I received my passport when I was 16 years old. In India, a cop comes home to verify your address and only then hands over the passport to you. However, when he came home, I was not there and a note invited me to the area’s police station.
Not having committed any crime before, not having lost my mobile phone till then (Received my first mobile phone just a couple of months earlier, obviously my life came a close second compared to my phone, so there was no way of losing it!), thankfully not having to complain against any crime witnessed whatsoever – I’d never been to a police station. The only picture I had of a police station was like the ones I'd seen in movies. So expecting something like that, I responded to the invitation of the cop and went with my aunt.
After the verification, I was given my passport along with some sort of a sticker which had ‘Police Day’ printed on it. I looked at the cop and thanked him thinking it was some sort of a freebie (not that I was interested in getting a sticker). He gave me this weird grin and said, “When I came to your house, you weren’t there. Now you come during my working hours, how can you leave me empty handed? Pay for the sticker.”
I looked at my aunt, who without batting an eyelid, removed a 50 buck note and handed it over to the cop and dragged me out of the station. My first experience with bribing - corruption indirectly. An aspiring journalist that I was back then, I just couldn't keep quiet but thanks to my aunt who gave me ‘that’ look and I silently followed her. “First of all, we are coming to a place where women should not be going and now you want to argue? What if he did not give you the passport and marked you as a criminal or something?” My mind kept telling me she’s wrong but in my heart I did feel fear.
8 years later, now, I took my parents to the revamped passport office to apply for a new passport. The passport service, now being taken care of TCS is a boon for sure. No more middle-men, one has to book appointments in advance and at every stage, there are professionals to help you get your passport. My experience at the office in order to update my marital status was hassle free though the process took me 4 hours. The wait was worthwhile.
Coming to my experience when I took my parents was quite different. For those who are not net savvy, they queue up at the office and since only a fixed number is sent in to apply for their passports without prior appointment, the queue begins at an inhuman hour. People apparently come at 4 in the morning hoping to be the first ones to enter. My parents and I joined the queue at around 8 am which I thought was decent for a 9.30 am open, I was instantly proven wrong.
9.30 am arrived and all hell broke loose. The first 30 quickly walked in and someone who had been waiting since 6 am who was not one of the lucky ones obviously got angry and a huge fight followed. Somehow many others managed to get in claiming they came to check their forms, so on and so forth. This time around, I gave in to what I call corruption! I went to one of the concerned people and explained that my mom was ill and could not come again and stand in another long queue. Thanks to them for considering what I said, I managed to get passports for my parents on that day itself.
Sick with guilt that I resorted to something as cheap as giving my mom’s health a reason to get work done; I also felt in some way I was feeding corruption. I may have been truthful about the reason, but imagine if 4 other healthy people came with such claims and got their work done as well?
Why am I saying all this? When Anna Hazare started his anti-corruption fast, it got me all thinking. Hats off to this man for starting something which was long awaited; also to all those tens of thousands who have joined hands in pledging support. But before joining him in the noble cause, we must pledge not to give way to corruption and then fight against the same. Anna Hazare, I pledge my support, but give me time to change myself and then I am sure I will stand up against corruption.
