16. Of position, language and misuse!


Venue: Rajgarh Road
Time: 8 pm
Day: 27th April, 2014

I got off my car after parking it. Armed with my camera, I marched towards the sedan parked in an oblong manner on the busy but narrow Rajgarh Link Road. I closed in on the car and before I could click my fourth picture, a lady jumped out of the car and starting shouting, "Hey, what are you doing?" and then again in Hindi. I told her "I am clicking pictures of your car 'cause you have parked it beautifully on the road." She started shouting and I asked her why she was shouting. It is their fault that they have parked the car in a way which is proving to be difficult for traffic. The woman simmered down somewhat saying her husband has gone to get ice-creams for her child. I asked her why couldn't they park their car in a proper place and walk to buy the ice-creams. She continued arguing her stand while I continued to ask for reasons why a car from Manipur would show their bureaucratic high-handedness in an extremely busy city like Guwahati, which faces traffic problems everyday. Soon though the husband arrives at the scene and asks, "What happened? What happened?" I told him I have a problem with your car being parked in the way you have done. He told me, "We are going now na! We just parked for 2 seconds!" I said, "Really? Do you know what 2 seconds can do to the traffic jam of the city?" He asked me, "Are you the police?" I said, "Yes, I am!" He said, "Okay, I am also the police!" I told him, "If you are the police, then why are you the one to break the rules." With nothing much to say and looking thunderous, as if I was at fault, he got into the car. While speeding off, the wife starting showing obscene signs at me. Wow! Sir, Madam, you might be moving around in a car allotted to you by the Government of Manipur but you seem to have shown your true colours of where you come from!

So what do we call this? Bureaucratic high-handedness? Bad education? Use of power and position? 

And by the way, what is the child sitting in the rear seat of the car going to learn from his parents? 

No one was bothered as is always the case with people of Guwahati even when they saw this car bearing No.MN 01W 0285 parked 'badly' right under their noses. There were young men standing in groups along the entire strip of the lane. They are either too busy gossiping about nothing, the weather, politics (with no exhaustive study) and the change they so badly need or maybe watching the derriere of young girls clad in their skin tight denims and passing snide remarks. But no one, read that as not one single gentleman noticed the sedan parked in an oblong manner. The feverish summer sweaty heat might have blinded them from seeing anything at all! And all the while that I argued, the 'young men' stood at a safe distance watching the 'fun'. 

And then they talk of a change? What change? 

Instead of going to watch the scenic beauty and places of tourist interest in Europe and England, people should notice a thing or two about the values those countries follow; their behaviour on the streets and otherwise. It would do everyone some good if they implemented it back in India. Why do we keep repeating the same old story of "When in Rome, be a Roman" but when in India, we go back to behaving like a rustic? 

Do we as Indians of any state or closer home, as Guwahatians have anything to lose if we do something meaningful for the society. Why can't we get up and say a wrong is a wrong. Do we need a group or a leader to do that for us? I don't think so. The leader is inside each one of us. We just need to strengthen the leader inside us. 

And Mr. and Mrs. Bureaucrat from Manipur, you could do better with the position you hold. Spewing expletives is so passe. You could have come across as well-mannered people if you could have gracefully said, "Sorry, it was a mistake. We will not park our car like this again." Is it asking too much? The British have left long back. Imperialism is history. Get down to being more humane and get off that age-old concept of 'babugiri' you hold so close to your heart. It's not going to get you anywhere! And by the way, look behind you! Your child is watching you!

Applause for this bureaucrat!

This car is parked right on top of the road!