Two recent incidents illustrate our problem in approaching any problem. Instead of ferreting out the root cause of a predicament, we thrive on waffling, or nibbling at the periphery. Such obfuscation and the dynamics of (in)decision-making in typical scenarios are not easy to stand.
In a recent logistical nightmare at the Delhi airport, thousands of items of baggage were delayed or became untraceable, hitting flight schedules. The information available was that the long weekend caused a 30% spike in the detection of power banks in checked-in items, necessitating manual segregation of packages. Even Akhilesh Yadav, Hema Malini and Piyush Goyal faced baggage delays. So, where is the problem?
When passengers travelling urgently are put through the hoop, such cryptic explanations display contempt for basic intelligence. Can a 30% spike in load or traffic create a crisis of this magnitude in any system? Does a long weekend translate into the need for extra lethal goods? If actors and politicians had to cool their heels, does it imply that the mere mortals should not get hot in the head? Have the authorities comprehensively analysed the problem?
Coming to possible actions, it is not clear if technology has been explored to automate segregation. Alternatively, why not have stiff penalties for offending items of baggage, which will reduce such instances, besides providing revenue for solutions? Lateral thinking has been applied successfully in similar contexts elsewhere.
Decades back, faced with a need to impose drug checks rapidly on trains entering Singapore, the government hit on an ingenious solution employing pooch power for the logistical conundrum. On arrival, all passengers were made to walk along a narrow corridor with giant fans blowing across the procession from one side. A pack of hounds were stationed on the other side to sniff the blast and identify suspects. And while this (mind) blowing exercise was under way, another squad of canines was let loose on the train to sniff all baggage. The upshot? The operation was completed in 20 minutes.
Incompatible systems
In the case of the banking mess, the ostensible reason was that the externally oriented SWIFT system and the internally oriented core banking software functioned independently. This facilitated unauthorised commitments by the unscrupulous on the SWIFT side, without alerting internal systems. A case of leaving company letter heads in the visitors’ lounge. With a directive now from the Reserve Bank of India, all of them are scurrying to integrate these two entities in two months flat.
The moot point is, what prevented banks from doing this earlier, which would have identified this gap? If an elegant and comprehensive solution was not possible, why did they not have a work-around as a short-term solution?
Most organisations routinely find it difficult to address all critical issues immediately, for many reasons, including lack of finance or government approvals, and hence launch a Plan B. For instance, in order to detect illegal transmission of information, some organisations review outward mails from sensitive users periodically. There are cases of ingenious work-arounds when faced with a conflict between short-term solutions and long-term robustness.
The exhaustive coverage of the banking issue in the media on causes invariably drifts towards macro factors such as jurisdiction, responsibilities, governance and systemic issues. In short, everything except the real reason for inaction and lack of a stop-gap arrangement in the first place. A sense of urgency and a bias for action is missing even in the face of major threat perceptions.
Although a government undertaking, the railways balance a structural way of working with instant response in case of need. On spotting a loose fish plate, the gang man at the lowest level can bring a thundering train to a halt without having to report up the hierarchy.
After assuming command of Chrysler when it was on the verge of bankruptcy and assessing his uninspiring team, Lee Iacocca famously remarked, “Forget the answers. These guys don’t even know the questions.” In the Indian context, it is tempting to conclude, “Forget the questions. These guys don’t even know what’s going on.”
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