Sunday, June 11, 2006

Hyderabad Airport

Nothing can be more cruel and without feeling than the international departures lounge at the Hyderabad (Begumpet) airport. Visitors are required to purchase a ticket costing Rs 60 to merely enter the lounge to see off their family and friends. As if that ticket price itself isn't robbery, once they enter the departures lounge, they are in for a most cruel shock. There is a 4ft wall over which is a steel fence which runs right across the length of the lounge separating the visitors from those departing.

This set up gives one the feeling of being in a jail, although it is difficult to say who feels more like the vicitms, the visitors or those departing. This feeling is all the more stronger when you witness the poignant scenes playing near that fence. There are husbands and wives holding onto each other's hands through openings in the fence, there are parents seeing off their children who do not have the simple joy of hugging and embracing each other once last time for who knows how long.

It was actually difficult for me to decide if I was feeling heavy hearted because of the scenes I was witnessing or because I was departing from home.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have to say it's aggrevates your feeling at that time by making such stupid designs.
I have been twice thru the same feeling and when i last came intentionally told my mother not to see me off just for the same fact that she will not be closer to me.
Hopefullty the new airport tehy construct will not have such loophole w.r.t to the customer service.
man y should someone just pay 60 bucks for half hr. of jail feeling .