Appeasement of Minorities - An Old Ritual before elections begin...

Yesterday all across the media, the topic was appeasement of minorities. The way all political parties are trying to appease minority, noticeably Muslim community before elections is testimony of the fact that they don't have permanent ideology. The ideology which can help them win the seats, these parties quickly adopt them.

Rajnath Singh's - BJP Party Chief statement yesterday in which he has apologized to Muslim community is a glaring example of the same. BJP's emergence at the national level was based on his hardcore Hindutva issue. Every citizen of the country knows that. Babri Masjid demolition was architect and executed by senior-most members of the party and many of them still exists in the ranks of the party. So, few quetions that come to anyone's mind is :

1) What was that he was apologizing for? Is he apologizing for Babri Masjid demolition?

2) Is he ready to forego Ram Mandir issue for the sake of minority appeasement?

3) Does he feel that Gujarat riots was the fault of BJP core brass in the state?

I feel that such statements by Rajnath Singh indicates the growing nervousness in the party ranks on isolating Minority base due to Modi hardcore Hindu image. Or it may have done to create confusion in Muslim community and an attempt to divide Muslim voter base.

Similarly, one may look at Samajwadi Party methods of Minority appeasement. He make sure he wears skull cap at every event which covers Muslim community but when it comes to protection of any religion community, his govt has terribly failed, both pre as well as post Muzzafnagar riots. As a state govt, it was his duty to protect every innocent citizen, irrespective of majority / minority community.

Congress is another big loud mouthed protector of Minority communities. The current Congress party is the biggest failure when it comes to implementation of its patriarch Mahatama Gandhi's dream of a secular India where all communities live together and thrive. The Congress policies in past two decades from Mandal Commission to other measures has created several divisions among the religions and castes across the country.

But it is sad for this land is that citizens of this country still believe in them and follow them. They have been fooled so many times and no hope till now exists which can actually get India rid of this menace.

Jai Hind!!!

How much credit that organizers get for Auto Expo 2014?

My Letter to Auto Expo Organizers

Dear Organizers,

You must be delighted to know that Auto Expo this year has got exceptionally well response from the car lovers of India. The response must have made you feel proud to be associated of being a part of this event. Though, one question which I would like to put in front of you is whether you deserve all the accolades as Organizers???

As organizers, your responsibility or your success parameters are how good people feel as they come and watch this grand event? Sadly though, most of the good memories that one is carrying is not about good management of the event but only cars which I saw in the event.

There were several major gaps in the overall management of this event, right from traffic jams due to improper planning for transport, too expensive food, unhygienic conditions around food stalls, dusty parking lanes and most of all, ticket booking!!! Why on the earth, I again need to go to Booking Counter, if I have already booked tickets online.

Well, let me share my experience as events unfolded.

Commuting / Transport

I came by my own car to visit Auto Expo on Saturday and reached Greater Noida in no less than 1 hours time from South Delhi (around 12 noon). 3 Kms before the event place, I encountered a huge jam which took me more than 1.5 hrs to cover. The reason for jam was the improper traffic management. As you take left from the express way, the parking was another 400-500 metres away crossing the entire venue. Making things worse, cars were illegally parked around the main road, congesting traffic lanes further, yet nobody bothered to prevent such thing at the first place or nobody to bring cranes and take out the illegal parking cars (though I have seen cranes moving around, but they were doing failed to enthuse after seeing those illegally parked cars).

Another example of improper planning was the bus stand which was before the car parking area. Thus, the buses which were bringing visitors had to stop to unboard passengers and again you see two left lanes permanently blocked, further hampering the vehicle movement. Anyways, phase-I of my event got over in 1.5 hrs as I reached the parking area.

Dusty Parking

As I reached Parking Area, I felt like I have come for a car rally!!!! The entire parking area was built on dry mud, which led to too much dust flowing in that area due to vehicle movement and windy conditions on Saturday. My wife, who is a bronchial patient, had a tough time crossing the parking lane. To your credit though, ample car parking space was available for such a huge public who was coming to Auto Expo.

Why I need to pick tickets again!!!

I booked my tickets for Auto Expo event through www.bookmyshow.com. As I have booked tickets online, why I am require picking tickets again? What is the benefit that you were providing to customers through online ticket booking? I feel that I have got “Zero” benefit from this process of yours. Anyways, I had to go to bookmyshow counters to get the tickets. It took me 1 hour to get the actual ticket!!!!!!! “Why I have to spend 1 hr. when I have already booked tickets???” Further things worse, the area was full of dust. Buses unboarding people on the road adjacent to counters increasing pollution and the entire family had to just stand in the open and face it for visiting Auto Expo. As organizers, you have the privilege of not going such ordeal and that is why you won’t understand the problems of standing in the open either under the full sun / rain waiting to get the tickets, WHICH YOU HAVE ALREADY BOOKED!!!! Anyways, this second phase got over in 1 hr.

Finally thanks to your management, it took me 2.5 hrs. to enter the Auto Expo, which otherwise should not be more than 15 mins. So at 2:30 in noon, I was finally inside the venue with my wife. Being a noon time, we thought of having lunch before we go inside the pavilions. And where starts the next ordeal!!!

So So Expensive Food and Dusty Environment

I can share pics, if you need of the swarm of people in and around eating area. Such was the fuss that people were sitting on the carpet and having food. No proper tables or sitting space was provided to the visitors, except 2-3 which were always occupied. And most importantly food prices!!!! Was prices of the food was made expensive intentionally as you were aware that visitors have no choice but buy food from those stalls only. How on the earth would you feel having a Thali for Rs. 500 and eating it in the open dusty environment and that too sitting on the carpet!!!

Atleast in Pragati Maidan, you have the options to go to nearby places like C.P / Pandara Road to have food. At Greater Noida, you are almost stuck!!! And hence, you have no other option but to buy food at extra ordinary prices… On an average, a person buying 300 Rs. Ticket has to spend equal amount on itself to fill its stomach and that too by sitting in open air space where dust is flowing and sitting on carpet!!!!!

Well, the remaining part of my visit was good. The pavilions were good. The show was really awesome and I had a good time inside the pavilions.

I, as a visitor, will most likely remembering the great cars which I saw in Auto Expo, but sorry to say, will also remember the quality of hospitality received from the event organizers… I feel that lot of changes are required in the management of such an event.

Do Google, find out some case studies and event models of great events organized in the past and try to take few ideas from those. Don’t just make such events a great money generating event. Nobody minds profitability, but not at the cost of customer dis-satisfaction, please always remember that…

Thanks

Mayank Jhanji

(E) – mayank.jhanji@gmail.com