Rights and wrongs
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Having lived all my life in India, I am still amazed at how inefficient we are as a country. Recently I decided to get my mother’s passport renewed and we duly filled out the reissue (as the MEA classifies a renewal) form. My mother, who is 73 years old and unable due to several health problems to go the passport office herself, decided to use an agent to help with submitting the form at the regional passport office. The agent who claimed that his father had been in the MEA and therefore had access to all those who matter in the passport office promised that the passport would be with us in a month’s time, as promised by the MEA on its website. It’s almost been two months, and there is still no sign of the renewed passport. My mother has lived at the same address for the last 25 years. Her name remains unchanged. She has travelled abroad on her last passport. At her age she is unlikely to be a threat to anyone. Yet the government in its wisdom has yet to give her, her right within the time the government itself has stipulated. The agent, every time we call him, pleads helplessness, saying that the wheels of the government only move efficiently if money is paid or strings are pulled. When the entire proccess started, I thought otherwise. Now two months later, with still no way of knowing when my mother’s passport will arrive, I am sadly now inclined to believe this gentleman. The Indian government and its minions still hold the citizens of this country in such contempt, that a passport which is every citizen’s right is still denied unless unfair means are used. It’s incidents like this more than anything else proves that the country is still a long way off from being a true democracy. A fair elections is just one indicator of a healthy democarcy. But when everyday rights are denied, it strikes at the very roots of the democractic proccess.
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(9 votes, average: 4.44 out of 5)
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August 6th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
It is the agent who is playing mischief.I have other side of the story but from USA.My son in law while traveling from Newark to Mumbai came to know at the airport that his US passport had expired and he could not travel further.He tried the nearest Passport office but could not get the appointment but got a positive reply from Boston.He drove down to Boston, got a new passport in a couple of hours and boarded the flight for Mumbai just 24 hours later.Here Jet airways also needs a pat on the back for having kept his seat intact for the next day flight.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Your agent is playing game. Apply directly.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Well, I too have experienced such thing. I have sent my mother’s PAN card for correcting a mistake in it. Its been 3 months the PAN card has not come again, with correction in it. I have lodged a complaint now, lets see when it comes. But for Passport, I have different experience. I got my new passport within merely 20 days. Also the experience with Accountant General (AG) Office was also good. But as you have mentioned democracy is still to have its effect on India per se. But there are various other offices, which general and middle class people do require to go to, daily. These offices need to get efficient rather than just 2-3 offices getting efficient.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Try direct… I think, agent is trying to get some money out of it and deliberately delaying.. I had good experience in case of passport.. I suffered for ration card though, but that department has alway been known for inefficiency.. In case of passport, it is different.
August 5th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
i think this may be one of incident. There are efficient people working in the government machinery and blaming the entire government due to this individual experience is completely unacceptable . I believe that we as a country has improved much and doing very well. One must always remember we as more than a billion people living in this country government can’t change everything within a time frame and satisfied everyone, where half of the population is below the poverty line.Despite that we have great achievements as a country and should proud about. How can we expect that within a five, ten years time we become a country like the United States. We have develop a habit to look only negative things about our self and always compare to the develop world. But forget that we have a large population and different geography with different problems and solutions but doing well with our own speed. Focus should be on positive side rather than only to the negative side. Everybody suffer but it doesn’t meet to complain always!!!!!!!!!!
August 5th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Have you thought about the fact that the govt is efficient but your agent maybe highly inefficient. I got my passport renewed in a new city where I have only stayed for 1 year, got my mothers name changed as there was a spelling mistake in the document that I was submitting and got my marriage status also changed. Realised that by going directly its far far easier because of use of IT in the department.Its just that maybe you dont want to stand in the line and you are using the short cut.AGENT!
August 5th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Democracy of this country if just judged my taking election as a scale, still there is no democracy in this country. People who stand for elections are sons or daughters of the current politicians. Votes are bought, the majority in parliament is managed and how ministries are distributed.