The more you give, the more they want

The more you give, the more they want

the Single parent was afraid he might have to pay a hefty bribe to get his son's passport. He instead ended up changing the application process

We have grown up hearing that bribing is the only way to get our work done at any Indian government office and, many a time, even in the private sector. Bribes are popular at the RTO, ration card office, passport office, train reservations, house registration, gas and telephone connections and, many a time, even for a good job opportunity. It may seem to you that life is hell if we do not bribe.
In 2007, I adopted my son Arjun as a single man (I was not married then) and applied for his passport. The application was pending at the passport office (PO) for almost four months. I was called to the PO at least 8-10 times with my papers, made to wait in queues, and was told that the senior officer will get back to me. I mentally prepared myself to pay a hefty bribe. But I was soon in for a big shock.
I visited the PO with all the necessary documents again to explain my side of the story. The officer was a typical government officer. He looked at me with a bored expression, a stare that told me to get out of his office as he had enough work and needed a break from his life and his job. The piles of paper around him made me feel even more worried about the amount he will ask me. Through his spectacles, he explained the problem to me in an uninterested tone. He said that the new computerised system had a mandatory section where the mother's name was needed. The officials could not move to the next page for my son's application because the mother's name was missing. Hence the delay.
I realised that in India, adoption laws were only for single women but not for single men. The officer told me that I will have to meet the systems in-charge, show all the legal adoption papers, and discuss the case with him. He said this may take a few weeks or even months. It looked like he was hinting to me to open my wallet for him and his juniors, which would turn months into weeks and maybe weeks into days. It is difficult to offer a bribe when the officer does not clearly say anything. I gathered the courage to ask him how much tatkal payment would be needed.
The officer's tone suddenly changed. "Sandip sir," he said. "I have seen such a case for the first time. I will take you to the systems manager. You will not have to pay any bribe or 'tatkal fee'. We will have to make a complete new page in our system. Your case will help us change the way we work. Please come with me and help us create this new page."
I was taken aback. I went with him to meet the systems manager, who was very helpful and after seeing my legal adoption papers, made the necessary changes. Arjun got his passport within a month. Today, if a single man applies for his child's passport, he will not have to stand in long lines and make futile visits . I am glad the officers at the passport office helped me and other single men who followed my case.
This incident made me develop respect for the Indian government working system. I still hold high regard for the officers at the passport office who helped me. But when, recently, I went to the Andheri court to claim my jewellery that had been robbed a few months ago from my house, I faced trouble. Everyone around wanted money — from the lawyers to the peons to even the judge! The higher the price of the item, the bigger their mouth opened. But I have decided that I will not pay even a penny to these monsters, and that I will wait for my case to get solved in a clean manner. The jewellery is now in police custody. It is in safe hands and some day, it will come to me. But I will not allow corrupt officials to make money on this.
I hope all those people like me who have suffered or are suffering in a case, please remember the good that's happened too, and keep the faith that things will work in your favour. Giving a bribe means encouraging more of it, so please stop offering bribe.
The writer is a dancer and choreographer