Rafi Ali Khan

'The Kingdom on the Brink: An unCaNNy Presentation

I had eagerly waited to watch this program ever since the ads "The Kingdom on the Brink - a CNN Presentation" started to run on CNN during the last few days of the American 2004 elections. And like most programs that I intent to watch, I was sure I would miss this one as well. Incidentally that was not to be the case. I caught up with the program at the said time and watched it till the end. The documentary sadly to say, has a skeptical and pessimistic approach and to can it right it was a uncanny presentation, which is not what you would call responsible journalism. Do we viewers have a choice any more? The ads building the curiosity of an explosive story waiting to be told to a country which chooses freedom of electing their leader, of a kingdom where people had no such freedom. When CNN talks about the brink, we are expected to believe on a horizon, people with stubbed urges and the want to cross-over, which demanded world viewership (but sadly it was a one directional perspective). The story of the yet another oppressed people by its own government, who can only find a voice with the most powerful news media in the world and hope to be heard.

I sat there in the office apartment at downtown Chicago and watched as the story unfolded on TV. In the light of the american adventure at the voting booths (this time around) on November 2nd 2004, I could relate to how media & journalism plays a drumbeat role and yet not necessarily being heard by its audience. The king makers of the media can not really touch the emotional side of the American people which voted Bush back into term. The controversial interviews and debates between vocal opposites created pyrotechnics on the screen. In most cases concluding that it was up to the viewers to choose their perspective on issues while all through the news channels chose to voice aloud the perspective of a single party as the news channels themselves accord loyalty towards democrats or republicans.

Its no surprise that it did not go down to change the minds of the American people? Were they bound by beliefs that they have always voted republican or democrat and would continue to vote republican or democrat? They would go on to support the small big boy from Texas, cause he was the one being pushed against the wall for being, saying and doing what every American wanted after 9/11. In hindsight, Bush was a big mistake, a folly, a misadventure that America had borne for 4 years. Wasn’t it time America got a fresh start or then again was it time to give the rash boy from Texas a fresh start. Truly, it speaks volumes of the compassion of the American people to concord and stand up for its president.

I’m not an anti Bush, a pro Kerry or an independent supporter. Maybe that is what gives me a clear view to see all sides of the story. I did not get carried away by the republicans, the democrats nor develop sympathy for Nadir who seemed insignificant with no political cloud backing him up and brushed away unheard in this land of opportunity. It is not necessarily true that this is the land of opportunity or is it best said, the land of the opportunist. The republicans took every opportunity to taint the democrats and vice versa. The media did not bother the American people with knowing more about who the independents were since they didn’t deem them high profile and worthy of American viewership or their own air time and advertisement benefits and that’s also a canny truth. The day America chooses a capable independent candidate as her president, will I and the world be truly convinced that it is freedom and not money power or political divide that influences America at the voting booth.

What does this have to do with Saudi Arabia? Well just that the documentary and the presenter spoke only to the democrats of the kingdom who cant sit well with the republican rule. But truly amazing is that the documentary is in parts a factual representation of the country we only knew as the birth place of Osama bin laden and the breeding ground of Muslim extremists. What astonishes me is that this is a recycle of other perspective story-telling similar to the ones aired before on Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria or Libya. How can the American media put negative perspectives to its audience while America considers Saudi Arabia today, as in the past Iraq, an ally? Is this not dirty standard on the part of American media, to speak ill of a friend nation, and if not, do tell us the story of why America politically acknowledges the country as an ally. Political gains do definitely take precedence over social misdoings when America’s monetary interests are concerned.

Are the motive and the truth so distractively apart or is it tasked by the political scenario or judgemental reporting as need be. The documentary makes believe that the country is run by villainous characters that do not oblige to speak on camera like when (then) prince Abdullah turned you away as if he has something to hide. But when the foreign affairs minister prince Faisal who is the man friday for such tasks sits down to chat with CNN, speaking to him appeared insignificant to the most powerful media’s journalist. In all fairness, (then) prince Abdullah was born into the job and not obliged to give comments to media, when there are others given the responsibility.

In America there are over 50 million people who are oppressed and do believe that the government in power should not exist. But there are 56 million who believe it should. See how easy the balance can turn when you put both perspectives together. A single standing percentage will comprehend to the common mind, the republican mind, the democratic mind, the human mind, the free mind, that there can be opposition without oppression. Opposition is only equal to oppressed in the minds that seek to create it. So have 50 million Americans been oppressed, and another 100 million who did not vote, too scared to do so? Give us the whole picture. Almost 50% of Americans did not vote, they did not seem to care who was at the center, given a chance to make a difference, they still don’t care. Which is in fact true of people all around the world, whether you call it dictatorially ruled or under monarchies. In India about 300 million people don’t vote. Pakistan, an American ally is under military rule and US condemn it but overlooks it as a no matter. Double standards only mean hypocrisy. They simply don’t care as it does not affect them and no nation and its politics is ever free of corruption.

Knowing America and knowing an American are two different things, and a large majority of Americans are genuinly good people and the same inference should be allocated to other countries and country men. The notorious behavior of Hitler during the world war does not speak of the characters of the Germans and nor does the Neo Nazis speak of individual Germans.

The voice of the Saudi teen in the documentary who if he walks up to a girl (who for all reason may feel harassed by him) and the fact that the religious police in the country took him aside and reprimanded him be the gut of the report. Americans value culture and so too should the culture of closed societies where respect for the other person is to strictly to keep your hands to yourself and not see whether it can get hold of another hand. These societies do encourage marriage but not courtship before marriage and they live happily ever after too. Why is this so difficult to comprehend? Does not the country of America have laws against adultery? But then the law has a hole which allows consenting adults to share the same bed, even though it may not be under wedlock. Moral issues are always high on American agenda this year of voting but the moral limits set aside by different cultures are different and does not necessarily constitute violation of living a happy life.

Saudi Arabia is no exception, the laws of the land have been laid down and death punishment by hanging or slicing of the throat seems much offensive when shown without the context for which the criminals are executed. The death punishment in America is to execute criminals in the gas chambers or by lethal injection. In every country innocents do suffer but that is just outright stupid to say that all are innocent. American jails are filled with criminals from rapist to murderers and condemning them to rot in jail for their crimes. A few of the convicted may truly be innocent but the facts were against them. In a closed society its difficult to get hold of the facts, but if facts be told, the trial must have been convened within the bounts of fair trial and not tarnished by political agendas. It must be mapped against the law of the country. If the law of the country says, you get a drunk ticket 3 times and your license will be cancelled, thats what it means. If the law of the country is, death to drug trafficker then thats the law. Does not the amerian law hold that "Ignorance is not the equivalent of innocence".

Also maybe the Americans should be told that Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world not to have any tax on their people. So what they earn they keep and the government does not take anything from them. They are left on their own as long as they keep to the laws of the land. If that’s not fair living what is? I am not a saudi but i still stand up to it, as i will stand up to the laws of america even though i am not an american. The truth is we must respect one another in the true sense and not despise one another. The democrats of the kingdom spoke and sadly there were no republicans interviewed to set straight the sufferings, but the uncanny truth is that we are all just victims of politics, not countries, not people but politics. The politics of the media, the politics of the people who can raise their voice and the politics of the power mongers.

"The king of good times", as their motto goes, so does the Airline. I have been flying since i was 6 years old (tagging on with my parents ofcourse) and have travelled on all domestic and a variety of international airliners (including European and US) over the past 23 years and i have never been more thrilled on any airlines, more so a domestic airline as i was when i flew down from Goa to Bangalore this summer on the KingFisher airline. I had flown down to Goa in an Air Deccan. The deccan is good in its own way, rates and hassle free online booking, sector connectivity, promt sms intimation on delays, cancellation, transfer etc. But i think it was just the contrast in the experience which must have accentuated the thrill i had when i flew back on the King. I dont believe that anyone needs to wait hand and foot on me to give me a good experience so even the bad news of flight delays by Air Deccan given with an apology is acceptable to me as i never travel on just-in-time trips. So sometimes even with a 4 hour delay i have never missed a meeting and that way they have transported me on time, everytime. Cost wise both ways on Air Deccan is lesser than one way on Indian Airlines (Bangalore-Trivandrum) and if i had taken ground transport (short sectors) at 3/4 the cost, it would have taken 12-14 hours to reach so a couple of hours knocked off at the airport is not so bad after all.

Getting back to the topic of my first experience with the King. I had flown down to goa in an Air Deccan which was delayed by 2 hours (intimated to us in the morning itself) for an afternoon flight and a 1 hour delay at the airport. The free seating on air deccan is quite interesting and i so far have never seen anyone fight for a seat. But the cabin was hot and we had to sit in the plane for 10 mins before it hit the runway and everyone had started to sweat because of the scorching heat outside on that particular friday afternoon. Everything else was smooth sailing and nothing to write home about.

On our way back, we had booked the King as it was falling in the same price range as the Air Deccan and wanted to check it out as well. The King also got delayed by 2 hours which we were intimated over phone, but that gave us time to have a no-rush lunch at the Bagga beach before heading for the airport. The minute we arrived at the airport and headed for the King Fisher counter, and identified as potential King Fisher travellers, the service begins. There were King’s men to help us with unloading the bags from the car. The lady at the counter was very courteous and handed us our e-tickets based on the PNR in a jiffy, we had excellent service and choice of seats at the check-in counter. We boarded an airbus with lavish designer color-coordinated interiors and the best part was that the cabin was chilled and sweet smelling; such a pleasure after 2 and half days of hot sweaty Goa sun. We were just amazingly glad that we had not booked our return on Air Deccan. (Also because that day’s Air Deccan we were told had got cancelled.)

But the experience just doesnt stop there. Every seat has inflight entertainment screen, we got a pouch with King Fisher goodies and a menu card on what was to be served onboard. The hostesses on our aisle were stunning; infact and i could see everyone around me had "Tamanna" in their eyes. Even my lady friend with me did not object to me admiring her beauty, though she asked me not to over do it. No, its not that i have a loose eyes (well sometimes) but maybe the sun got to me and if there is one thing that air travel has ensured in the past (and not excepting the early days of Air India & Indian Airlines) is the beauties that serve the travellers on their flight. Back then beauty was associated with Air hostesses and not "go-on become a model". Anyways, too much on that, lets just say they complimented the entire King Fisher charm. The captain apologised for the delay in the most honest sounding tone. The entertainment onboard kept us occupied till the choice of meals arrived and an hour and a half later landed at bangalore. It was one of the best experience i have ever had and standing up to both the Srilankan and the Emirates. (King Fisher did not win the Asia’s best new aircraft award for nothing)

All said, i dont intend to say everyone go jump on a King Fisher, as we indians are cost sensitive. So take the best route and the right price and if you can choose the King over the Pawns, then you can come back and tell everyone the good times you have had, flying onboard the King of Good Times.

Well i just want to pile up on all the other reviews (http://www.mouthshut.com/product-reviews/Hathway_Cable-925000334.html) on the pathetic service that Hathway provides. I thought it was an area problem but it seems people subscribing to Hathway from all over bangalore and other places face the same service, which is very disheartening especially coming from one of India’s early players to setup broadband internet services.

I had problems from the start. Hathway did not offer thier service in my sector (HSR Layout Sector-3) but promised they were starting their services from the 1st of Jan 2006. So i signed up in the begining of December after falling for the flyers placed in my mailbox. January came and nothing seemed to be moving, and after frantic calls to customer services, i was informed that i would now have to wait till February for the service to kick off. By March i was out of options but to wait it out for whenever it comes. I later learned that my friend who lives in the neighbourhood had got his connection; he had subscribed to it much later. Now, that told me atleast that the service had started in the area. So frantic calls to the manager, customer service, on an every day basis finally saw rewards and i got my connection towards the end of March. Was i relieved? Not for too long. The connection kept breaking and would not come back for several days to weeks and calls didnt make sense as i got the same standard replies. Why was i living up with such pathetic service? Just one answer, lack of other providers in the area. The day another vendor (even with a Pan wala sized shop opens up and says i will provide you internet, i am gonna go with them) and ditch Hathway for life.

The connection goes down every other week only to resurface for another couple of days before dying on me again. It was down again most part of June and the entire length of July. I called up and demanded very politely a refund on my account and cancel the service. She went "Please sir, please give us one more chance", i felt miserable having put her in such a state for her to feel harrassed and requesting for a chance (as if it were her fault). I assured her, i was not upset with her but only with the service and that Airtel broadband was arriving soon in the area and I only inteneded to switch players. "No sir, please, please give me one more chance", she went on. I said, sure take your chance. I shouldnt have melted then, i guess she is just trained to do so, or it may have been her first day on the job. Whichever, never melt is the moral of that story.

Finally August 2006 and repeated calls to the customer care (standard call center answers later) which i was not going to buy anymore, i told the customer care that unless he puts me on to his manager, i was not going to let him off the hook. I subscribe for a 6 month package and i have only used less than 30% of my account which shows how much ontime i have had in the past 4 months and 2 months to go before i have to pay for another 6 months package. If in 8 months (from january when they started offering service) they cannot stabilize a connection, then what good are they serving. Their department and primary bread and butter product (Broadband - internet) was taking a beating and they (customer services) kept giving out false promises that i would be contacted by their technical team in 30 mins. 30 days later and their 30 minutes didnt arrive, i demanded that i speak to a manager or supervisor. I dont pay Hathway to stick a cable through my window and place a modem on my desk. I pay for the green led against the "Online" to be lit up. He tells me to mail at "bangalorehelpdesk@..." I asked him if he was kidding me, i am not able to connect to the internet and he wants me to mail? From where? Knocking on my neighbours door wouldnt help, coz his connection was down as well. "If my phone is not working, how can you tell me, please call up someone, instead of helping me out yourself i asked?"

I asked him if customer service, ever followed up with the technical team to find out if they have responded to a particular complaint id which they have booked before closing the status of that complaint? He said they dont? I asked him on what basis do you then close a customer complaint and he had no replies. After 15 minutes of grilling, a supervisor, or manager stepped in and promised me that the technicians would come down to my place to investigate the problem. The techinical team came down an hour later and rectified the problem in 10 mins. A loose connection in the connection area box near my place. Now the internet is back on full swing but i dont think its really safe to get my hopes up just again. But i just knew that i had to put my review here before the net goes down again.


Pros: HalfWAY (it only works half the time)
Cons: HathDEY (it doesnt work at all)