Feb 13, 2008 04:10 PM
1564 Views
Of late, work pressures have ensured a hiatus from MS. Howver, I am very much afraid that my return will not be appreciated by all - I nevertheless stand by the below:
An interesting experience…
It is truly amazing how the simplest of experiences leads one to a train of thoughts transcending a multitude of subject-domains, as happened to me yesterday night. The event in itself was mundane, were it not for the extenuating circumstances: A motor-bike drive between 2 cities 44 kilometers apart. But what happened on that route has set my mental rollers rolling something fierce! I would like to enumerate these diverse thoughts, and justify my connection to and rating of the above topic.
The time was 9:15 PM at night when I left Bhilai for home, 44 kms away on NH-6 towards Nagpur. This is usually a very safe track, with hardly a policeman or checkpoint visible along the way. I have made this drive on bike as well as by taxi several times at night, but yesterday was different, in that the entire last 24 kms were policed – and very heavily policed at that!
I noticed around 4 major checkpoints along the way. At each point, I naturally stopped, but to my amazement, was informed at all except one– exteremely politely: “Aap Jaayiye”. The entire stoppage at each point was not exceeding 10 – 15 seconds at the most – no hassling, nothing! The 4th point was rude, very rude. It was that, and one other observation, that has set my mind racing.
The police and the babus are known to be rude. Rude? This wasn’t my experience in 75% places. In fact, they were quite gentle. Furthermore, no senior officer was in sight, so it cant have been that they were behaving for brownie points! Secondly, there was a complete absence of visible gun-men or gun-toting policemen at any place. Consider this: you are driving a bike on a highway on which all vehicles except 2-wheelers have been halted. It is nearly 10 at night, pitch dark, and you are the only vehicle on the road…
Had I noted a gun anywhere, my reactions would have been fear, for between checkpoints, there was no traffic! But, as it happened, I traversed the distance safely and without any untoward worries. This caused my mind to go back in time to circa 1994 – district Jhabua in MP. We were in the first car in a convoy escorted by the police across a particularly dangerous track of highway, and we were roadblocked by thiefs… the policeman in our car jumped out and started shooting.
In both cases, I was glad the police was around. Note that point – I was GLAD to have the much-maligned police officer around. When it came to the crunch- when my life or property was at risk all those years ago, I was glad to have the police around! And it was that realisation that came as a jolt to me yesterday.
We regard the police as well as our babu’s as corrupt and incompetent – and yet, in our most dire hour, we recall them. Now isn’t that a wonderful paradox? I would like to observe one single point: it takes two parties to be corrupt: the corrupt official, and the corrupt customer! We, all of us, blame everyone for corruption – but hardly count ourselves as being part of the problem. In order that the official takes a bribe, you FIRST have to have a citizen prepared to pay a bribe! We conveniently forget that point.
How many times have we been stopped by the traffic police in violation of some law – license, red light, helmet, speeding et al? And how many times have we paid the bribe to get away from the fine? How many times have we been prepared to pay 30/- bucks to the TTE to get away from a measly 100 rupee fare? Who is to blame here? The Citizen - he has broken the law! That point gets forgotten
So my question to all of you: who is responsible? Only the government official? If so, why?
Before answering, just remember that government officials have not been ordained from Heaven or Hell. They come from among us. Yes, some take bribes – but NOT all, as I have myself found out many a time. But then it is we who give bribes! We violate some law, and instead of paying, look for a short – cut! Yes, we have a lot of red – tape: but instead of trying to change or negotiate the red-tape, we try to cut it short! I can go on and on on this point- but it will all come to the same conclusion: the ball stops at I, me, myself!
Instead of pointing fingers at everything under the sun and alleging “you are the problem”, we should stand in front of a mirror and say: “You are the problem!”! How many of us have the guts to do that? Is there anyone - self included – who can claim that they don’t give bribes? Instead, we gripe all day long! Yes, some places the system is indeed at fault: but does it give us the moral high ground? Are we ourselves pillars of moral rectitude?
I know that many will find my words offensive, but I care a damn. Many will say that this is not connected to the topic: that is their opinion. The way I see it, this is integral to the topic: Government ministries. Is not corruption a major issue that is raised time and again? Are not the government maligned for many a cause – some just, some unjust? How many times has praise been given to these same people?
Yes, opposition to a government is central to a functioning democracy. So I will not say much about praise. But corruption? That is another matter entirely. That is the baby of every citizen – for we are the government. We, all of us Indians.
People just like you and me!
From a very proud Indian Citizen...
