The cell phone slap incident involving Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai and Chief Officer of Margao Municipal Council Sidhivinayak Naik has set the alarm tone ringing. Questions have been raised over the conduct of the Fatorda MLA towards a bureaucrat despite both deciding to bury the hatchet and expressing regret.
An intense and visibly irritated Vijai is seen spitting venom at a group of officials of the MMC at the Sonsodo dump yard discussing short term measures to cap garbage ahead of the monsoons. The anger is written all over his words, and his actions say it all. The monologue is disrupted with the sharp ring of the chief officer’s phone. Vijai slaps down the phone while it rings while the CO rushes to pick it up from the floor.
Cell phones may be a boon for quick communication, and the subsequent video going viral is an immediate testimony, but it can be exasperating as well at times. And it is only judicious to argue both the scenarios.
In highly charged up situations where politicos, especially ministers, are facing brickbats over the slightest of slip-ups, a need for restraint is required. Spontaneous outbursts like these can immediately invite the wrath of all and sundry. This becomes fodder for a section of social media activism. Senior ministers must understand that they are being watched from close quarters and their every move and utterance is scrutinized to the minutest detail. Vijai is no stranger to such social media glare, having featured in over a dozen clips showing him in bad light. Lest we forget, the controversial SGPDA market saga in July last year had almost pitted him against the fishing community after his gesture was misrepresented. Installing signal jammers cannot be the solution and no politician can think of installing one at Sonsodo.
On the flip side, senior officers should understand protocol. There can’t be a written manual of dos and don’ts about cell phone etiquette. This is an area of discipline which every officer should inculcate within themselves and follow without being told to. It is unbecoming of government officials to attend to their cell phones even in the midst of serious work. At a time when the deputy chief minister is addressing a crucial issue, there can’t be a bigger priority for those around at least at that moment. It is not only disrespectful to the speaker, but it distracts everyone’s attention.
It’s a welcome gesture that the controversy was laid to rest in quick time. Vijai expressed regret over the incident and accepted the fact that he was irritated with the phone ringing while in the midst of a serious discussion. And likewise, the chief officer showed maturity in gracefully accepting that it was his mistake to attend to the phone at that moment.
