Musician accuses airline of breaking his sitar

  • | Monday | 19th November, 2018

BENGALURU: Indian classical musician Shubhendra Rao treasured his sitar like a prized possession, which he used to “take care of like a child”. “All fragile baggage accepted on board are tagged with a ‘limited release’ tag, which indicates that the airline has no liability in the event of damage to the article. However, Jet Airways said no compensation could be paid. In his online petition filed on Change.org on November 14, Rao also questioned the ‘limited release’ form that airlines make artistes sign to evade responsibility for any damage to instruments.“The airline industry must change the ‘limited release’ rule in the case of musical instruments. The last segment of the flight from Bangkok to New Delhi was on Jet Airways, which damaged his sitar, he alleges.He compares the loss of the instrument to that of his third hand.

BENGALURU: Indian classical musician Shubhendra Rao treasured his sitar like a prized possession, which he used to “take care of like a child”. When he recently embarked on a journey from Sidney to Delhi, he did take all the possible precautions — kept the instrument in an unbreakable fibre glass box and wrapped it using a rexin cover with thin padding.But when he got the baggage back, he was in for a rude shock. The sitar was broken badly and was in an unrepairable condition.Rao, 53, from Bengaluru currently lives in New Delhi and is a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar.On September 24, Rao travelled by an Australian Airlines flight from Sidney to Delhi via Bangkok. The last segment of the flight from Bangkok to New Delhi was on Jet Airways, which damaged his sitar, he alleges.He compares the loss of the instrument to that of his third hand. “I had taken care of it like my own child so far. Is it not the responsibility of the airlines to ensure that it’s given back properly? If treated well, it wouldn’t have been damaged but when there’s vandalism involved, nothing can save the fragile instrument,” says Rao.When he contacted Australian Airlines, he was asked to contact the second airline for queries. However, Jet Airways said no compensation could be paid. “All fragile baggage accepted on board are tagged with a ‘limited release’ tag, which indicates that the airline has no liability in the event of damage to the article. The article is not accepted till the guest signs on the tag, which you did,” Jet Airways told Rao on September 28, a copy of which is with TOI.However, Rao wrote back to the airways stating that he did not sign on the tag, as mentioned. In his online petition filed on Change.org on November 14, Rao also questioned the ‘limited release’ form that airlines make artistes sign to evade responsibility for any damage to instruments.“The airline industry must change the ‘limited release’ rule in the case of musical instruments. I’m neither the first person nor the last who will suffer at the hands of airlines,” he said and urged artistes to stand up together to fight for a common cause.The cost of making a new sitar with in-built microphone would cost no less than Rs 1.8 lakh, as per the estimated bill he has produced before the airlines. Rao is also thinking of approaching the consumer rights forum.

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