Encouraging corruption

Encouraging Corruption
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The other day I had taken my son to the MVI office for his learner’s driving license for two and four wheelers. After a long time I had the privilege of going there as I had no such occasion in last twenty years to do so.
That office reminded me of an interesting story about a colleague of mine who before retirement wanted to get a permanent driving license for his car. He was as thin as a pencil because he had an intestinal bypass for some reason and food was not getting absorbed for which he remained thin till he retired from job. He was a surgeon by profession.
We encouraged him to get one permanent one as he had been using the “L” license for twenty long years. He was a man of principle so he went to MVI office and filled up the requisite form and deposited the required fees. The head clerk asked him to come on next Friday which he did.

The driving test was in the form of taking the MVI officer from his office to his resident during lunch break. The big boss said ok and advised the doctor to meet one Mr. Sahu, the issuing officer after five days.
Like a disciplined solder he came and met Mr. Sahu.
He was asked to wait as the MVI had not come to the office. After long three hours wait, he went to Mr. Sahu and asked ‘why such a delay,’ our doctor friend had other important work to do before his final settlement with SAIL (steel authority of India).
He was told that the boss is busy for the traffic control for the Puja festival and he is with Superintendent of police and Collector and may not come back to office.
He called him out side and told “doctor”, why are you wasting your time? Pay me Rs: 50(this was in 1988) and things will be done in next twenty four hours.
Our disciplined doctor was furious and told the clerk “you are asking for bribe?”
‘No’, came the reply, I am just trying to help you that’s it’
“No way said the doctor”
He was asked to come after another four days.
When he came sharp at ten he was shocked to see the office closed. It was a state holiday.
Lastly he met the MVI officer and told him that his staff was asking for bribe. The MVI officer pretended to be furious, called the head clerk and warned him regarding the complaint. Then asked him to hand over the driving license to the doctor, to that Mr.Sahu told “sir” his file is spoilt and he has to apply for a new one as it got socked in the rain water.
This way the doctor went on coming to the motor vehicle inspector’s office (MVI) but was refused the license with some plea or other.
He got fed up and approached the SP as the last hope. Police chief told him “doctor you have earned so much why can’t you part with Rs: 50? You know he has to get his daughter married next month?”
Lastly he did not pay and retired with a “L” license hanging from his neck. We do not know how many of us can do that. He is still there and cycling and keeping fit at the age of 82 years.

Here the scenario at Bhubaneswar MVI office is quite different. If you have money, then there are nice people to do the unthinkable job for you? My son asked me “father- why to read MBBS or engineering and do MD or MBA, when one can earn so much every month sitting here under the pipal tree, plus they too get lots of respect from public!!”
I was astonished to hear his arguments which was like this “ each vender earns around three hundred rupees from a client and if he has minimum ten per day it comes to straight twenty-six days multiply by three hundred , plus other activities, coolly he has around seventy to eighty non taxable per month!! And we are encouraging it?”
He continued in the same breath “Whether ‘he’ bribes the clerk or MVI or some body else is immaterial for us but come next Friday the driving license is in my pocket. Then how many people I injure or kill is none of their headache, it’s the headache of public and police. No control over the issuance of driving license, how funny.”
We asked a nice fellow ( dalal) ‘if we try to go in the proper channel how long it will take?’
“May be a month or more or you may not get it at all” came the prompt reply.
This was my son’s first lesion on “encouraging corruptions.”
The next was during his admission after his plus two and joint entrance results were out. He had secured good marks but he had a low ranking due to reservation policy, out side state candidates, NRI quota, female candidates, Physically handicapped etc.
Here again we were asked to pay rupees fifteen lacs , if we want an admission in any subject of our son’s choice.
When we asked why donation? That’s the rule of the game called bribing. If you follow Gandhi giri you have to wait. But if you pay- the seat is reserved for your son or else people with more to donate are in the line.
My son said “dad, I will better run a taxi, but will not allow you to pay that amount for me.”
I told him ‘a taxi driver has to bribe the traffic people from sun rise to sun set, son there is no escape’
We did not pay the donation in that college and he is doing very well in general line.
Next one is when I took my mother for treatment at TMH at Mumbai for her breast cancer.
For one week we did not get any appointment with the oncologist. I was fed up with the rush and the queue there. One gentleman told me to meet the head clerk who gives appointment for the consultant, after five pm, when he is on his way home.He wears a dirty loose kurta but a starched white dhoti , an old style umbrella and a black half torn bag.
So I could recognize him and did exactly that and he told me to come sharp at 8 am next day, after the five hundred rupee note fast disappeared in his kurta pocket.
There was no waiting, this time, my mother was the first patient to be examined and was advised by the cancer specialist to take her back home and treat as per the schedule in any near by hospital and come after six months. My mother did not live long enough but I the cost of medicines made a big hole in my pocket.
The third area where we encourage maximum corruption is land registration and real estate business.
Now you know why the independent body puts India at the fifth or tenth slot on the top of corrupt countries in the world?
We are to blame our self, we are encouraging corruption, be it inside parliament, medical college, MVI office, Land registration office, judiciary, police station, railway and education institutes every where, it has gone in to our system. As we are all corrupt so also our leaders.
The next generation has learned the trick very fast. Honesty and sincerity are things of past, only to be found in Ramayana and Gita recitals.
Where is the end? I do not know!! Unless the youth of the country fights against this which I am afraid it’s not going to come for another decade, it’s going to be legalized corruption every where.
But one thing is sure now corruption is legalized in Indian society, you accept it or perish, choice is your.

The author is the president of ‘corrupt society of India’, Bhubaneswar branch.
You can send Rs: 500 for a book on “how to survive in corrupt India”. This special offers of 25% less is for you, helping corruption in India.


SanjoyKumarSatpathy
House4,Plot401/2362
Patia
Bhubaneswar31,India