Mera Bharat Mahan!!

During the last few weeks in India, I’ve been through such interesting incidents at 2 different Government Offices that I sadly feel that India has to come a long way - not in technical or economic fronts but in the attitude and behavior of the people – to try to become, as perceived by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a Developed Nation by 2020.

Scenario 1: During coming back from Singapore in early May this year I forgot to check out my room and return my transponder (an electronic equipment used to un/lock doors) at my Hostel Office. I called the Hostel Management people about the issue and they asked me to send the transponder to them by mail once I get back to my city. For the same, when I went to my nearest Post Office to Speed Post my transponder to Singapore, the person at the counter told me that since I’m sending an electronic item, I need to get it passed through the customs for which I was supposed to go to the Head Post Office of Agra City. It made to me complete sense to not allow “anyone” send “anything” by post.

At the Head Post Office, on being asked about Speed Post, the person at the Counter 1 referred me to Counter 4. All 6 counters in the office were next to each other. The guy at Counter 4 asked me to get the stuff checked by the Custom Officer. On being asked about his whereabouts, he said Andar baithe hain! and waved his hand towards his left – towards the main office and also towards Counter 1. I went inside the office through the other side and after passing through I-don’t-how-many rooms where everyone said Custom? Us room mein! always referring to the next room, I finally found out that the Custom Officer sits right behind the guy at Counter 1!

The Custom Officer – sounds like a serious person who keeps a strict eye on every article that comes under his nose. But the scene at this office: A 30-something normal looking guy sits behind a table – a table full of NOTHING. He absolutely had nothing on his table save a closed register and a plastic cup of tea.

Me: Sir, Mujhe ye saamaan Singapore bhejna hai. It’s a transponder. (He makes a questioning face.) Mere room ki key hai.
Officer: Key ka kya hai? Woh log doosri banwa lenge. :P
Me: This is an Electronic key. Agar nahi bheji to mera $40 charge lag jaayega. Aap check kar lijiye.
Officer: To bhej dijiye, problem kya hai?
Me: Woh keh rahe hain aap check karenge (pointing at Counter 4)
Officer: Arey aap waha pahucho to sahi.

I go to Counter 4 and ask the person to look towards the Custom Officer.

Custom Officer: Ye jo bhej rahe hain, bhej do. Who log Dilli mein check kar lenge. Yahaan par check karne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai!

I was like, What the hell? This person would have been appointed here to lessen the burden of the Officers at Delhi. And he is sitting ideally in this busy office doing absolutely nothing – so much so – he tends to avoid every work that comes his way. I thought of the various facilities and privileges people are offered while (and after) working in a Government Office and about the amount of work they (don't) do. The cut-throat competition to get into a Government Office in India suddenly seemed very rational to me.


Scenario 2: I entered the Hajrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi. It was 5pm and I had to buy a ticket to Agra for a 6 o'clock train. There were 5 ticket counters out of which, only 4 were operational. (Note that the ticket counter schedule confirms that all 5 counters should be operational after 2.30 till atleast 7 in the evening.) Luckily, there weren't any long queues at any of the counters and I decided to stand at counter 3 in spite of a shorter queue at counter 4 (coz there weren't many people at 3 also).

The queue moved fast and within 10 mins, I was the second person to be served. But as soon as the 1st person asked for a ticket, the counter manager kept a Khidki Bandh (Window Closed) sign in front of him - without any prior notification of his intentions or whatsoever. On being asked till when will the counter be closed, he gave no reply as if his duty ends wherever and whenever he wishes to and he is not answerable to any of the customer's queries. Easily came to my mind, a comparison to a private company, where the person-in-charge is commited to fulfil his customer's needs and sees that the customer doesn't feel offended in any manner.

By this time, the other queues had grown longer. Having no choice, I moved to the queue at counter 1 but after standing there for atleast 5 mins (and realizing that it hasn't moved an inch forward :P) I looked up towards the window. The counter incharge was either counting money or something but wasn't taking any orders from the customer standing at the counter. The guy in front of me told that it has been so since the last 10 minutes. It was past 5.15 and I decided to move to yet another queue to buy my ticket asap.

This time I joined the queue at counter 5. Even this queue was moving quite fast but as soon as I was the 2nd person (again!!) in the queue, the guy at the counter got up and just walked away - without saying a word. My eyes followed the man to the sides of the rectangular room until I could see no more. He was probably talking to someone in the other part of the room and drinking water. After 2 mins, he started walking towards his seat but just passed by. He went out of the office from the back door w/o even looking at the window (and the customers) he was supposed to attend. I started looking sideways, only to realize that the queues were no more short. There were just 2 queues now (at 4 and 5) and both had atleast 13-15 people compared to four 6-7 people long queues just 15 mins back. It was like, though the system had made provision for the passengers to get their tickets asap, it wasn't practically possible just because of the negligence of the employees towards their work.

I saw a woman with a 5 year old kid trying to get a ticket at counter 4; but to other's complain, refusing to stand in the line. On being asked, she said she can't stand in a line of 15 people with a kid that small. Obviously she was making excuses (and playing on emotions of others) to cut the line and get her work done easily but methods should be adopted so that people don't get a chance to exploit other's kindness. Methods, that are already there on paper but are hardly implemented.

After another 5-7 mins, the counter incharge came back and resumed his work as lazily as ever. Well, ignoring all the feelings I had against that guy (and against the Indian Railways) at that moment, I quickly bought my ticket and rushed towards the platform.

Staying in a foreign country, I've realized one thing: Its not the technical advancements and better quality goods that make a nation work smoothly; its the people - their behaviour and their attitude towards their fellowmen that paves the way for a developing country towards attaining its goals. Unless we start to believe in one another and exchange respect, India's path towards the First World seems to be indispensably difficult.