Story: Resolving doubts

- I often sit on a bench for a little rest. A convoy of trucks passed by every day. Trucks loaded with goods passed by in front of my eyes. I used to observe the events there. I noticed that the police on duty at each of the four lanes stopped each truck, shook hands with the driver, and then the truck went ahead.

"Bhabhi, we will have lunch with you today. There is little bank work. We will finish it and come to you by 1 o'clock. '' Atulbhai hung up the phone.

I soon started making meals for both of them. Soumya is very fond of my hand curry. So I decided to make some lentils and curry. Also prepared a combination of fried potatoes.

The wait - in our estimation, many hours - was so long that his phone rang again and we could no longer come. The reason will be revealed when we meet face to face. You don't have to worry. Let's eat.

Why not worry? There must be a special reason for their absence. Atulbhai and Soumya's relationship with us is not normal. They are both integral friends of our family. We two families often meet each other. We also celebrate occasions like picnics and parties together. So in the evening we both reached his house. Whatever he told us was nothing new, but surprisingly accurate.

He said, "Bhabhi, we went to withdraw money from the ATM. It would have taken us only 5 minutes to withdraw the money. When we got out of the ATM we saw that our car was missing. Our feet slipped on the ground. A shopkeeper checking around said that your vehicle was parked here in the wrong place and was picked up by the police from a crane. You go to the nearest police station and pay the fine and get out of the car. "

"Our limbs swelled when we heard the shopkeeper's words. Shortly after we arrived at the police station we were told we could take your car with a fine, but now the inspector has gone round. They will get the car only after they arrive. You have to wait until then. "

"We just couldn't put the new car down. So it is better to wait. After a while, a Jamadar came to us from inside and said, "Sir, why are you in trouble?" Leave the car by giving tea and water to Nana Saheb. What confidence of the big sir, whether he comes today or not? ”

'' I was very angry to hear the Jemadar speak. It occurred to me to call it true or false. How dare he say such a thing. At the same time Soumya gestured to me to talk to Nana Sahib. Conclude by doing a little transaction. This is not the time to be angry. "

"I think Soumya's words are true. So when I talked to Nana Saheb, he showed me a paw-chewing paw and hinted that he would want Rs.500. I felt good about obeying him in this delicate situation. By giving him money, we both took our car and ran away as if we were not running away after stealing the car.

Listening to Atulbhai, we both did not know how to react. There was a lot to be said, but given the situation, it seemed more appropriate to say nothing. We both returned home, shaking our heads at the moral decay in society.

Back home, but my mind was back somewhere. As soon as they arrived, they got busy with the laptop. As if nothing had happened. But what happened to Atulbhai and Soumya distracted me. Many questions kept popping up in my mind. Is this really a common occurrence? Is this part of our normal life? Does its seed begin to sow in us from childhood? With these questions many childhood events began to come to life.

Remember our Munni Foi, who lived mostly in his own pier. He was always worried about whether his sister-in-law (my mother) was complaining to his brother. They were always giving me money and spying on me.

I also had a lot of fun with this job. But what would I do with Foi's work, because Mom didn't complain to Dad. I used to buy sweet chocolate from that money and keep sucking. I always waited for Foi to spy on me and get me money.

Gradually childhood passed. I started going to school. We had a joint family. My uncle used to write love letters to my sister's elder sister. The work of the correspondent was on me. At the time I was getting five annas for this extremely sensitive task, which was even more than my out-of-pocket expenses. Sometimes uncle would be happy and give even more. In those days my friends were very kind to me. However, the uncle's secret was soon revealed. Don't ask how much I was reprimanded. Memories of that day still ring in my head like a hammer. One of the great benefits of that day's reprimand was that I kept a close eye on my children so that they would not get into such a mess.

Childhood passed with such sweet and sour memories. In time, I grew up. I have become a responsible wife, mother, daughter-in-law and now even mother-in-law. Reaching this stage of age, it seems that the body is getting weaker now. Now one should also pay a little attention to oneself. So I planned a morning walk with my husband. Even when I was walking, my mind was engrossed in useless things and I was immersed in the surrounding events. I would often sit on a bench for a little rest.

A convoy of trucks passed by every day. Trucks loaded with goods passed by in front of my eyes. I watched the events there with great curiosity. I noticed that the police on duty at each of the four lanes stopped each truck, shook hands with the driver, and then the truck went ahead. This sequence continued uninterrupted. I stared at all this in amazement. I made them aware of my curiosity. Then he narrated a very exciting incident, which was the only answer to my question.

"One inspector was very honest. A simple man who is satisfied with the salary he gets. One day some of his relatives from his ancestral village came to his house for a few days. These were the last days of the month. The wife told the inspector the reason for her concern. She was very worried about how to greet the guests. The inspector also went to the police station with the same concern. At the police station, when the chief saw him worried and asked him the reason for his concern, he told him all the facts.

"Don't worry, sir," said the chief. Come with me tomorrow morning. The inspector also ran out with the Jemadar the next morning. At one point at the crossroads, the captain waited for the trucks to stop. Soon the truck started coming. The captain would stop the truck by raising the pole, shake hands, and the hand would go into the pocket and the truck would move forward. This sequence lasted for about 1 hour. Then the chief returned to the inspector. He emptied his pocket into the inspector's hat. Surprised, the inspector came to the house and took care of his guests. As long as the guest stayed, the wife did not ask for anything.

The incident he said answered all the questions that arose in my mind. Along with answering the questions, I also understood how even an ordinary employee can start playing in millions in a short time.

When I expressed my desire to share my mood with him, he said, "Priya, what you are calling a bribe is called 'Suvidha Vero' in modern language. This is the saying of 'take with one hand and give with the other'. They laughed sarcastically. "

Say 'convenience tax' or 'bribe', all these adjectives are synonymous with corruption. If we analyze it honestly, then somewhere or other we are responsible for all this. Is only the bribe taker guilty? Is it not the giver's fault? In my view, both are equally responsible.

"Whether it's getting a passport, registering a house, getting a ration card or getting some other work done, if we are determined not to pay a bribe, no matter how late the work may be, this situation is bound to end. The officer will do your job at any time. But when we carry around a bundle of notes in our pockets to get our work done, it is natural for others to be tempted. At the same time, we forget that even those who have neither the money nor the resources have to pay the penalty, ”he said.

"When I look at this incurable disease in society, I see no solution. This trade of transactions has spread to the nerves of our body. Its roots have been lost in our lives since childhood. A solution must be found. We have to resolve that no matter how difficult the situation in life may be, we must not take the wrong path. If we don't make a resolution today, this problem will remain a big question, who is to blame in the end? ”

"Priya, in a sense, your point is largely correct, but your point of view is one-sided. Our law is making the government system so strong that even a senior official in the government or an ordinary employee can dust off even the biggest influential person of the people. The police who regulate traffic can hold the largest man's car upright with their arms raised. Even if all the papers of the vehicle are correct, the police can make its currency. He can be punished. "

"Priya, this is just an example. The public is harassed in this way in every government department. So that eventually he is forced to bribe the bored. No one's truth matters here. The laws of our country are very weak for the government system.

What if the general public does? He also has to live his life. Do you think that just being honest will improve the whole system? Sometimes we become so compelled that we reluctantly fall into the mire of corruption. ”

"Priya, I think there is a need today to change this system. Strict laws should be enacted to deal with the government system so that no government employee can dare to take bribe due to fear of punishment. The population of our country is more than one and a half billion. It is not possible for this corrupt monster to raise his head if the people are determined to change the country's crumbling system. The people are the supreme power. It can bring about change through a weapon of choice. "

"Priya, I hope my words have resolved all the doubts in your mind. Maybe now you understand who is really guilty. "