On Tuesday, a video went viral on social media, showing a passenger singing a devotional song on Lord Ram and playing dholak in an IndiGo aircraft, as others joined him with clapping. However, this activity during the flight became a matter of safety concern.
About the incident
Recently, an undated video went viral on the internet, where a group of passengers were seen singing ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ bhajan while one among them was playing dholak (drum) placed in his lap, where other passengers also joined him.
Moreover, the video surfaced two weeks after the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. But there is no particular verification that the indigo flight’s destination was Ayodhya or some other place, according to the media sources. However, the airlines faced severe criticism for allowing such activity on the onboard flights.
IndiGo faced criticism
The IndiGo faces criticism not only from the passengers but also from social media users for allowing the man in the video to carry a dholak as cabin luggage. Some lashed out at the passengers and used demeaning words on the religion. Others called upon disturbing the peace of passengers and questioned whether the allowance of such things is there in the airline’s law or not.
Meanwhile, the passengers showed a mixed reaction to this incident. Some were seen enjoying, while some of them were concerned about their safety on the flight. Apart from this, the senior pilots and aviation safety experts even called it a ‘mass hysteria’, which should be completely avoidable during the flight.
The incident raises a safety concern
The incident of a group of passengers singing and playing dholak on an onboard flight has indeed raised potential safety concerns and stressed over loud singing and playing of musical instruments could potentially distract the crew members or the passengers during the crucial announcements or procedures.
Furthermore, playing certain instruments or excessive movement could cause a physical safety hazard during turbulence or other foreseen events. However, after receiving so much criticism on the airlines and concern over the safety of passengers, the airlines responded and stated about the policy.
IndiGo Airline’s responses to the incident
IndiGo airlines has not officially commented on the specific incident of passengers singing bhajan in the onboard flight. They have shared the policies of the airlines regarding the disrupting behaviour, and the regulatory context, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India sets regulations for passengers’ behaviour and activities inside the aircraft.
However, the singing incident of Tuesday can’t be assumed as disruptive behaviour as per the DGCA’s rules, which categorise unruly behaviour into three types- physically abusive, life-threatening and verbally abusive that could result in a ban on flying for three months or a lifetime. Also, it wouldn’t be easy for them to stop the religious activity even if they felt it was unsafe, as it might backfire or could hamper the image of the airlines, said one of the airline’s pilots.
Potential Repercussions
The potential repercussions vary on the severity of the incident, its impact on other passengers and the reactions of the public and regulatory bodies. So, IndiGo might go for the clarification of policies to avoid similar incidents, enhancement of crew training to handle such kinds of situations or engagement in open dialogues to understand the perspective and create an inclusive and respectful flying experience for everyone.
