The unsung pillars

“Uruvukandu Ellamai Vendum Ulrulperuntherkku Achchani Annaar Udaiththu” | Kural 667

“Judge not by stature; it is the small linchpin that keeps the great chariot moving”

India has never witnessed a travel crisis like the one that engulfed IndiGo recently. Lakhs of passengers were stranded. Airports became impatient seas of distress.

A newlywed couple begged for a way to reach their own reception. A grieving wife stood by her husband’s coffin. Transit passengers wandered aimlessly, their luggage lost somewhere in the airport’s labyrinth.

I was at an airport on Dec 5. I was fortunate – I hadn’t checked in my luggage and returned home. But event leaving the airport was an ordeal. For more than two hours, I walked through a suffocating tide of fear, anger and confusion. Rage rose in me too – at those responsible for this collapse, none of whom were present.

Passengers have every right to expect reliability and accountability. But amidst the justified courage, the frontline staff – counter agents, duty managers, ground staff, cabin crews – stood for hours absorbing wave after wave of human ire. Some passengers grew abusive, shouting obscenities even at women staff. Videos showed people climbing over counters to scream at employees who had no authority.

Crisis always expose the invisible backbone of organizations. During the 2008 Taj attack, some employees protected guests with extraordinary courage. In moments of catastrophe, it is always the front line that steps forward, even when they have the least power and the most to lose.

That is why what I saw on Dec 5 was both heartbreaking and humbling. These employees were not just performing tasks, they were holding the emotional weight of thousands. Their leaders had failed them, but they remained calm in the middle of the storm.

Thiruvallulvar knew the worth of such unseen strength. In Kural 667, he writes

“Uruvukandu Ellamai Vendum Ulrulperuntherkku Achchani Annaar Udaiththu” | “Judge not by stature; it is the small linchpin that keeps the great chariot moving”

While this couplet emphasis that looks do not matter; it also talks about one’s stature in any hierarchy. Valluvar reminds us that greatness often rests on the smallest, quietest contributions. The lynchpin is not ornate, not celebrated, not even noticed. But remove it – and the entire chariot collapses.

Is that not what we witnessed?

Every time I walk through an airport, I see one lone staff member posted near each escalator. Their job is simply to stand there through the entire shift, just in case someone needs help. But they are the first to respond when something goes wrong. I think of the watchmen in our buildings, who keep vigil while we sleep. The lineman who climbs an electric pole in the rain, so our homes stay lit. The ‘akka’ who clears tables in a crowded restaurant. Their work is not glamorous. Their names may never be known. But they are the ones who keep life moving in quite continuity. The gram chariots of our modern world do not move because of the one seated on the throne but because of the humble linchpins. John Milton captured this truth beautifully: “They also serve who only stand and wait”.

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Please note - I have only retyped an existing article published by Times of India. The above article is written by Bharathi Baskar and I take no credit for this article. My love and interest for Thiruvalluvar's writings is making me repost for more individuals to read.