My initiation into a morally bankrupt society

[Solomon2]

Taimur Arbab
A sub-editor at The Express Tribune and former student of politics and economics at LUMS who leans towards the left side of the political spectrum.

taimur.arbab (AT) tribune.com.pk

My initiation into a morally bankrupt society

“Sir, at the end of the day, even over there, you will be delayed if you do not give some ‘kharcha pani’ (bribe). Those who do are preferred over those who don’t.” PHOTO: AFP

A few days back, taking advantage of my weekly holiday, I decided to renew my passport. Fearing that a late arrival at the passport office would lead to having to wait in a never ending line, I made sure I reached the premises at around 8 am.

Having paid the renewal fee of Rs3,000, I joined a few others, who also wanted to take advantage of the early hours.

At the same time, there were many ‘shady’ agents outside, who were keen on offering their ‘expertise’ for down-the-table payment. I brushed them off, thinking that after all; it was only a matter of getting the passport renewed.

Who needed to indulge in a bribe?

What I didn’t realise was that I was about to learn my first practical lesson for survival in a Pakistani society.

What followed was a real encounter with the wretched moral carcass of our society.

At about 9 am, the doors of the facility opened and we were asked to form a queue.

When my turn came, to my utter surprise, one of the lower staff officers did not allow me to enter, citing the fact that my NIC was from a district, which was administered by the Saddar branch only.

The same official had taken a look at my NIC earlier too, when I had asked him for advice, upon arrival. At that time, he had not informed me of any such prospective problem.

Disappointed to have wasted my day, I turned to leave; it was too late to go to the other branch now and start the whole process there from scratch.

As I started to leave, one of the agents approached me and told me straight up;

“Sir, your passport can be made from here and you do not need to worry at all.”​

I was surprised at his optimism but he continued,

“A payment of Rs1,000 will solve the problem sir, Rs200 will be my share and the rest go to the ‘kitty’”​

I weighed my options.

What could I do?

Should I just go home, come at a later date, for another experience of having to wait in line, just to have my passport renewed or should I just hand him the money and be done with it now? I was in a fix.

The agent opposite me, reading my mind, clarified the matter for me stating,

“Sir, at the end of the day, even over there, you will be delayed if you do not give some ‘kharcha pani’ (bribe). Those who do are preferred over those who don’t.”​

I made my decision.

I was a part of a morally moribund society, where ‘money’ was the only power. Moral didactics were better left to textbooks and flimsy dreams of a utopia that didn’t exist; I was a part of society which had taken its last breath of morality and principles quite a long time ago.

Upon assenting, an official from inside the building came to receive me.

Within the next thirty minutes, all the processes of data entry, picture taking, biometric fingerprints and passport verification were expedited and I was done.

While those who had come with me still waited at different points in the whole inefficient process, I was done.

The official who had barred me earlier was unable to look me in the eye throughout the event.

I came back and made the payment.

The agent noticed my father’s picture in the wallet, with him donning an army uniform.

As cherry on top of the icing, the man looked at me and eagerly exclaimed,

“Oh sir, you are a fool, you should have asked your father to come along with you. All of these officials work straightforwardly only when they see an army wala!’
​

I shook my head with disgust and went off.

I had given a bribe to the ‘system’ and this was my first occasion of having done so. I felt I had wronged but I did not feel the guilt for it.

I felt like I had just been initiated into a society I never knew I would have to be a part of.

Read more by Taimur here.

 

[AUz]

Taimur Arbab a sub-editor at The Express Tribune

 

[Ignited Mind]

lol is this news, might be for a foreigner but for us in this part of the world, it's a part of our daily lives.

I have myself paid a bribe on many occasions. In fact, now I don't even feel a thing while shelling out a few bucks to save my time and energy.

The other day I paid Rs. 100 to a ticket checker to get a berth on a train. I can't stand for 8 hours continuously inside a train. In fact, in coutries as heavily populated as ours, getting a train ticket booked, at least in India, is a war effort in its own right.

I can support Anna Hazare (the famous anti-corruption crusader in India) and I do but I cannot be an Anna Hazare myself and I doubt many of us here can be.

This is a very famous Indian website full of accounts by people who have paid bribes:

http://www.ipaidabribe.com/

In fact, if you visit the site, you'll also find a tab named 'Honest Officials' with people stating incidences where they DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY A BRIBE.

So I guess there are still good people among us.

 

[Icewolf]

What a loser... Almost everyone in SA has had to do a bribe... If this "Taimur" hates it so much why not he become a Taimur Hazare?

We can't do anything until incompetent and corrupt govt stops this. Until then, we have to play along.

 

[Hulk]

Bribe is part of society in India too, we are so corrupt to the core that if someone tries to clean, they hardly get any support. Example of Anna movement, pretty much everyone opposed them in Indian bureaucratic and political class. I know he was supported by public for some time but that support vanished soon.

I know lot of people will be surprised, but there is a lot I can talk about.

 

[Ignited Mind]

I don't believe the BS that corruption propagates from the ground. Whoever told you so was lying.

The common man has been forced to give a bribe just to get the job done. Not everybody can be a politician and clean up the system. The clean-up must start from the top.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I am 66 now. I have been interacting with USA federal, state and local bureaucratic officials since I was 15 and went to get my first driver's license. I have never been asked for a bribe nor ever encountered a situation where one would have given me better treatment. In 50 years!

 

[Ignited Mind]

I am 66 now. I have been interacting with USA federal, state and local bureaucratic officials since I was 15 and went to get my first driver's license. I have never been asked for a bribe nor ever encountered a situation where one would have given me better treatment. In 50 years!

Well, of course, in western countries, the problem is limited to corruption at very large levels and in department which do not directly deal with the public. In fact, the Global financial crisis in itself was triggered by acts of corruption on part of major financial companies on Wall street.

In our countries though, corruption is there AT ALL LEVELS.

 

[Hulk]

I am 66 now. I have been interacting with USA federal, state and local bureaucratic officials since I was 15 and went to get my first driver's license. I have never been asked for a bribe nor ever encountered a situation where one would have given me better treatment. In 50 years!

Dude you are talking about US, life is not same. Bribery happens mostly when the population is largely poor and also the population is high. US I have lived for 4 years now, when I go to a government office, I always get surprised at the way they deal with us, politely.

 

[forcetrip]

If the United States had all its population crammed into the state of Texas we could very well see you selling more than just your soul to get a drivers license.