Why Are Netas Always Late? MLA’s Showing Up Late for World Yoga Day Session Fume Yoga Enthusiasts
Mangaluru: When you see an invite on your email or WhatsApp or open and read an invitation sent or handed over to you, and if you notice the chief guest or guest of honor and someone assigned to preside over the function is a NETA/POLITICIAN, expect the function to start late? Coming LATE to functions/events has been a trend here for the Chief Guests, especially the ‘NETAS’ (POLITICIANS) -who go by Indian Standard Time or Indian Stretchable Time (IST)? and for them, It’s Like: ‘Oh, It’s Ok If We’re An Hour Late’! The person who invited us and Invitees will wait? Bah humbug!
Why even bother to invite these chief guests who can’t arrive in Time. And the bad part is that about 90% of the events that take place in and around Mangaluru, the politicians are the chief guests/Guests of honor- and 99% of the time they are late for the occasion. We all have experienced it in the past and experiencing it even now. Last year when minister Ramanath Rai was the chief guest was at the ‘World Elders’ Day” celebrated at DK Zilla Panchayat Hall on 4 October- the program which was supposed to start at 10 am, commenced at around 11.45 pm, since Rai came nearly 2 hours late- and the best part is that he walked into the hall so cool, didn’t even apologize for the delay, nor gave reasons for the same. This “late” incident was covered in many print media, and also in our website -hoping that it would bring a change in the habit of our “late Kate” Netas?
Apart from minister Ramanath Rai, the other two netas who follow in the footsteps of Rai are U T Khader and Moideen Bawa- but at least they have a quick excuse to give when they stand in front of the microphone- but Sirs, apologies accepted, but you made us WAIT? Oh well. And most of the time the one reason for being late since they had to attend another function. But why agree to be a guest at two places, when you know that you probably or WILL be late for the next event? Being late and delaying stuff has been part of growing up for all of us here in Mangaluru, as well as India. Seriously, it is disheartening to see many Indians regardless of education, cast, creed and other exceptions are always delaying things. The irony is that we are very consistent throughout every sector in being late and procrastinating things and more often than not being proud of it. A time sustained joke “Indian Standard Time” is what we all grew up with. For years and years, we have heard, laughed and repeated the humor behind the words ” India Standard Time”.
Let’s call it ‘IST’ here. We accept it as a matter of fact and do not seem to feel embarrassed about it. For us punctuality is such a harsh term, we restrict it only to schools and army. Rest of the outings and appointments are run along IST. Each and every Indian has observed and commented, “Oh these Indians! They are always late “. Almost each and every Indian has maintained the features of the cultural trait IST, regardless of how busy their life is, how well traveled they are or to which part of the world they have migrated. Yet, when it is time to ridicule we have the propensity to refer Indian as “they”. How smart?
Reaching late at an event was a habit we grew up with. We just accepted the events to start late – wedding parties or just any get together did not have the constraints of time as we see today. It was an accepted fact that none of us complained about. It was a casual joke we laughed with insouciance as a ‘time pass story’. So, why I am writing this article about it? Because the casual joke of Indian Standard Time is always not funny and following the saying, ” Better late than never” is not funny either. Oh yes! Politicians-All of us criticizes them. And why not, after all, they set the example for us. They are the one who keeps a congregation of hundreds or thousands of people having to just wait before their dramatic arrival – the terminology here in the word ‘time’ is an abstract form. It is never interpreted as punctuality. Whether it’s showing up at a function in time or implementing the promises in a manifesto or setting up infrastructure in rural India delays are ubiquitous.
And the recent example- the program “World Yoga Day” celebration organized by the Dakshina Kannada district administration at Town Hall, Mangaluru. The program was supposed to start at 8 am sharp, unfortunately, commenced at 8.50 am- and you know why? This was owing to the late arrival of D. Vedavyasa Kamath, MLA, Mangaluru City South, and Y. Bharath Shetty, MLA, Mangaluru City North. Yoga enthusiasts from seniors, to middle-aged to youngsters, had already by 7.00 am and the hall was full by 7.30 a.m. Among those who arrived early included personnel from the Karnataka State Reserve Police, the Home Guards, students from AYUSH Colleges, and members of the Patanjali Yoga Partistana.
Even Yoga teacher Gopalakrishna Delampady was ready at the venue with his students and trainees by 7.30 a.m. But the organizers continued to wait for both the MLA’s,as if their presence was more important than making these yoga enthusiasts wait. The question everyone asked was if our elders can follow a strict time schedule, why can’t our politicians? Everyone in the audience was losing patience, they were grumbling, cursing and what not, for making them wait. One thing I don’t understand is that our netas follow most of the Western styles/habits, but don’t follow the strict time schedule? Is there any solution for this, I guess only Indian Scientists have to find one?
After 45 minutes late, both MLA’s arrive at 8.50 am, which was followed by an inaugural session, which made the yoga enthusiasts more fuming- and in the meantime, yoga instructor Delampady began the yoga session as MLA Kamath was talking to media channels in the hall. The delayed start had its effect with several enthusiasts leaving the venue as Delampady began the session, and unfortunately, He had to cut short the yoga session. MLA Kamath giving the reason for being late was due to three other yoga sessions prior to the one at Town Hall. An officer from the District Administration said they had to wait for the two MLAs as there were no instructions to go ahead with the session in their absence.
As reported by my fellow journo, “I did ask them to go ahead with yoga session instead of a formal inauguration program, but the organizers didn’t hear,” said Kasturi Panja, vice-president of the Zilla Panchayat, who was among the earliest to come to the venue. “We cannot make changes to the way it’s conducted,” an official said. As a journo covering many events for a few years, I have experienced that where the presence of our Netas are involved, every such event has started late, to be frank. So why even bother to have these politicians who can’t keep their time? Another thing is that, after they come late, they want to give their speech, so that they can leave early for another event- this messes up the whole agenda of the event.
Being late is considered offensive and irresponsible and rightly so. Our habit of not respecting time has made us insensitive to time. Politicians and other administrators exploit this habit and procrastinate realizing that we are used to it. Many of you may ask me why the heck am I always supporting the American way of lifestyle and manners being an Indian. Why not? There is no American, European or Indian in following manners-we all are human beings and most of us are educated, from a decent family and God fearing. As Indians when we copy American way of living, lifestyle, fashion, music, etc etc, then why not copy American ways of manners, especially keeping “TIME”.
If religious personalities like-Rev Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha-the Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese, Swami Ekagamyanandaji and Swami Jithakamandaji -the Heads at Ramakrishna mission, and Assayyid Fazal Koyama Thangal Konrath-the Khazi of Ullal Dargah and Masjid, can come in TIME for functions, why not our Netas? I think it’s time to add punctuality to Indian Standard Time – we need to specify the time to be little more punctual. Respect for time should be our idea of Indian Standard Time (IST). Grow up India, it’s not uber-cool to be late! And this is a message, especially to our Netas? “Don’t make us wait for your prior commitments/engagements”- Thank You!.
