He chose R.K. Laxman’s ‘Common Man’ as his airline’s brand ambassador (there’s a delightful essay on this), while the common man remembers him still as a pioneer in the no-frills airline business. Air Deccan, his dream come true, may now be a part of aviation history, but the low-cost aviation dream continues to live on in India.
“I was just twenty-eight years old after having served eight years in the Army. From the cocoon of the Army (huge defence scandals were still unheard of then), I plunged into civilian life and realised to my shock and disbelief that fighting the Pakistanis was easier than battling our bureaucracy and government,” says Captain G.R. Gopinath, the trailblazer who needs no introduction.
In this collection of essays, from 2011 to 2017, most of which have been published in the mainstream media, with a few appearing in media blogs, the ‘unstoppable Indian’ gives a form to his thoughts and life-changing experiences, in five illuminating parts: as an entrepreneur who has faced the headwinds of Indian aviation (‘The DGCA is happily enforcing aviation rules from 1937’), created an airline with a difference and then sold it to the now embattled business tycoon Vijay Mallya, only to regret it later; as a narrator of the hardships entrepreneurs have to face; as an Indian who worries about the bureaucracy and the government’s ability to solve our numerous problems (‘Is the Swachh Bharat campaign in real danger of remaining a mere slogan?’); as a ‘politician’ who tested his mettle, especially with the Aam Aadmi Party (‘Why I joined AAP’ and ‘Why I quit the Aam Aadmi Party’ form two brief essays); and, as an individual, who shares vignettes of his early life and his general views (‘The Vadhyar who wrote his own horoscope: a tribute to unknown entrepreneurs’ and ‘If I could be a godman!’ are two picks).
Though he covers a range of topics such as the economy, politics, farming, agriculture, defence (‘Arms and the Man: The Indian Army’s travails’), social issues and his life experiences, all in a candid manner, aviation is the theme that courses through the veins of the book.
Unless “air connectivity goes deep into the bowels of the country and until a majority of the population can afford air travel, one cannot expect equitable growth,” says Gopinath, who spells out how a vibrant aviation sector can create wonders — balanced growth and jobs for aspiring millions. If aviation “is not integral to Modi’s vision, India has no hope of competing in the global economy,” he adds.
Gopinath has written the essays with a perspective ‘gained from his follies and journeys’ and is sure to strike a chord in many an aspiring entrepreneur. Perhaps the only drawback of this easy-to-read compilation, which represents the “views of a layperson” is that a few of the essays sound somewhat repetitive.
You Cannot Miss This Flight: Essays on Emerging India ; G.R. Gopinath, HarperCollins, ₹399.
