Very excited I was, while traveling in Kanya Kumari-Howrah Express, not only because I was going to my home but also to see my Uncle and Aunt who were going to visit our home during my stay there.
The train was almost on the right time. It was 10 minutes past 4 O’ clock in the evening when the train reached at the Berhampur station. People with unreserved tickets started boarding the train in the reserved coaches and you have to share your berth to accommodate them. I too had no other option but to share my berth with a lady and a gentleman. Now days, Sleeper coaches have become SUPER GENERAL Coaches. This is because a person with an unreserved ticket can also board and travel in reserved coaches without any botheration, but for that he needs to tip the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE).
Minutes after the train departed two TTEs entered our coach and one of them asked to furnish the ticket. Immediately the lady passenger sharing my berth showed the unreserved ticket to him. Without any bit of hesitation the TTE asked her to offer Rs.50/-.
Accordingly the lady passenger tipped him in front of all the co-passengers and the TTE pocketed the currency note shamelessly.
I did not notice whether the gentleman who too shared my berth offered any bribe. Immediately after the two TTEs left the compartment, I could not resist myself and enquired the gentleman about how much bribe he had to offer to satisfy the TTE. You would be shocked to learn his reply. He replied shamelessly “I am in the Police and I am not required to have a ticket.” And it was in front of him (The so called Police), that the lady passenger tipped the TTE. And the shame least of all was that of mine, I witnessed the entire sequence of events without raising my voice against it. How pity it was.
These days we are talking, watching, reading and listening about the Anti-corruption Crusader Mr. Anna Hazare and his fight against Corruption. What a man he is, fighting for us at the age of 74, when one ought to retire and be safe at home playing with his or her grandchildren.
The Gandhian leading the Anti-corruption movement.
On one hand we circulate SMSs to spread his message and to garner support for his cause (thanks to the telecom network service providers who offer the facility of sending thousands of SMSs free of cost or at negligible rate), while on the other hand we are involved in unscrupulous acts such as bribing the TTE merely to travel in a reserved coach carrying an unreserved ticket.
Corruption has its roots deeply and widely spread inside the entire system and it is because we the common people encourage it. We proudly say that the preamble to our constitution begins with the words “We the people of India”. Sorry to say, I think that it is high time for the constitution to be necessarily amended to replace those words with “We the corrupt people of India” (emphasis provided). It may sound bitter but is an unpalatable paradox of current times.
I know not, whether after reading this you will bring a change, but I definitely will after writing this.
Jai Hind….
Chinam Abhishek Patra
Mob No: +91 99403 39997
Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd.,
S.F.No.630, Thamaraikulam Village,
Ariyalur Dist, Tamil Nadu.
Yes it happens only in India.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to find the twist on this story, as the writer had not given the identity of the male co-passenger until the end.
A good start of writing indeed.
Blessings
writer
E.Kiran Mohan
http://comfortreadings.blogspot.com/
After reading the unpalatable paradox of our times, viz, “We the corrupt people of India”,I also felt that I am a party to the paradox and encourging it silently and unconsciously. I strongly feel that I have an obligation and duty to be proactive in preventing such currupt practices. However,I am not sure what I would have done, had I been in the the situation of the author, as he claims to be proactive atleast after writing this.
ReplyDeleteCongratuation for highlighting the other side of the curruption so interestingly.
Dr. Gopal Sahu
Allahabad
Ya friend...wat ur article conveyed is the bitter truth to a true indian...But, we don't have solution to it...Only we can do is that, we should be good indian and should not involve in these kind of corruptions...More importantly encouraging our near ones and dear ones for the same...
ReplyDeleteAm surprised and glad to see such an excellent work by you to share your experience...Hope u ll come with another good corruption case in ur next article...All the best...
Subir
Chennai