Indians who leave the country’s shores for anywhere beyond 24 hours usually return and find that some things—surprise, surprise—just haven’t changed in the land of Ganga, Cauvery, Krishna and Godavari.
The chief crib of Non-Resident Indians as also of Resident Non-Indians is the monumental corruption—the sleaze, the bakshish, the graft, the mamool, the lubricating of the desi underhands back home.
But look, who’s complaining?
The Association for India’s Development (AID) conducted a survey among NRI delegates who attended the just concluded Telugu Association of North America (TANA) conference by setting up a booth expressly for the purpose.
And—no-surprise, no-surprise—81 per cent of the NRIs, which is four of every five NRIs attending the meet, said they had paid bribes at various stages in India.
According to a report in today’s The Hindu, the NRIs said they had bribed the authorities for getting International Drivers Permit and passports while leaving India. At the time of re-entering India, they had to pay bribes at the Customs and during their stay in India for getting land records.
Of course, it’s a straw poll, it could be wrong. Of course, a Telugu meet does not an NRI ocean make. Of course, there could be a huge sampling error. And, 75 per cent of the respondents may be lying when they say they haven’t heard of the Right to Information Act.
OK, admit it, what did you pay a bribe for?
And do you seriously think liberalisation and privatisation will spell finis to corruption?
A couple of years back at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport I walked through the green channel but my luggage was detained.
Upon opening my suitcases, the customs guys made me feel like I was carrying an entire Wal-Mart to India. I almost felt guilty. As a matter of fact there was only the usual stuff that most Indians get — chocolate, small gifts bought for $2 to $10, etc. Not even any electronic goods — D.N. Road/Crawford Market (Mumbai), Ranade/Laxmi Roads (Pune), Palika Bazaar (Delhi), Shivajinagar Market (Bangalore) have everything available from a pin to a ship.
I wasn’t carrying the receipts (I hadn’t expected the goods to be that valuable!) so a customs shipahi opened all the boxes and wrote an estimate. An officer, a Mr. Iyer, produced a rule book and pronounced that I had to pay a duty of Rs. 2400. When I hesitated, he said, “Sir, we will reduce it as a token gesture, but please pay Rs. 1200.”
Mr. Iyer was polite and professional. I paid the amount, even though I didn’t think any duty was fair for the routine stuff I was getting. Anyway, he promptly gave me a receipt and also his business card, and asked me to contact him for clarifications of duties in the future if I couldn’t check the rules on the Web.
I was quite impressed.
Actually I have never paid a bribe at any Indian airport. Earlier at Mumbai’s airport there used to be blue-shirted porters who’d almost grab your trolley and obligate you to pay them $5 to $50 depending on how vulnerable you looked! Nowadays that sort of behavior is stopped.
The transformation of Mumbai’s CSI airport amazes me:
(1) The musty aerobridges, tunnely walkways, dim tubelights and rough-hued cuddappah floors are all gone. Instead, we have a rather welcoming ambience.
(2) There are far more immigration counters open.
(3) And of course the luggage trolleys are free — Indian airports are the only ones I’ve seen where the trolleys are free. Most American airports charge $3 for a trolley.
But some problems remain at Mumbai’s CSI airport:
(1) Nobody ever smiles. Nobody says, “Welcome back,” or “Welcome to India” or “How are you doing today.”
(2) The taxi drivers waiting outside Mumbai airport are belligerent to say the least. There used to be a time when Mumbai’s taxi drivers were polite and honest to a fault but apparently that’s not the impression one gets nowadays.
(3) The so-called “duty free” shop is a sham. It is dusty and musty and nobody cares for you there.
(4) Snacks and soda are prohibitively expensive at the airport, even for the so-called NRI.
(4) The bathrooms are stinky — urinals are of the same color and quality as the ones at Bandra station!
(5) No decent facilities for nursing women, for children, or for older people who might need defribrillators or have a heart condition, etc. Basically, emergency services seem to be poor.
I always love going to my India!
privatisation would not recuce corruption.. it will increase. They would be called in diffrent in name. US business corruption is welknown. Public corruption is a t least punishable and socially seen as shameful. Private corruption would be papered as business expenses.
wrong question.
Wherever the State has an unaccountable set of poorly paid officers in charge of controlling/regulating economic activities of people, there will be bribes. To quote Kautilya (on corruption), “When it is in the water, Who can say how much a fish drinks or not?”
Liberalization and privatization is only partially about reducing government, and all liberalization and privatization in the world will not remove corruption in the passport office, or the Revenue service, or for that matter, in the judiciary and police.
I was once asked a bribe by a uniformed officer within a police station so that he could pass my wife’s police clearance certificate for her passport. She had to fly overseas (from work) within short notice. But I can never forget the moment, when the chap asked me quite frankly to pay up so that it would facilitate the quick dispatch of the no-obj certificate or it could get stuck in the file. This was in one of the oldest parts of Bangalore. And my family have stayed there for at least 125 years if not more.
I’ve once refused to pay a bribe. It was at the Mumbai airport. When I was returning after my MS graduation, a customs officer asked me to give him $$ in cash. Mind you, I had no goods that could be taxed or for which, duty had to be paid. He kept me there for 3 hours. FInally, his supervisor asked him to let me go. But I had to pay $80 duty (official) for a cordless phone. I had printouts of the customs laws and I know I didn’t have to. I also told him that, but he and his manager said “Mereko law mut sikhana”.
While, opportunities for corruption typically exist in monopolistic situations where demand outstrips supply (as in the case of socialist systems), some cultures are inherently corrupt. (India and China and most parts of South Asia are good examples).
Corruption exists even within the much lauded high-tech sector (companies shall remain nameless). I have heard tales of catering guys, stationary guys and other providers to these giants have to pay bribes to some admin officers to get contracts. That said, I’m certain that if the management of these companies were made aware of these rotten apples, they will be summarily dismissed. (Unlike in the public sector).
There is a faulty premise to this argument. It is because many NRIs originally had to face hurdles for getting a passport or whatever, or get harassed by officials during their visits to to the country that they complain. This is logical. Why then is this complaining considered wrong?
When one talks of NRIs it is not just the professionals or businessmen. Also think about a great number of them who are from modest means and have limited education, who often do menial jobs just so they can take care of their family back home. When faced with demands for bribes, many of them give in because they have more pressing things to take care of and do not feel confident of fighting the system. However they can still complain can’t they? Possibly if many complain, some action could be taken.
The NRI mantra:
In India do what the Indians do.
I have seen many Indian at US, they feed the corruption in India to follow the rules in US. The rules of US are regarded and the corruption in India is chided. A person whom I know, staying in US for the last 3 months got an International drivers license couriered to him — he doesnt even know a thing about driving, he hasnt ever gone to RTO at India . He cribs, “I dont know when these bribes go out of India … then ripped me of Rs 3000” — Look who is talking…!!! He continues “Man…last time when I went to India, they asked Rs1000 becuase I was carrying a DSLR… ppl are too greedy…” ( he dint want to pay customs ) — again look who is talking….
I am certainly proud that I am in the 19%. But, it is sad and quite scary to see that it’s just 19%!!!
yep, I have bribed in India. and yes, I’m ashamed of that. in the most bizarre such incident, a police constable simply told my father “we take 250 for passport inquiry” in the middle of the police station. this was after he just called us to come to the station instead of he coming to our place and making inquiries. and when he said that in front of the inspector, some lawyers and few others, we were the only ones looking aghast and stupid :)
and btw whats this nonsense abt NRIs. have we developed horns after leaving the country? guess this 81% probably applies to every Indian. or perhaps NRI’s bribe more since they have to put up with more governance before they leave.
Mr Alok,
It is not the poor who are corrupt, they may get tips of Rs.5/-, and get caught and go to the prison, but it is the rich with political links who are corrupt to the tune of crores of Rs. and get away scot free. This grop invariably join the ruling party and save their skin.
I have bribed Rs.200 to get my birth certificate. The bureaucratic process by design is rent seeking (sucking). The rent is inversely proportional to the amount of patience one has.
I agree with Balaji, why should one assume that NRIs are any different from the resident Indian? To be clear, an NRI is an INDIAN living outside the boundaries of the nation due to work obligations, education or some other reason. On the way in/out of the country, he/she may hit more bureaucratic process (read corruption traps ) than an average resident Indian.
I am sure that this survey can very well ring true for the resident Indians as well.
Lastmonth Stud!
I doubt you got to where you are by not paying a single bribe! I doubt it very much.
Guess where do the sons and daughters of these corrupt officials land for education and training? I have a relative who was a high ranking officer working in a large company in India which had close links US companies. His company bought goods and services from these US companies and he bent the tendering process to feather his nest. As a result, his son’s fee for MS in Computer Science was paid by one US company, and another US company employed him after his graduation. This relative also managed to get his son into an IIT for undergraduate studies earlier by pulling enough strings and ‘you scratch my back and I will scratch yours’ deal. I can narrate at least half-a-dozen stories such as the above and the sons/daughters concerned since became NRIs and live in US. I agree corruption is rmpant in officialdom in India and companies in Western countries particularly US have fueled this culture.
Watch SIVAJI, the BOSS
For those of you that don’t know… here’s how it works in USA!!!
Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House in D.C..One from New York , another from Tennessee and the third, Florida .
They go with a White House official to examine the fence.
The Florida contractor takes out a tape measure and does some Measuring,
then works some figures with a pencil. “Well,” he says, “I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.”
The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says,
I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.”
The New York contractor doesn’t measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, “$2,700.”
The official, incredulous, says, “You didn’t even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?”
The New York contractor whispers back, “$1,000 for me, $1,000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.”
“Done!” Replies the government official.
heheheeee. that was good, dharma.
Dharma
It is a good one. our people will take the hint.
Hope all our friends see the blog!
When i was 17-18 (We lived in Malleswaram, 11th mn) at around 5.00 PM, while parking my TVS XL on sampige road, i reversed to occupy a place being vacated without realizing it was a one way..10 feet of driving the wrong way for parking.
I was promptly caught by a policeman. He neither gave me a ticket nor told me the next step. After overcoming my initial nervousness i asked him what shall we do??
He walked with me all the way to malleswaram police station, made me wait outside. I was unwilling to offer any bribe, my contention was that i was just parking my vehicle and not driving in the wrong way and he was reluctant to ask for any.
He said the SI will be coming any moment. Around 7.30 PM i asked him i will leave the vehicle and come back in the morning.
He told me that there are thieves here, you better take your vehicle and go !!
I came back feeling mildly triumphant, still knowing what i had achieved…….
I have two more incidents to narrate, one where i had a brush with communists, and another with an Senior Official of the Govt. actually a couple of them.
Can I have the link to learn the Customs Rules, as I will be arriving to Mumbai International Airport shortly after a years time.