And for a Friday returning from Japan to Mera Bharat, some thoughts….. some musings…..
Coming home to Mumbai, after an enjoyable three weeks holidays in Japan, one has mixed feelings. Obvious comparison of such a highly developed country like Japan with India is unfair. However, two features have left a strong lasting impression on me. First, the unbelievable personal hygiene and almost fanatical sense and obsession to keep the environment spotlessly clean and without any litter. Waste management and cleanliness at a National level is at completely another stratospheric grade. The second major aspect is the politeness, courtesy and service orientation of all, particularly, hospitality industry people. Absolutely no expectations from the customer. No Tipping AT ALL. By mistake if you leave change at the table the waitress will run after you to return the same to you. Service with a Smile.
Back home, the cacophony of noises, rush, the pollution, confusion and chaos is so familiarly welcome. But the real news was the unbelievable rescue of 41 miners trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in the Himalayas. Tragedy of 41 human lives trapped over a gut-wrenching 400 hours, the engineering and human skills, triumph of life over disaster and knowledge over fatalism. The incredible side story was the success of the 12 member Rat-Hole miners team who maneuvered the last 18 metres, where all technology and sophisticated machinery had failed. This team worked within a 80cms pipe using chisel, shovels and gas cutters to remove iron girdles and hard rocks and tying a wet cloth over their nose to cope with breathlessness from clouds of dust within the narrow pipe. Oofff… hats off to human endurance and the will to help humanity at great personal sacrifice. Kudos to the Team.
As a nation, whilst we all can rejoice at the happy ending, hope all necessary policies will be in place to ensure no such incident occurs again. Let’s resolve the honest way, the committed way, the SEEGOS way.