Mornings in Jitendra's apartment are pretty quiet. Though he retired as a fairly high-level senior civil servant, he had not acquired many of the pretentious tastes that the government officials nurture. To develop age under the confines of a command structure of a politically charged democracy is hard on many. Most officers get into the mode of insecurity of acquiring money through favors. Restraining oneself from the abuse of office needs personal discipline and moral character. The civil service was an invention of the British. The decision was to dispatch young individuals to explore foreign countries through work, travel and experience. The "officers" as they were called were given huge subsidy on their appointment. The candidates were selected through a written and oral examination testing their ability and leadership talents. Many officers were overwhelmed with the grandeur of India's expanse and culture and made significant contributions in documenting history, customs, archaeology and linguistic features. Many also were rude, intolerant and unfit for the job. India kept the institution of civil service under the new democratic government. Building a federal government through the services of competent civil servants became a task. The subsidy and the perk method of the old system were retained. The civil service became a cushioned job that insulated the officers from the common people. The rudeness of the colonial officers was replaced by incompetence and corruption of the new officers. The good among the group took advantage of the office to develop literary skills. Historically the administration in India was always local and village based. Self-contained population units operated in peaceful settings with plenty of food and water. The areas developed their own culture, cuisine and literature. Some egomaniac kings did try to perturb the natural habitat, but such adventures were resisted. The later "kings" learned to live through the Indian inertia of village based economy. There was prosperity in the country through the production and participation of individual household. Taxing system of the Islamic rulers helped develop a bureaucracy in India. There were many levels of middle men operating as handlers and spies. The British developed this to a science of inactivity. The technique was to remove the property ownership of the individual and to have him/her depend on a government agency for survival. The degradation of India from her prominence in the world to an impoverished nation state is a sad commentary of foreign occupation. India is reeling through the remnants of colonialism. A majority of population in the country is landless and operate through daily subsistence. Their water and electricity are controlled by the officers and their employees, who act more as agents than as "servants." The democracy creates many pseudo-leaders who get busy in holding power by creating voting blocks. Missionaries and self-proclaimed "champions" help create tension among the religious groups to cause instability. It is complex. The country survives through her tradition and culture. .
Mumbai is part of a newly formed state called Maharastra where the language is Marathi. Marathi is an old Prakrit language owing its origin to the oral literature several thousand years ago. Through time, the area has developed a rich culture of etiquette, loyalty and respect. Mumbai is the financial capital of the country. My friend served as the chief of taxation in this ocean of international wealth. To come out untarnished from a pool of money is an accomplishment!
Many of my other friends who joined civil service have not been so lucky. The pressure of life causes people to veer from duty. Every person wants the family to be happy, but every person is unable to cultivate good character for himself/herself and for the family. Small abuse of power leads to larger abuse and cover up. The system is not ready to be vigilant. New institutions are being created in order to help nurture ethical conduct in public office. Some other countries in the world are operating under still dire conditions.
I am ready, my taxi showed up. airport is about forty five minutes ride, but Monday morning traffic could be bad. Jitendra escorted me downstairs to the waiting taxi. I bade farewell to various guards and service personnel in the building. They keep track of comings and goings. Face recognition is an art. Some do it very well. I believe that guards would recognize me in five years!
The airport has two terminals now. The domestic flights leave from a separate terminal. The number of flights and the number of carriers have increased quite a bit since I visited India three years back. Air India and the Tatas were keen on showing off Indian attire in public places. It has changed. The men and women serving the carriers were mostly dressed in western outfits. I thought the dress did not fit so well to the Indian body shapes. Private entrepreneurs have their own vision of marketing their product.
After booking my luggage, I went through the security check. The guards used electronic wands than the x-ray machines of the west. They were professionals and dutiful. Indian police takes its task seriously. In the whole four days I did not see a stranded motorist or a street disturbance. A trustful police force is a mark of the state of the society.
I entered the waiting hall which was crowded. There were about a dozen gates but no public service announcement. I had to check an electronic board and check the gate. I had a little time, I thought to take some breakfast. Looking around I settled at a stand with a banner "Bombay Pao". Pao is a soft bread bun made popular by the Portuguese. Slightly sweet to taste, it is served as a sandwich with spicy vegetable layered in. The stall sold raw coconut at a marked up price, but it helped me to prepare for the flight.
