Saturday, September 17, 2011

New Dawn

I walked into the Airtel store well prepared to wait for a long time. They seemed to have gone astray in the customer satisfaction of late. The last time I visited for a piece of information, I waited for 30-45 mins and all the customers next to me were people visiting second or third time for complaint redressal. Therefore, I was not expecting any thing better this time.

Today I watched patiently (waiting for my turn) the poor senior executive trying to satisfy each of those dissatisfied customers pouncing on him. He was switching between calls, pacifying the customers and escalating the issues. I kind of empathized with him.

Two of the customers, senior citizens to be more precise, flared up. They were completely justified in being indignant and called them all names.  One of them  was angry with every one, he scolded all including Anna Hazare and walked away shouting "India can never change". This is my tipping point. I could see the executive, helpless as he was, composed and doing his duty and trying to attend the other customers. A young man, just as I am, working hard in his own career with his own aspirations and ambitions.

The two of them symbolized two Indias for me; One still pessimistic (and may be rightly so) because there is so much that needs to change in this country and the other working at all odds to make things happen. I am not sure where will it all go. The times are exciting and important. Everyday seems to bring with it new challenges and therefore new excitement. I am sure that by the time I am walking with the help of a walking stick, it would have all changed; the nation will reach a state of equilibrium. It is very hard to tell whether that would be of prosperity or anarchy; and both of them seem to be equally probable to me. I only hope that I am/will be part of that group which wants to take India towards the former.

No comments: