WAITING TO HAPPEN

International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies defines a disaster as a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins.

Reworking differently on the definition by IFRC it can be said that a disaster is a sudden calamitous event that can have career threatening consequences for a lead functionary, blunting his own discretion thereby rendering him incapable of using his own resources. It invariably has command and control origins.

The Principal of the College where I began my career as a lecturer had called a meeting. The college had just completed the construction of  a hostel for its students. It was a long standing demand and a genuine need for  the students who would come to this well reputed college from far and wide. The principal was very charged up. He began by impressing upon

all the members of the faculty present, the short and long term benefits of this acquisition and how he wanted to mark its inauguration by hosting a gala event. There will be the usual speeches by distinguished invitees, a cultural extravaganza by the students and the concluding speech by the chief guest. He looked in my direction and told me to conduct the proceedings of the programme.  I was taken aback as I was one of the newest inductees  to the college staff and in a manner of speaking had never been tested for any of my capabilities in anchoring any event in the college.  How could he shortlist me then? The stern imploring in his voice was inescapable. So I started preparing my script for the event in the right earnest.

The D day arrived.

 As I arrived at the venue I found it was already filled up with a very large number of people who either had passed out of the college or parents of those who were studying currently. And there were members of the society who came to witness the event. The entry was free except that selected people had been invited specially. The program went off very well and I

thought I did a fairly good job in anchoring the show. But then the disaster nearly happened.

While coming to the venue I had seen a separate enclosure where arrangement for tea and snacks had been made. I was not aware that there were invitations for special invitees to tea. As the function concluded and I was making my final and kind of dramatic remarks on the occasion full of my 'great performance' I thought I will extend the invitation to tea for all those five to six thousand people! Right then a girl performer, perhaps exhausted and dehydrated fainted. A few of the faculty and fellow students rushed to her. The principal came rushing and while overseeing her revival told me to conclude quickly. I accordingly announced the closure of the event.

Later when I told the principal that I was about to make a general announcement for  tea, extending invitation to everyone present, he looked aghast. They had made no such arrangements for such a huge gathering. What chaos would have followed if I had announced it! 

A very very high security VVIP of a friendly neighboring country was the guest of honour at one of the convocations of Vishwabharati at Shantiniketan. Besides the recipients of their degrees, this event attracts a very large number of ex-ashramites and many members of general public to this much awaited annual event.

The police and administrative arrangements during the visit of such VVIPs is the utmost priority for the State government. Maximum attention is paid to all aspects of security, logistics and other related arrangements. There are usually no deviations from the fixed drill which for such occasions has been tried, tested and laid on ground over years.  Senior most officers available are in attendance both for protocol as well as to oversee the arrangements.

As per schedule the VVIP would arrive around 11 or so from Kolkata by a chopper and will be taken to Uttarayan, the complex where Rabindranath Tagore lived and where arrangement for her brief stopover and meeting with the University officials and other dignitaries would be made. She would have light refreshments and would leave for Amra Kunj for the official function.

Everything was going as per schedule and as planned. At the appointed hour she emerged from the building to board her car for Amra Kunj. It was oppressively hot as the mid-day sun was beating us down.

And then this happened.

As the VVIP was about to board her car, to everyone’s  shock and horror and against all the rules of VVIP security,  I heard a voice suggesting to her that she walk the distance from Uttarayan to Amra Kunj and she will enjoy the walk! It was the senior most bureaucrat representing the Government who protocol-wise had the privilege of audience with the VVIP earlier.

And it would be quite some distance from Uttarayan to Amra Kunj.

Everyone present there was petrified at the prospect of the VVIP walking on the road in utter disregard to the principles of VVIP security. Such move had no clearance from anywhere. And district police had not catered for such eventuality in their police arrangements. Even before anyone could intervene or remonstrate, the VVIP started to walk leaving her car and convoy behind. Except for hurriedly providing a cover by a posse of uniformed policemen drawn from route lining, there was nothing much that could be done. While the VVIP was perspiring profusely on that hot and humid morning, the entire district administration had already broken in to a cold sweat.

At the end of what appeared to be an eternity, it turned out to be an uneventful walk but in total disregard to all the tenets of VVIP security. Later when we remonstrated with this senior officer, his only explanation was that he had no idea of distance between the two locations!

Daniel Kahneman is an Israeli-American psychologist, notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, as well as behavioral economics, for which he was awarded the 2002 Nobel in Economic Sciences  In 2011, his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, which summarizes much of his research, was published and became a best seller.

Kahneman has demonstrated that ignorance increases confidence levels !