While transparency is fast becoming the key word in governance in India, especially after the implementation of RTI Act, it is unannounced ‘Emergency’ in the government-run Air India as the national carrier has issued a ‘gag order’ barring its employees from making any public announcements over the crisis facing the beleaguered airline.

The reason for the gag order? The Air India management believes that statements of the trade union persons and departmental heads, who have been exposing the management, will have direct bearing on the company’s image! The order threatens the employees of action if they failed to comply with the gag order.

What is the image it is talking about?. The public image of Air India is one of the worst today. It is facing an unprecedented liquidity crunch and seeks tax payers’ money to bail it out of the mess. It has one of the highest number of employees per aircraft and is losing around Rs 15 crore every day due to declining passenger traffic and low airfares.

Instead of bringing in good governance, the management wanted to gag those who expose their misdeeds which have brought the Airline to such a sorry pass today. While it needs crores of rupees of tax payers money to clear the mess created by years of mis-governance, the management thinks that the exposure of mis-management will spoil the image.

Why should the Air India management issue such a gag order which is clearly an infringement upon the rights of the airline’s employees? No person who believes in democracy can support such a primitive act by a government department. Rightly, the Air India employees’ union has moved the Bombay High Court against the gag order.

Meanwhile, the issue is snowballing into a political controversy with the members questioning the gag order in Parliament. I am of the firm opinion that as responsible citizens of this country, we all should join those who raise their voice against this kind of undemocratic order.