When Violence Is The Only 1 Resort – Why The Government Should Pay Attention

In January this year, the news of a man slapping a Delhi-Goa bound Indigo flight pilot became viral, with the audience divided on whether it was the right thing to do or not.

Flight 6E2175, intended to depart at 7:40 AM initially, was delayed by 10 hours, with the reason cited as bad weather, causing visibility problems. It is common for flights to be delayed in winter. What is uncommon and intolerable, however, is the acute mismanagement of a regular-occurring issue by Indigo.

The boarding was delayed and finished by 12:40 PM owing to the bad weather. The professionalism commands that once boarded, the flight should depart on time. However, the airline made the passengers sit in a captivity-like situation for almost 5 hours, leaving them without refreshments and proper information.

A passenger, at around 3 PM, walked to the pilot when he was announcing a further delay and slapped him. It was recorded in a video, which went viral on social media soon. While some people sympathized with the man, most believed that violence was never an option and that the accused should be punished appropriately.

While it is true that violence is not an answer to deal with such problems, what option is an ordinary person left with when no other solution seems to work?

Access To Basic Services – An Ordeal

The residents of Delhi, the capital city of India, have been struggling to find an early spot in the queue for water tankers. The city has been facing an acute shortage of water for the past few weeks, which has led to an overreliance on water tankers.

Multiple letters have been written to the DMC (Delhi Municipal Board), but no concrete, immediate solution or action plan has been initiated. The authorities say that the city’s underground water reservoirs have depleted by over 40%, which has led to a situation like this.

Delhi Jal Board has informed that the water plant in Wazirabad has not been running to its full capacity due to insufficient raw water. 

This problem can arise in more than one day. The reports that underground water levels in Delhi have been fast depleting have been around for years now. People, especially government authorities, are aware of the water problems that envelop the city. However, no timely action was taken due to sheer incompetence and neglect. 

A proper, well-laid action plan, along with flawless execution, could have mitigated this issue, which is now making the life of a common person absolutely miserable. 

In response, a blame game between the center and the state government is going on, where one party is blaming the other for this. Amidst all this, the only party suffering is the common citizens of the city – the ones who trusted the government with providing basic facilities.

When all cries for help go unnoticed, and citizens are left without basic services, what option do they have if not to take matters into their own hands?

Violence is not an answer, but what is a person left with when all other answers are left unheard and unchecked? Eventually, a person demands attention by hook or by crook.

Delays In Judiciary – No Respite For Common People

Law is said to be the strongest of weapons and the strongest shield that a civilian has against authorities who can misuse the power they are granted. The legal system is partial and protects the rights of the citizens, so it is said.

In the Supreme Court, the average closing time of a case, from initiation in trial courts to final disposal, is approximately 13.5 years. In consumer courts, just the first hearing of the case can take three months to 1 year and over a decade to close.

Take a scenario here. A citizen who filed a case in the court when they were 20 years old may have to appear for it until they turn 30 or even 40. What is the probability that in the span of a decade or more, they would remain in the same city or have the capacity to appear in a court every time the date arrives?

A person relocates, starts a family, goes through personal ups and downs, and may even leave the country by the time a judgment is passed. For most people who are struggling with regular work-life balance, this added effort is just not worth the reward.

Being scammed or cheated by the corporation and not doing anything about it often seems more convenient. Those who decide to pursue the legal route nevertheless have to pay a lot of costs, not just monetary, but also in terms of time, mental peace, efforts, and opportunity cost. Ultimately, the compensation awarded to the person does not seem worth the effort.

The dent on the companies, in such cases, is so minuscule that it hardly impacts them at all. Paying a small fine from crores of profits or attending court cases is not a big deal for corporations as they have mechanisms in place for this.

This saga is not just about consumer courts; it is also about everywhere. It took the landmark Nirbhaya gangrape case 8 years to finally conclude. The eight horrifying years for the victim’s family and loved ones.

Hence, even though the judiciary exists for the benefit of people, the system is such that it is already too late by the time the person can enjoy those benefits. Too much damage is already caused. Often, the waiting becomes too long and unbearable, and it seems easier to take matters into one’s own hands.

One month ago, a family in Raipur was put behind bars for killing and hanging the guy’s corpse, who allegedly molested their daughter, to a tree. Violence was the only option that seemed viable to them.

Last year, the mother of a girl who a man had raped uncovered how the rapist faked his death, and the authorities sided with the accused. The court case was closed when a fake certificate was presented. Nobody thought of doing a detailed check except the victim’s mother.

The case was then reopened, and eventually, the accused was given a sentence of 14 years in prison, and the victim’s mother received INR 30,000 in compensation. A mother had to take matters into her own hands to uncover the truth because the authorities showed incompetence. This is the unfortunate reality that envelops the country.

Unemployment – Causing Difficulties For Everyone

As every major country in the world is dealing with the problem of a falling population, India has an edge to make use of its immense young population and achieve unprecedented growth. However, this population, which could very well be a blessing, becomes a curse because there are no proper opportunities for the youth to put their time and skills to use. 

The International Labour Organization (ILO) releases its India Employment Report. The 2024 report mentions how the youth unemployment rate, i.e., those not in the workforce from the age 15-29, has been on the increase, from 5.6% in 2000 to 6.2% in 2012, and then increasing threefold to nearly 18 percent in 2019.

The percentage of unemployed young people, even after having a secondary or higher education, has increased by almost two times – from 35.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022. In fact, the problem of unemployment is more prevalent among the educated class, as they struggle to find appropriate jobs.

A 23-year-old girl who studied meticulously in school to get good grades for admission to a premier college and then pursued her Master’ as well struggles to get a job as she enters the job market. She spent money, time, and effort in achieving her goals, which she thought would land her a good-paying job.

In the end, when that does not happen, frustration and anger are natural emotions that she would experience. She would be resentful of the system and authorities.

The number of vacancies in government jobs has not increased in sync with the population increase. More and more students are competing for seats.

High Taxes

A salaried employee in India earning above INR 15 lacs falls in the income tax slab of 30%. For a family of four, INR 15 lacs is the basic minimum requirement these days. Soaring food and energy inflation has put pressure on everyone’s pockets.

Assume this scenario. A software engineer working for 10 hours a day in a company and drawing a humble salary. He gets his yearly increment of 6% (which is the usual in most companies), due to which he now falls in the higher income tax bracket. So, his salary increase is accompanied by a tax increase. However, inflation also occurred at the rate of 6%, due to which his effective income is the same.

Nevertheless, he has to pay higher taxes, leaving him with less money. This is how an honest taxpayer is forced into a higher tax bracket, which earns the government more revenue but burns a hole in the taxpayer’s pocket.

The government should ideally factor in inflation, but it doesn’t. Its impact has to be borne by citizens. Policymakers are well aware of it but do not take any concrete action.

Low ROI On Taxes

Despite paying taxes on time and in full, the people do not enjoy the immediate tax benefits. Hard-earned tax money is spent on bailing out failed corporations (recently, the government has been investing heavy sums in bailing out Vodafone), in unjustified funding to influential and powerful people, and on consumption expenditures that do not yield long-term benefits.

Even though the share of capital expenditure has increased in recent years, it still remains disparagingly low.

The public transport facilities, condition of roads, water, health, and social infrastructure remain in a sorry state.

Income Inequality

In 2022-23, the top 1% received 22.6% of the national income, the highest level since 1922. It even surpassed the inter-war colonial period when income inequality was especially high.

In 2022-23, the wealth proportion of the top 1% was 40.1%, the highest level since 1961.

The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. The policies unfavorably favor the influential and wealthy. It is a middle-class person who remains stuck in the loop of meeting his basic needs and earning a meager salary.

Even though the GDP growth of the nation has been phenomenal, and we are now the fifth largest nation in the world in terms of economy, the on-ground situation is much more grim. 

A staggering 55% of the population has to rely on government welfare programs for basic needs such as food and shelter. 

All the added wealth benefits those few on the top of the pyramid, while those at the bottom are stuck with crumbs and leftovers.

Inflation

In 2023, the inflation touched the 6.95% mark. The global turmoil has been putting supply chain pressures, which is increasing the prices of goods and services to a point where it has become unaffordable.

The salary rises are hardly in sync with inflation. People effectively make the same amount as they do when they start their jobs. For example, consider a person who joined the job in 2020 at a salary of INR 50,000 and is now making INR 75,000 – INR 80,000. In absolute numbers, the salary has increased, but the simultaneous inflation has increased the prices of goods, too. The effective salary remains the same or even lower in some cases.

There seems to be no policy to protect people against inflation. No framework has been established by the government.

The Happiness Index Is Low In India

After having listed all these things (non-exhaustive), it is no surprise why the happiness index in India remains so low year after year.

The ‘State of Happiness Report 2023’ mentioned how 35% of Indians are unhappy post-COVID pandemic. A drop of 3% in positive emotions has been reported. A year prior, it was 70%, which was reported to be 67%. 

According to the report, 20% of the Indian populace is experiencing hardship in 2023, a significant increase from 12% in 2021.

Financial pressures, workplace woes, societal issues, rising loneliness and isolation, and economic uncertainties were cited as the major reasons. The study also found that these indicators are high in the student population, which is those who are just entering the workforce. 

It is no surprise that the cost of education has increased so much in recent years. The low probability of getting a job after such heavy investments does exacerbate negative emotions.

Additionally, 63% of the population is experiencing hardship, a significant increase from 49% in the previous year. Conversely, only 17% of Indians perceive themselves as flourishing, a decrease from 39% in the previous year.

When World Happiness Report 2022 came out, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Hunger Rank: 101, Freedom Rank: 119, Happiness Rank: 136. But we may soon top the hunger and anger charts.”

A report that studied the aggression levels in the youth in major Indian cities over two years found that 80% of the young people in India are angry.

When Violence Seems Like the Only Option

People know the legal consequences of violence, and many still choose to do it nevertheless. People take matters into their own hands when the authorities meant for their protection fail them.

So, yes, a passenger slapping the Indigo flight person was wrong, but did Indigo listen to the cries of the passengers? Indigo did not have the basic courtesy to provide refreshments. The staff was incompetent and disregarded people’s time.

No proper information was provided to people about the flight departure. Deboarding could have happened when the onboard crew knew that the flight departure would take time.

It should be a wake-up call for the authorities and the corporations to not push people to their extreme limits.