Published 09:51 IST, November 3rd 2019
Anand Mahindra sparks debate online with 'fake wheelchair need' remark
Anand Mahindra sparked a debate after posting a tweet asking citizens of the country if they ever 'faked' their need for wheelchairs while traveling in airport
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Business tycoon Anand Mahindra sparked a debate online after he posted a tweet asking citizens of the country if they ever 'faked' their need for wheelchairs while travelling inside airports. In a tweet, Mahindra claimed that only flights to and from India at most airports have people pre-ordering wheelchairs. Making three points, he wondered if senior citizens travelled more, if there were more 'infirm/unfit' people or if Indians were just 'jugaadus' who wanted 'faster access through queues'. Read his tweet below-
Anand Mahindra sparks debate online:
Only flights to&from India at most airports have so many wheelchairs pre-ordered. Trying to figure out why. 1) Do elderly Indians travel more than others? 2) Do we have more infirm/unfit people? 3) Are we just jugaadus who order wheelchairs to get faster access through queues!? pic.twitter.com/eyIm5O4KB1
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) November 2, 2019
However, once the tweet was shared it sparked a massive debate and many people came forward to state that the wheelchairs are actually helpful, and gave various instances of the same. While one netizen commented saying that it was a boom to his 83-year-old father who uses it every time he visits his family in Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bengaluru. He went on to further reveal that his father was also suffering from chronic arthritis and had suffered hip fracture just a few months before his travel.
This is a boon to my 83 year old father who uses it when he criss crosses our country thrice a year to visit me and my siblings in hyderabad, delhi and bengaluru. He has chronic arthritis and also suffered hip fracture a few months ago.
— శ్రీనివాస 🇮🇳 (@srinimv2004) November 2, 2019
Another user commented, "Most senior Indians are traveling first time. They don't know exactly how to get through boarding/immigration/security, find the right terminal and gates. I know few if my friends ordered assistance for their oarents because if this"
Most senior Indians are traveling first time. They don't know exactly how to get through boarding/immigration/security, find the right terminal and gates. I know few if my friends ordered assistance for their oarents because if this.
— dot product (@manjulh) November 2, 2019
Below are a few more instances:
I think, to a certain extent, this may be due to fear of dealing with unfamiliar security procedures and foreign agents / accents. I know some Indian travel agents used to routinely recommend elderly passengers to book wheelchairs.
— Nitin Bhate (@BhateNitin) November 2, 2019
Wheelchair-bound passengers actually take longer, hve to wait in a holding area and are the last ones off a plane. Most book wheelchairs for their old parents who find it difficult to navigate large international airports with big walking distances and often not fluent in english
— tequila sherbet (@nishthavishtha) November 2, 2019
Time and again Chairman of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra takes to Twitter and shares videos which makes his followers laugh or move to tears.
09:19 IST, November 3rd 2019