VALUED VALUES



Last year I decided to go to Thailand on a pleasure trip during my winter vacation. I along with my wife, with a distinct and ecstatic feeling of going abroad for the first time reached the international air port well before the schedule departure time of our flight. I got busy in currency conversion formalities at one of the counters there in the lounge of the airport itself. Finding the value of my currency almost at the bottom of the digital display board showing respective values of currencies of different nations, I felt disappointed and curious as to what makes the value of my country’s currency even lower than the currency of a tiny nation like Thailand whose economy is primarily based on tourism, night life and licensed sex practices.
 The Indian co passengers in the plane showed their extreme amazement at my wife accompanying me to a place like Thailand. Earlier also the friends suggested me to go to that place alone if I really wanted to ‘enjoy’ that place and its pleasures. They all seemed not interested at all in the beautiful coral beeches and islands of that country. Only one thing hovered over their minds so heavily that they were not ready to rise above that. I just shrugged and laughed off their suggestions. I stayed and enjoyed my stay in that country and brought back home many cherished memories. The question regarding lower status of the value of Indian currency hovered over my mind and continued itching me.
On our way back, seated next to me was an American gentleman visiting India for the first time. Our mutual curiosity to know about each other’s country got us in conversation mode and made us to know many unknown facts. To my amusement and amazement, he enquired about the ‘Patiala Peg’ which is famous even in USA. I told him that Patiala is a name of a famous town in Punjab. His instant reaction to that was-“the people of that town might be heavy drinkers hence the Patiala peg”. I told him that no doubt Patiala peg denoted a heavy and large peg but it has been named so after the big and large hearted people of Punjab. The large peg matches perfectly not only the big hearts of the people but the vast and vibrant culture of this state too.
Our flight was denied permission to land at Delhi airport due to foggy conditions and after flying over the airport for some time the flight was finally diverted to Lucknow where we landed at 11 PM. The whole night we were in the aircraft. The weather had cleared in the morning at Delhi but due to certain other hassles of permitted flying hours of the crew and fuel filling formalities we were not allowed to take off for Delhi. The inconvenience started brewing up with the passage of time and repeated requests started pouring in the pilot’s cabin for doing the needful to get us back to Delhi. The Lucknow airport officials seemed totally indifferent and behaved as if some unwanted guest has arrived at odd hours. They blatantly showed their helplessness. The passengers were not even allowed to have a stroll outside to stretch the stiff limbs. It was around 12-30 Pm now and nothing positive and hopeful seemed to be coming out. Suddenly the American sitting next to me appealed in a loud voice to the crew, that American Embassy officials should be informed that an American citizen is going through this ordeal for the last 15-16 hours. He was confident that within half an hour action will follow. He uttered these words with such conviction that the passengers instead of approaching the crew started making requests to that American fellow to pursue the matter as requests to Indian airport officials seemed to be falling on deaf ears. The helplessness and that too on Indian soil was pinching me badly. I asked myself why not I have same trust and faith in my country’s system and administrative machinery. The value and power of mutual faith and trust of a nation and its nationals generate many more valued things along with the country’s name higher on the currency value chart.
I started getting answers to all my silent queries regarding the value of my currency and hoped that the trust and bond with my country gets lifted from slogans, rhetoric speeches, self proclaimed whims along with the value of currency of my valued nation.
SANJEEV TRIKHA. Associate Prof.

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