Excerpt from the eagles:
"While I was driving down the road,
Trying to loosen my load,
I got seven women on my bike......."
Oops that's a red light I missed....Screeeech....Traffic Police, Braaakkkke....Stop

50 bucks...and two "Please Sir Kindly adjust" later, I'm back on the street with another song on my mind...

What makes the Indians so adjustable?? Passports anyone? The only thing that's official about my passport is that it's an official document. I was not present when I applied for it, the signature on it is not mine, I wasn't present for the police verification, and the address I've given...wanna guess?? Yep you're right, I don't live there, and I don't know who does either.

My Driving Licence...I got it made in Manipur. No I've never been to Manipur either. My degree certificate....Nope, that's not fake you moron, but i sure took devious means to acquire it. Am I proud of it? Well...not exactly. I don't like getting things done under the table, but seeing the way things are above it, I don't have any particular qualm's against getting it done down below.

Bribes in India, are the in thing. Right from the peon at the door to the Babu in his Air Conditioned office, everyone and anyone in India has his price. Wanna get a signature, 50 bucks. Wanna get a document, 100 bucks. Wanna stand in front of the queue, 300 bucks. Want a job, 50000 bucks. Want rations for free, 20000 bucks... And the list goes on.

Reminds me of the time I'd gone to get some corrections made to my inofficially ofiicial passport. I reached the passport office at 9:00, that's half an hour before the office officially opens. Seeing the queue there, I nearly fainted. It stretched all the way from the roof to the ground floor, spanning four flights of staircases and three halls in between. With this temporary setback, I was wondering what to do when a guy approached me to stand at the end of the line. With a very sorry face, I asked him, if he could "adjust something". For 200 bucks, and many small "adjustments" in between, I found myself right in front of the very line, I'd been dreading to stand at the back of. And all this, before 9:15. Passport corrections, done by 10:00. How's that for fast service.

What makes these government babu's so adjustable? Ever thought of why people so shamelessly ask for amounts ranging right from "chai paani ka kuch" all the up to "ek lakh lagenge"? Why is the Indian government, so corrupt deep deep down, that even for removing corruption you have to bribe officials into action? The answer I fear might lie much deeper than even I can possibly imagine. It's definitely got something to do with our degrading morals, even lesser of a salary and a greed so innately fostered that no amount of conscience can ever set it right. Lets face it buddies, India mein sab chalta hai. "Adjust" yourselves.

   [ POSTED BY d_tox_ed @ 9:06 PM ] [ 3 comments ]