Roots of Corruption

Scene-1:

Bus Conductor: Saar Ticket??

Guy: Next Stop. (Hands over Five Bucks)

Conductor: (Returns a two rupee coin, no ticket)

Scene-2:

Cops stop a biker.

Cop: Yellipa lissensu?

Guy: (Shows the License), Saar yella documentsu ide.

Cop: Over-speeding, 73 kilometeru!

Guy: Saar aduuu… aduuuuuuu….

Cop: Fine-u 300 rupaiee..

Guy: Saar, student saar, adjust maadi. (Handing him 50 bucks, making sure nobody notices it)

Scene-3:

Smoking in a Train or a Railway Station.

Scene-4:

Government Office, Gas-Connection or Water Connection.

Now my question is, how many times have you been the Guy in any one of the above scenario. There is no particular survey on it. (Considering 80% of the surveys are made-up). If there was one, it would read, “On an average, a normal Indian has faced 2 of the above situations at least twice a year”.

So, if we have been the Dude in the scene-1, will it make us corrupt? –No.

But, we are doing our bit in encouraging it. How many times have you in this scenario had courage to ask the conductor for ticket? Were you proud of saving that one buck on a four rupee ticket? Or were you scared that the conductor will throw you out?

The fact is that Roots of Corruption are strongly developed in our society. It begins from the day the child takes up errands at home. When for the first time your mother thinks you are capable of getting vegetables from the market in your locality. At first, it is the two bucks left from the shopping worth 50, to those text books you never buy or the fee for the tuitions which you have never attended.

We have all been corrupt at one point or other, to the extent of our reach. While we have been flicking Rs.2 as a kid- our politicians have been making Crores in Multi-Crore projects. Yet, corruption of this magnitude is tolerable.

1. When your mother asks you to get tomatoes worth 20 bucks, you don’t go to the market and but substandard tomatoes worth 5, which is the case with most of the Government scams.

2. When you are asked to buy a kilo Onions, you don’t tell your mother it costs 150 per kg when it is 25. As in CWG Scam.

3. This is closest analogy I could get for the Yeddi Mining Scam- when your mother asks you to clean up scrap paper and plastic goods from house, you don’t take the important stuff at home and throw it away as scrap to have those few extra bucks.

If in all the above cases mother is replaced with India, our Politicians will have a lesson to learn.

No doubt Anna’s fight woke us up. But, India at this point needs awakening beyond just fighting the Rajas, the Kilamdis, the Yeddis or the Reddys.

India at this point needs a bigger fight, fight against the system which fails the moral values, the ethics of our society. We need to fight against ourselves.

Lokpal bill will be just a small step, a small Battle in the War against Corruption.

You and me.

Today when I finally hold you here close to me. Looking back at all the troubles I have faced to get to you. All the reasons which have kept me away from you, all the times when I felt like giving up on you. There were times when on the journey to get you- I was asked to forget it and move on. Looking at you now, in my hands, I think- after all you are just a piece of paper which reads "provisional degree certificate".

My White Helmet

For all those who know me, I took humiliating long time to complete my Engineering. In my time at BMS, I saw SM Krishna as one of the best Chief Ministers, Dharam Singh as a Joke, Kumar Swamy as a 'thali ka baigan', the Rise of BJP and fall of Yedurappa.

It was humiliating, so much so that when I applied for my PDC I was shocked myself that I almost made it 60%. I was so tempted to post that I am finally, a BE (Mechanical), with Ph D in Heat and Mass Transfer, Mechanical Vibrations, Machine Design and Basic Electronics.

No regrets for my past, I have seen my share of highs and a lot more lows. If given a chance to blame I do have poor health, a freak attendance shortage, a food poisoning episode, but I need to learn to agree that I have been a big Idiot. But, BMS is a place where I have become a complete person, from a shy guy who was shivering to give his introduction to one the who lead a team to one of the biggest departmental fest in BMS. I have realised my potentials and has helped a few on that as well.

While at this journey, I had lost hopes, I had lost all the interest in being an Engineer, never found proud in what I was doing. Glad I stood to fight.

White Helmet

With my exposure at BMS and thanks to my friends, I had a good first Job where I got experience in Business Development, Brand Development and Training Industry.

And with just 2 days in my new job, working on a site. I feel proud that I have earned my WHITE HELMET. I am proud that I am an Engineer.

Bas Goa Bus

Twenty Five years from now when, like Ted, I am telling my kids the story of "How I met your Mother", there are not many things I would tell them not to do. I want them to learn from their experiences. But, there is one thing I would tell, "Kids, never travel by a Goa Transport Bus".
Not that I have been a crazy traveler and visited all exotic places all round. But, I have been somewhat crazy with the modes of Transport. I have gone through all the shit I could- Traveling.

For starters, I have traveled extensively in Raichur Buses, on a week-end basis in Raichur-Gulbarga Intercity. I have traveled in Tumkur Private buses, to be specific Pavagada, where I had to stand on one foot so that I don't stamp on fresh dropping from the sheep below the adjacent seat. Slept on Newspapers with Shoes as Pillow. Took a drop in a truck carrying coconut shells, sitting on the comfort of dry coconut shells. And after all this when I say a Goa Bus was the worse, I would let your imagination run wild for a while.

When I was a kid I used to sit with my grand-father at a Library he owned, just across the Library was District Central Jail, the buses used to park right opposite to our Library, I used to be petrified when the were parked right in front of my eyes. The moment I stepped into this bus it got me back the old frightening memories. Now, thinking of it, Goa Kadamba Buses are surely discarded buses from all the Karnataka Central Jails.

Go Goa! Seriously?

Well I boarded this bus at an unknown place called Ramnagar, Westen Ghats, around 30kms from Dandeli, I was enjoying the freshness of cleanest air in Karnataka, while just 2 steps into the Bus it vanished, which was taken over by a strange smell which was blend of all the things I hated. Alcohol, after effects of excess Alcohol. Trust me the smell was so horrible that I used to smell my sweaty jacket to feel better. And when finally I got a seat I was greeted by a passenger with a unique style which my friends back in Hostel called "OMLETing"

"What Happens at Vegas, stays at Vegas", does not apply to Indian Vegas. At least the under-aged couple next seat having difficulty with the infant stands testimony to "What Happens at Goa, does not stay at Goa".

But an hours and a half drive on National Highway- 4A, will make you forget everything. It also made me forget that the direction I was headed to.

To my defense- A conductor standing at the Bus door and shouting "Madhgaon", or Margao sounds like Belgaum.

Two hours of bus ride in the most crappiest Bus, and the best bus Route. I ended up in Ponda, four hours away from my destination, Belgaum.

Anyway, guys there is a lot more in Goa than portrayed in movies and stuff, trust me if you haven't covered NH-4A on the way to Goa then there is no point going to Goa. 

Truly Majestic

Nothing good happens after 2am. True for the sitcom followers in US. But, back here in India. Nothing good can ever happen after 11pm.

Getting stuck at one of the biggest Bus-Terminus in Asia at 12.15am. In a city which sleeps slight earlier than the most of the others of its size in India, I was just looking for an escape to get out like any ordinary person.



But I was determined to get the best of it, I got to know that I had to wait 45 mins more to get my bus to RT Nagar. So I decided to take a stroll around and see some interesting people and hear some interesting conversations. Few things to note.

1. Beware of Rats if you are stuck at that place at that time. *I miss my old wildcraft bag*
2. No clean place is safe to sit.
3. You should be either crazy, too drunk, very unlucky or people from the oldest profession in the world to be at Majestic at 1am.
4. At every alternate platform you will find aspiring politicians.
A typical conversation [No fun if I translate] Guy-1: "Avanammun HDR, loveday ka baal, en en madlilla"
Guy-2: "Illa Guru, nin yaake haag maddiya"
Guy-1: "avan ajji dadya nan, matadtini avange, nammun, next ticket naane, naan nintkontini election ge" 
{The Guy took three attempts to stand straight when he was saying the above line, just imagine him standing for elections}
5. Carry exact change with you, at that time you are at the helm of conductor if you have to reach home.

It all ended as great as it could I got over carried by a stop and walking down Munireddy palya at 2 is seriously a challenge I would pay 100 bucks people ready to take up.

The Men in Blue in Asia Cup Football, for the first time since Kapil Dev!

Cricket, Cricket, Cricket... Aarrrghhhhh..... Lets take a break and talk about something else, lets talk about the most famous sport in the World, no again thats not Cricket my friends, its Football, and lets talk about Indian football! Well, here is something to rejoice for Indian Football fans. The Indian Football Team is playing at the Asia Cup for the first time in 27 years, not much to be proud of, as we are one of the 6 teams, including the hosts Qatar to get a Direct entry to the Finals, others include Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Korea Replublic and Korea DPR. Not just that we have been drawn into a tough group with heavyweights Australia, South Korea and Bahrain, who are ranked 26, 28 and 93 according to FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, while India is the least ranked team of the tournament, ranked 142.

Well, this is an achievement for a country obsessed with cricket, as the only time we had done this was when Cricket was gaining momentum, a year after “Kapil’s Devils” lifted the damn cup. I am not sure who to blame more, the Indian Cricket Team of 1983 or that guy Bhuvan (from “Lagaan”) who had better played Football instead.

Well, anyway, my excitement was short-lived watching Indian Team play at this level. We were playing the tournament favorites, Australia, who are Asia’s top ranked team. Well, more than anything, it was a mis-match TOP -vs- BOTTOM placed team. But the game gave me hope of watching our national team play at a higher level in the days to come.

I at first wanted to write about the game, but, what more do I write? Out attack sucked, defense was terrible and there was no mid-field. But bravo to Subrata Paul, who is my choice for Man of the Match, even after conceding 4 goals, he was the only entertainment for Indian fans. We missed Bhaichung Bhutia big time, and Sunil Chhetri didn’t live up to the hype. Well, I don’t blame him; it looked like we played with 8 defenders and 2 strikers and nobody bridging the gap. But Chhetri has pace and needs a partner to make him utilize it. We lost 4-0.

The next two matches were dis-appointing as well as, but the silver-lining was we improved a lot, we had mid-field linking with the attack. Defense had no idea what they were into and Subrata Paul established himself as probably the best Goal-Keeper of the League Stages. But. I have hopes that this tournament has done a lot good to the Sport in this Country. Hope that the Game improves and could at least see India qualify for this tournament and not get a ‘bye’.

Bye Bye.

Isspheshal Compartment

Blogging fever was on and it was spreading like a wild fire, I thought I was immune enough till this day to catch it late, or it has something to do with my friends saying that I catch up with things late. Nah! I guess not, all it has to do is with this amazing experience of my journey in a handicap compartment.
I was unlucky, rather kinda lucky to miss my train, well I did try the “Jab We Met” style, but didn’t find the “Mintrox” guy to pull me up and say “Thank you toh bolo brother”.
Thus missed the train had to wait for another, thanks to Laloo’s strictness in Railways, I had to look for seat or rather space to set my foot in a general compartment, as this was my first trip in such a situation, my routine Raichur-Gulbarga trips of at least thrice a year became unique, totally unforgettable.
With loads of pushing and shelling I ended up in handicap compartment, for most of us lucky and blessed: Indian Railways has provisions (reservations) for handicap people, a special coach, well precisely only a single berth at the end of goods coach, with only two long seats and space less than any office compartment, probably smaller than my last hostel toilets.
And handicap people need to carry a documentary proof, if you are without an arm or a leg you are not a handicap unless you carry a piece of paper with your photo and a few signatures of corrupted bureaucrats, I have no clause of Indian Law as to how this is justice.
Now the scene:
Just two seats facing each other, two above them, rest some empty space, more than 18 people on seats supposed to be for 8 less fortunate. There were a few handicaps from what I could see there was one guy with some knee cap kind of thing and an uncle with jaipur-leg.
According to rules, a handicap can get an accomplice with him. But, those who were actually handicap had just their problems to accompany them. Just hanging myself tight with no other option for next 3hours, I was firm to capture this journey in my memory for long. To get it on paper as soon as I’m set free. I was lucky enough as someone visibly stronger than me but had polio offered me a seat besides him on the upper berth. Now, I was in a better position to observe things from a broader perspective.
Now a guy with a Jackie Chan stunt pulled himself up to find himself a place opposite to me on the other upper berth, then pulled his kid up, making himself comfortable there, then starting to shout on the guy next to him to make place for his kid, reminding me of Urdu saying: “Jiska galla, uska Allah”, “You have voice, God is on your side”. All he had was a certificate and some knowledge to manipulate with the laws of land. Reposing that each of his family member is comfortable. Blackmailing anyone trying to question his moves, well this was a small thing, damn crowded everyone eagerly waiting for the next station to come to get more breathing space, it did happen, 2 got-down 10 got-in.
Well summers in our region are horrible and you need to constantly re-hydrate yourself, I was carrying a litre water bottle with me for the purpose, but bigger people have bigger requirements, there was a middle-aged couple who came in some smaller town, even had to quench their thirst in a bigger way, they carried a pot of water, it went unnoticed until, it tumbled-off, to create an unmatched chaos, I swear, I had never heard swearing in 5 South-Indian languages at once, sure a show of integrity. Or even unity in diversity. Well here water acted for a purpose it isn’t supposed to be, all it did was raising tempers.
Amazing events till the end of the journey, making the most memorable journey of my life. If in this journey instead of crying “damn it”, if I would had repeated some holy verses, I am sure I could have booked my seat in heaven. But, a journey worth a lifetime.