Where is Anna and Ramdev ?

People have a short term memory and this has been proved again. Suddenly Anna Hazare and Company with Baba Ramdev have gone into oblivion. What happened to Lokpal, what happened to corruption? Questions remain, without any answers. The Euphoria is over and every body is back to their own work.

Media is busy harping on some other story. I always wonder, where is corruption and what is it that we all are fighting for. As a common man if we try and sum up the number of bribes which we were forced to give in our life time then the figure may not even go to more than Rs. 10,000/ - ( as of 2011). The only places where a common man is "forced" to bribe or indulge in corrupt practice in his personal life is when he obtains a driving licence, passport and marriage certificate. I do not count the bribes which we pay to the police since they are invariably because we have some where broken the law and want to escape with milder punishment. If these are the only three known areas where I can think of corruption or to be honest have faced corruption, then what are these thousand of cores of rupees of corruption which everybody wants to end. Does the common man really know what is going on and what is he trying to stop.

Indeed there may be corruption while you do business, want to sell products, get contracts or want to win elections, run a political party, but again how closely is the common man associated with it. Lokpal Bill seems to be a strange case of corrupt people trying to stop corruption. Common man continues to be miles away from this entire drama , a silent spectator and an active participant ocassionaly when he is fooled and made to believe that he only can stop corruption! If Lokpal Bill is passed as it was contemplated by Anna Hazare or even Ramdev then would it discourage Businessmen or Agents from paying kick backs, would it prevent Horse Trading which takes place when Parliament is in session, Highly educated IAS Officers from taking money while giving away permission and sanctions ? I suppose none of this would stop nor would Lokpal be a deterrent.

Department of Posts have changed for good

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Post Office in Bengali Market, New Delhi. It was a pleasant surprise when I reached there, plush interiors, ample light, well ventilated, neat and clean, counters open at the designated time, above all an officer on duty to attend you with a smile. These things are quite unexpected from the Department of Posts, especially if you were to see the past history and also the way they have progressed (rather stayed the same) since inception. I was really very happy to note this welcome change and conveyed to the officer that I was really happy with this change and wished him good luck. He was also taken aback as he was not used to receiving compliments !  Iguess I made him smile and also his day.

People who have read and heard Pu La Deshpande (legendary Marathi Play Writer, Novelist, Actor etc etc. ) and his comments on "POSHT" would surely know what I am talking about. Pu La Deshpande had described the Post Office some Fifty odd years ago as poorly ventilated and dimly lit place, an officer whose face you could never see because of the manner in which the windows were designed. These things sadly never changed in all the fifty years and were the same across all over India whether it was Maharashtra, Gujarat , Delhi or Himachal Pradesh, urban or rural, the description held good and Pu La Deshpande would be smiling in the heavens that his description has stood the test of times.

When I saw the board which was on display, I came to know about "Project Arrow" under which the Post Office was renovated somewhere in November 2010. I was real taken aback since the place was very well maintained unlike other Public Property. Even after lapse of more than one year, Neat and clean, no pan stains. Apart from the occasional lapse which was the reason for many jokes in circulation, the efficiency of the Post Department is probably amongst the best and such welcome changes in the ambiances at Post Offices would surely attract more people to the Post Office. There are myriad and unbelievable things which you can do at the Post office apart from the conventional sending of letters. Just visit once and experience it for your own good.

I have overheard that the Department of Posts is now planning to obtain a full fledged licence to enter into Banking Business. It would be really great if it so happens for the rural populace since the local post office is the only connection which they have with the outside world.This model is running very well in France and I am sure it would run in a better way in India as well.