Whilst returning back from the United States, Newark Airport,a year ago, I noted an obvious discrimination between US passport holders and 'non US passport holders. Different queues for immigration and other formalities. It was a subtle way of ensuring preferential treatment to the ' Privileged Citizens of the First World. Nothing against it. Going to the US is a voluntary act, that mandates the rules and regulations prevalent in that Land.
Today, as I was checking into the Pune Airport, I was quick to enter through the Digiyatra entrance. As I was keeping the screenshot with the Digiyatra document, a Caucasian male, perhaps from United States, was in the parallel Digiyatra entrance. He tried his luck by placing his boarding pass face down on the flashing red light but to no avail.
Just then the security guy came along and told him, this facility is available only for Indian Citizens, with an Aadhar Card, that's biometrically monitored.
He gave a rather impolite grunt, and backed off to the entrance common to those not registered with Digiyatra.
Nothing to really grant me bragging rights or bear any hubris, but nonetheless, it sure was testimony to a New India, that's broken the shackles of backwardness and a very subservient mindset that was the legacy of the Colonial Regime.
This new India asserts itself with innovations, out of the box initiatives, and the audacity to pull them off very nonchalantly.
Felt really proud of the way, the UPI, Biometric authentication, and other conveniences made possible by technology, perhaps incorporated by Indian software brains.
We have come a long way and have truly managed to integrate technology into our lives in very imperceptible ways.
Felt proud of my countrymen and the political will that made possible something, that was inconceivable a deacde ago.
Dr Deepak Ranade
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