It is unique and unlike the one across any counter of a mall. Card swiping or issuing a check is out of question. It is cash and cash only all the way – without a receipt!
The alphabet B precedes G, but not in real life. The catch-22 situation is like which came first “the egg (or) the hen? How did they meet and what is binding them together?
Whatever it is, once initiated, this vortex goes-on like a run-away nuclear or a chemical reaction or cell division.
Simply stated, G & B embrace a multi-disciplinary approach and transcend national boundaries. Even the high seas are not exempted.
The safeguard, in the nuclear reactor is a moderator, which slows down the fission reaction. Chemical reactions can be frozen and cell divisions can be regressed through therapies.
The anatomy of bribe and greed is like that of conjoined twins. One cannot do with out the other. The emotion of one affects the other.
In this situation, “who is driving whom” becomes irrelevant. Surgical separation is dear and fraught with risks.
Who will bell the cat - to separate G from B or vice versa, paving way to deal with them one by one?
The Bystander is at his wit’s end when even a small work needing another person’s assistance, automatically boils down to this two alphabets – G & B.
The small work could be getting a signature, passing a test with personal appearance, residence change certification or a registration.
The seeker gets to call at the office of ‘so and so’ only to be told that the ‘so and so’ has just left on another work. By the time he logs three or four such visits, a sympathiser will approach.
He joins,bystander, in cursing the system and at the appropriate moment lets out the secret – I know somebody who can do this for a consideration- in a hushed tone as if delivering the dialogue in a spy movie.
Flustered with his earlier failures, the seeker relents. Presto! A signed declaration is sealed and delivered, by speedy hands.
The identity of the dieties,gracing the inner sanctum sanctorium,is not revealed and it is needless to say the spoils are shared, not necessarily equitably.
Bystander understood, after a few visits to various places/offices that the public are at the mercy of G & B. Public weighs the time spent Vs the result , by equating it to a few currency notes.
It needs a just born baby to tell you that the equation is heavily loaded in favour of G & B. So what to do? Doff your hat and carry on with the help of a nearby sympathiser.
Perturbed, the Bystander started to write down the list of reforms he would like to propose, to set the malady right. His initial jottings continued into pages.At the end of that exercise he concluded that moralising, enacting tighter laws, ushering in e-seva and a host of other measures are not going to help.
Is there a cure in existence for the disease generated by G & B? What is its breeding ground? How can it be terminated (or) at least controlled? Bystander felt like being weighed down in a sea of agitation.
After his extensive research, Bystander stumbled up on a simple solution. If, by a miracle, both the seeker and giver decide to wait, process as per rules respectively, the wretched G & B will vanish.
This will be the moderator to tame the proliferation. He knew that changes will not occur over -night, but a beginning would have to be made somewhere.
Tormented by his inner conscience, Bystander turned to Muser for advice. Though Muser suffered similar pangs, he had no solution to offer – for the twin maladies.
Muser counselled Bystander with a touch of philosophy. He said, “Go with the crowd (or) swim with the current (or) understand that a drop of water added or removed will not make the Ocean happy or unhappy”
Muser’s earthly philosophy galvanised Bystander to formulate many action plans:
Plan A :
1.To become an elected representative and tirelessly work, from within. His inner voice cautioned that he can’t just like win an election.
2.To become a whistle blower. His inner voice reminded him of the ordeals of Assange, Snowden and quality inspectors (with NHAI & IOC) in India.
3.Form a Citizen’s Forum to persuade all to declare their assets – netas, babus and et all.
His inner voice strongly reacted: To whom, God? In what format? After, a few debate? On what day, 15th August or 26th January?
It gently reminded him of the many resignation dramas enacted by our elected representatives, boiling down to non-submissions in relevant formats.A publicised A-bomb with out the initiating charge. Critical to 'mass' or critical mass?
Undaunted, Bystander unfolded his further plans.
Plan B:
1.Start a movement to banish words such as bribe, greed and declare them words non grata.
His inner was bombarded him with question like “what if corruption, craft and speed money do not die? “What if, some wild mind comes up with another set of equally powerful words?
Bystander fell silent for a moment and decided to play the last trump card.
Plan C:
1.The nature’s gift of air, water and food held the key to the universal gateway.
2.He decided to enlist the support of geneticists to study and modify these key essentials, to act on the human RNA & DNA, to mutate and suppress these traits(G & B), at least in the future generations.
Bystander is still struggling to come to terms with this many headed Hydra called greed, bribe, corruption, graft and speed money. Care to help him? His help line is: .........
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