Very often, one truly understands the meaning and the rationale behind a social phenomenon by experiencing it in ones life. Especially when the circumstances are amusing or awkward, they are usually a combination of the two.
Some similar happened to me when I went to a public sector bank today with my dad. The purpose of our visit was to obtain a stamped and signed bank statement (piece of cake, not). Since I’ve already mentioned that it was a public sector bank and a popular one at that, one would expect to spend about half a day just trying to get to the counter and once you’re there, suggest with as few words as possible that you are a) busy b) important.
No such thing happened in our case as my dad’s reputation preceded him, he had established his credentials over years by a) personifying both attributes b) making sure diwali & holi were not celebrated only with friends and family but also with best wishes of the best kind for bankers, officials, drivers and cleaners. Anybody who understands what it means to gift whisky and accept the appended responsibility that it conveys to those who obtain it.
Therefore, now when we were at the bank we could simply head to the other side of the counter where we would be asked to take a seat and offered chilled water in the politeness private banks only aspire/promise (yet to figure that one).
As we made our request another man stepped to the table. Even though his disposition did not suggest that he had the necessary attributes to be on this side of the counter, since he was there and talking to the executive who was supposed to reek of gifted blender’s pride, I’m sure he had at least one of the attributes. I just realize attribute b) important is more important than busy. But the following conversation did more to reinforce my doubts than to vindicate the presence of any of the attributes:
Unknown dude: Sir statement chahiye
Exec: Pass book istimaal karo,
Unknown dude: arre Sir, karva dijiye
Exec: nahi ho sakta bola na, jaiye ab, ek sec. ye bataiye , kis liye chahiye??? Koi loan lena hai
Unknown dude: Nahi Saab (as if taking a loan is a bloody crime) aapko patta hai sarkari daftar mein kaise hota (beat his balls, he’s standing in a sarkari daftar)
Exec: Passbook se kaam ho jayega
Unknown dude (in his mid 30s literally pleading): Saab pehli baar maang raha hoon, aaj se pehle kabhi nahi maangi….please karva dijiye…
Exec: (says nothing to him, turns to us) kitne mahine ki statement chahiye saab
Kuber Chopra: 3 months (Korrupt smile) “Uncle” (I met him for the first time) ek certificate bhi chahiye, aur thoda jaldi karwa denge to bahaut meharbaani hogi…
Exec: Vijender!! (the bank clerk) chopra saab ka statement aur certificate, 5 minute
The unknown dude just kept standing there while our work was done, hands were shaken, bye byes hollered. I have no clue if he got his statement.
Lessons learnt: Its not only about how expensive the whisky u gift is….
Favoritism is a fact of life, be on the right side of the counter
Learn from your dad, he always has a lesson or two to teach
4 comments:
So you basically sold 'yours'
without a hitch!
It only happens in India and the ones with that kind of power love it. If I was in that power position I will use it and maybe misuse it.
Have we all not heard of cutting lines to get our work done faster (atleast I beleive my work is more important than anyone else's then why not) Misusing power just comes very easily to us. It's in the skin
so misusing power is only skin deep...??? we could deal with that.... but try justifying wt Mayawati is upto.....the blatancy calls for a revolution
well sweetu it happens in our sarkari system all the time, and nw it has become a trend and there is no one to blame to this but only "us" we need to get ourselves right
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