Ricky Kej asks why be the second worst and not the best
Bangalore International Airport
May 23, 2022
Two days ago, Ricky Kej publicly expressed his frustration with the long delays at the Bangalore airport. “Pathetic state of immigration at the Bengaluru International Airport,” he tweeted to his 27,000 followers, along with a video of the crowd around him. “Been in line for over an hour now. Currently well over 1000 people waiting, not all counters are working, staff is clueless, inefficient…Why have so many flights when there is no capacity?”
Kej, 40-years-old, is a music composer and environmental activist based in Bangalore, officially known as Bengaluru. He was returning to the city after attending the Cannes Festival in France.
He also tweeted that the “Number of lines to enter Bengaluru, India,” were six, including three separate lines: for a health checkup, for showing immigration documents and to “Check if immigration stamp is accurate (Not joking.)” In addition, there were waits for the baggage screening by the customs staff, to collect checked luggage and possible additional screening by the customs. “STEPS can be reduced,” he added.
"How are we expected to build #BrandIndia if this is the welcome that everyone gets…The first impression of India for foreign travellers," Kej asked. Apparently, Kej took down this tweet soon after posting it.
While Kej’s tweets attracted comments from some who agreed with him, most of the comments are critical. Some attacked Kej for publicizing his experience, especially given his global stature. One critic tweeted, “You can’t put something on social media & bad mouth brand India.” Another stated, “don't make it public” and bring international attention to his “bad impressions.”
Other critics pointed out that the wait times at immigration in Dubai and elsewhere were as bad. “Its the same across many developed countries!,” one of them tweeted.
In response Kej tweeted “why not demand” improvement? Why have this attitude of adjusting” to basic inefficiencies at Bangalore airport when things can be improved with a “little effort and vision.” He added, “There needs to be proper coordination within departments, better staff training to reduce the steps and time taken.”
This year, Kej’s Divine Titles won a Grammy award for Best New Age Album. In 2015, his Winds of Samsara won the same Grammy award. His albums, which total 16 in number, include Shanti Samsara, (Peaceful World), World Music for Environmental Consciousness, and Earth Love, music for relaxation. Kej has also composed music for four films, including a natural history documentary Wild Karnataka, and for more than 3,500 advertisement commercials.
Kej’s My Earth Songs, 27 children's rhymes based on social development goals, was launched by UNICEF, the United Nations’ Children’s agency. They are published in over five million school textbooks in India, in English, Hindi and Kannada. A story based on Kej’s life and musical journey is included in the seventh grade English textbooks in India.
Kej was born in North Carolina, U.S., to Punjabi and Marwari parents. He moved to Bangalore with his parents when he was eight, graduating from the Bishop Cotton Boys School. He earned a degree in dentistry from Oxford Dental College in Bangalore but did not pursue a dental career.
A self taught musician, he started studying Indian classical music at age 24. In 2001, Kej started his music career as a keyboardist with the Bengaluru-based rock band Angel Dust. Two years later, he began composing music, setting up a studio Raveolution. He is a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is married to Varsha Gowda, who is also a musician.
The experience at the “JFK airport in NYC (New York City) is worse,” than at the Bangalore airport, one of Kej’s critics tweeted. “Have to wait in the queue for hours and to make it worse the hawkish and intimidating cops roaming around suspecting every coloured traveller!”
“I see a lot of comments naming some other country immigration as being worse than Bengaluru,” Kej responded to such critics. “Our mindset needs to change. We are comfortable with ourselves if we are not the worst! Haha.. we pat our backs if we manage to be second to worst. Why not try and be among the best?”
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