We, the people of India….
I am sure many of you have heard this story….but for those who have not, a gentle reminder…
Once upon a time a King died and his son became the king. While dying he told his son ‘Be nice to the people, but even if you are not nice, the people will not protest’.
The new king was intrigued by this but did not pay much attention. He ruled well and taxed the people justly…but his ambition meant he had to fund many wars and the treasury was not doing very well. So he decided to tax them more – and the people paid willingly.
He had a big complaint box in his palace – but he received no complaints.
One day he taxed the people to build a bridge. People paid for the total cost of the bridge – and the king had a surplus. When he saw that people did not bother about the surplus, he imposed a toll on that road. People paid willingly.
He then stopped maintaining the road, but continued to collect toll. People paid.
He was reminded of what his father had told him – ‘if you increase the cruelty slowly, people will not mind’…so he was pushing them.
He then kept a complaint box at the bridge also – thinking that people will complain. However, there were no complaints.
He then said ‘Now let me employ 2 people who will slap every person who goes on the bridge’ – people did not complain.
After a week, he was happy to see one complaint in the box! Overjoyed – thinking that his citizens had at last woken up, he read the letter.
It said “Sir please employ more people to slap us, the slapping is delaying our going to the office’.
The Indian bureaucrats, BCCI, politicians are waiting for us to hit back……….
Chirag Moradia
Awesome article… 100 pc agreed…..
bemoneyaware
Didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
And why people of India, isn’t it same everywhere?
Srinivasan
This is so true – as I approach our Vashi creek bridge, navigating the potholes and think of the amount of money being collected in the form of official hafta ! Sad that we cannot change this system.
Shankar
Two reason why we are not complaining:
1) Afraid on the consequences of complaining
2) Lazy to complain, want to spend the free time leisurely.
3) Loss of hope. It’s really irritating to complain about govt people to another govt people. Don’t want high BP.
4) I think this is the most important reason. We are socially conditioned to adjust rather than complain.
Anything else??
dr rajiv
well said subra but there are 1000 other in india who can sit in their ac rooms and write better or creat more imapct than this we all want to hit the system but3. question arises 1.how 2.how.3 how we just cant go to road and slap a politician.or bureaucrats, BCCI.dont try to say just elect right persons bcause they are master of thier game called wining elections.we cannot elect right persons in the election circus of india
dont take it otherwise subra your words meant a lot
subra
How?
Simple call your local concillor and take a petition on bad roads. Keep your building and road clean – get your municipality to clean the garbage.
Stop watching TV, advertising will stop. This is simple.
once ALL OF US have our localities clean…lets clean the politicians…
joel
Supreme court rules that convicted politicians would automatically be disqualified. Now led by Samajwadi party all politicains are uniting to curb supreme courts powers and ammend the constitution to suit themselves.
Pravin
It is ironic that most people are suspicious of politicians and have contempt for the govt – because they cant even clean up the garbage or maintain ordinary roads properly. But somehow,when politicans say ‘national security issue’, we are all willing to unquestioningly believe them and thus accept at face value that business with chinese companies,for example,is bad and must pass thru national security lens.
Howe come those who are not competent to maintain clean roads can be trusted with more important things like law/order/justice/national security?
do we have a blind spot?
subra
is it the municipality’s duty to keep the road clean or OUR job not to litter, shit and piss all over the place? Let 10,000 people take the initiative to keep One suburb clean, in one year we will be a clean country.
Pravin
it is nobody’s ‘duty’.littering is a consequence of lack of property rights aka ownership.since the govt owns roads essentially nobody owns it.we see examples of ownership everywhere everyone’s society is cleaner -especially if residents are of same socio economic background.if you live in a place where there are slum dwellers as well as affluent folks,you can be assured that the level of public hygiene will be at the least common level.
that is why cuffe parade is cleaner than bhandup (just for example).
why wouldnt people litter if it had no consequence or if they didnt value cleanliness much?.you might value it,but if others dont, then you are stuck with the ‘value’ possessed by the worst of your neighbors.
PrAvEen
Excellent story, I am sharing this 🙂
atul
Nothing changed in last 67 years … nothing will change in next 67 years.. individuals who will raise their voices will be rested in peace …hail democracy.. hail freedom.. perhaps were much better of under Britishers 🙂