The organizer, a popular personality on TV shows was busy interacting with his own friends and fans and it was well past 6.30 before he took the stage. After mike adjustments, meets and greets the function started almost 45 minutes behind schedule.
The auditorium was soon reverberating with chaste regional language and the audience sat back to enjoy the evening, as the speaker's words and the air-conditioners humming started coexisting nicely. Then started the ringing of mobile phones one after the other and more than their resonance, the attitude of the owners were more irritating. Some chose to immediately pick the call. Some had a good look at the number before answering and in the meantime the phone kept on emitting the jarring loud tone. As though these were not enough, there was a young man who started speaking loudly dismissing the objections of others , before he was virtually evicted from hall.
Then there were small kids accompanying their parents, who were making merry at the last row with steel chairs the sound of which made it hard to hear even some of the speeches, all the while when the parents were not even trying to advise the kids to behave.
I was astonished at the attitude of these, which we dubiously claim as "Indian". I remember a Senior executive of a bank in Australia apologizing for being a minute late to the meeting, when we were waiting.
I have never heard the mobile phone ringing at any of the meetings even in offices, as it was mandated that we switch off or put them in silent mode. The same people when they are at different countries behave differently and appear impeccable in manners but when they are back , they resume their own 'culture'.
These remind me of the 'Sunday Gentlemen' , whom the famous novelist Irwing Wallace defines in his book of the same name as those who have been declared bankrupt and are in hiding from the public, but are allowed free to wander around the town only on Sunday and even the court or Police have no rights to arrest them on that day. These are also people who are otherwise clad in western dresses and warm handshakes with soft tissues to use on alighting from the car, but forget the basics in a gathering !
How I wish, these are followed by all at all times, not only when they are away from India.
Which means , a Gentleman daily- is that too tall a wish?
Vijayalakshmi commented : "Well said, Sir.
ReplyDeleteI see such ppl here in offices too.. while they meticulously throw the trash in bin, the moment they get down from bus the litter around"
Mantralaya Lavanya :" very nice one.. May be next generation follows this and your wish is fulfilled "
ReplyDeleteRamesh Gopalaswamy commented " very true. When you travel by morning Shatabdi Chennai to Bangalore, we can know the menus at home, what was cooked, where is it in the fridge as well as all the மாமியார் மருமகள் சண்டை and how lavishly the d-in-law is spending money!!
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, I traveled a few years back in a train from New York to Boston and there were boards to be soft on cell phones -- and people followed that instruction! There are even coaches in the train where talking on mobile (however softly it be) is completely prohibited!"