As I watched on TV screen the
harrowing scenes of flyers stranded in the airports across the country as one
airline brought the country on its knees I was reminded of the Farmer’s protest
of the 2020.
In September 2020 the Govt passed
three farm laws at remarkable speed, with the promise of market efficiency,
farmer empowerment, and supply-chain reform. Farmers feared that the new private
mandis and contract farming systems would weaken the APMC structure and hollow
out the Minimum Support Price regime over time. They wanted legal backing of
the MSP. They argued that without statutory protection, MSP will remain a
policy promise—not a guaranteed right. But the govt didn’t oblige. Farmers
across Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan and
Maharashtra rejected the laws and started protest. The Govt initially
downplayed the protest as “Politically Motivated”. As farmers marched
towards Delhi in the harsh cold winter of November, Delhi borders were turned
into fortresses with barricades, barbed wires, and trenches.
Internet was shut down and water cannons and tear gas was
used. The state treated it as a law-and-order issue and not a policy
disagreement. State aligned TV anchors in their warm studios and IT cell trolls
behind their masked identities branded the farmers as “anti-nationals.” Initially
Govt did not even want to meet the famer’s associations. But when the protest
persisted, they finally decided to hold talks. Eleven rounds of negotiations
took place without granting any real concession—except a written assurance that
MSP would continue, without legal backing. Tens of thousands of farmers lived
continuously in open tents and slept on tractor trolleys on
Delhi’s borders for 378 days — through extreme winter when the
temperature dipped to 4-degree, peak summer with temperature rising to
45 degrees and unrelenting monsoon. Many of those farmers were between
50 and 70 years old. Over 700 farmers lost their lives during the protest. And
yet it took 378 days and the impending fear of losing the UP and Punjab election forced the govt to
finally take notice and the Prime Minister announced the repeal of the Farm
laws.
Cut to the winter of 2025. To
ensure passenger safety and to provide enough rest and recuperation to the
flight crew in 2019 DGCA started reviewing India’s outdated flight duty norms
after global safety pressures. In 2023 it finalized the new FDTL (flight duty
time limitation) rules. These rules sharply reduced: Permissible night
flying hours, consecutive night landings, duty limits and increased mandatory
rest periods. This was done to increase passenger safety and to adhere to
global standards. To avoid industry shock, the rollout was phased through 2024
and 2025. This should have given enough time to airlines like Indigo to hire and
train the required pilots and crew and to realign their roaster. Yet Indigo chose
to almost nothing. And when the regulation kicked in it started cancelling
thousands of flights—flights for which it had already sold tickets—fully aware
that it lacked the crew to operate them. Millions of passengers were stranded
in airports across the country without any information, accountability, or
assistance. They writhed inside the chaotic airports like livestock. Some were
flying to meet ailing family members, some to meet friends and family, some for
wedding and some for funeral. Some were toddlers, some octogenarians. But
Indigo did not owe its paying customer anything except a fake apology that came
two days later. Because it dominates Indian Sky with 65 % market share and with
those cold unpalatable sandwiches that it sells at exorbitant prices.
The Govt stepped in almost instantly. The Indigo top brass was summoned. The civil aviation minister kept the country updated by posting photo after photo, with his face plastered all over, sitting in cozy room and “reviewing” the operation. Quickly the FDTL orders issued by the DGCA were placed in abeyance. One airline had effectively held an entire country—and an apparently powerful government—to ransom. Other airlines joined the “fun” to make some quick buck. DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation shared toothy smiles as consumers ended up paying through their teeth.
Thank God this time it did not take
378 days. No one questioned Indigo’s credentials. No one held it criminally
accountable. No one called any of these airlines an anti-national carrier. Not
a single head rolled – neither in Indigo nor DGCA, nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Now it’s back to business.
Holiday season for airlines. Time to squeeze consumers even harder. The Indigo
farmers of the yore must be having a bitter laugh somewhere in the sky—either
reminiscing about colonial exploitation or realising that not much has changed
in 150 years except the colour of the rulers. Even Minister Naidu may be
enjoying a hearty brunch or those cold sandwiches ushering in the festive
season.
Hail India. Happy Festive Season!
