Thieves of The Private Sector (Continued): NOKIA (Does Not) Care !!

Dear Friends,

I guess that its time that I told you another horror story about the private sector and its 'efficiency' & 'dedication' towards 'service' to the consumers. This time the story is about Nokia-the mobile phone giant.

Like a lot of people in India I have been using a Nokia mobile phone. To be truthful, the quality of the set per-se is good. However, even good products become old and require repair/service once in a while. So I was not surprised when my handset gave me an ultimatum that it needed a doctor ! Actually what happened was that the main speaker of my phone (which we place on our ear) had been malfunctioning in for some time. I had circumvented this problem by using the hands-free option. The newer models of Nokia have a simple hands-free attachment which has a standard pin that plugs into a jack in the phone. This jack is of the sort that you find in most laptops, TVs etc. Things were working fine this way till a few days ago when, when I inserted the pin of the hands-free attachment into the jack, the phone did not detect the attachment. I fiddled around a bit, turning the pin this way and that. On this the phone detected the same. This continued for a day. However, fearful that I would lose this function completely, I decided to show my phone at an authorized Nokia service center. I took the phone to one such center in Allahabad (please note that it was an authorized service center and not a  'Nokia Care' office). The 'engineer' there saw the phone and without examining it diagnosed that the headphone jack had become defective and would have to be replaced at a cost of Rs. 650/-. I told him that this appeared to be rather high for a jack and asked him if there was any way to repair it at a lesser cost. After he replied in the negative, I went to a 'Nokia Care' office, where, after examining my phone they told me-and I quote-"The jack of the phone is defective. There seem to be some more problems. You will have to leave the phone for at least 48 hours. There is no guarantee about the data and bill for repair would be within Rs.1000/-". At first I was inclined to leave my phone behind but good sense prevailed and I didn't. Instead I took the phone to a local mobile phone mechanic. Once I had explained to him the nature of the problem, he took the phone from me, cleaned the innards of the jack with a pair of pointed forceps, adjusted the contacts inside the jack that touch the pin of the hands-free and returned the phone to me. I tested the phone several times by inserting and removing the pin of the hands-free into the jack, and each time the phone detected the hands-free perfectly. I could not believe my eyes ! There was actually no problem with the jack at all save some accumulated dirt and contacts that required slight manipulation ! I offered money to the mechanic but he refused, saying that actually there was nothing wrong with the phone and he had done 'nothing' that would warrant a payment from me. This time I could not believe my ears ! I thanked him profusely for his help and honesty and went back to the authorized service center of Nokia. There I told them how my phone had been set right in five minutes flat with minimum intervention , by a smalltime mechanic and that too for Free !!! They really had no answer to my question as to why they attempted to wrangle out Rs.650 from me for something that was so petty that another person did it in five minutes for free ?  They really had no answers. Finally, after some thought, the owner of the service center replied. "If you go to a big hospital, you will have to pay for the tests and the CAT scan wont you ?". 

What can I say? Glory be to the thieves of the Private Sector !!

If You Are Against Corruption: You Are Against The System...!!!!

Dear Friends,

Ever since Anna began his campaign against corruption in the country, we all have been watching it with admiration and hope. I, in particular, have watched the events as they have unfolded with great application. And now, I think that the time has come to present my conclusion to you. The conclusion Friends, Indians, Countrymen is.....If you are against corruption,you are against the system..!!

There was a time when I thought (or hoped) that corruption in our country was an aberration. I mean, I thought that our leaders-all the people in important places-were opposed to this phenomenon. However, with considerable horror I realize now that I was extremely naive in my presumption. The fact is that our leaders-all the people in important places-are actually against that individual who dares to raise a voice against corruption in this country.

Look at the demands being made by the people of this country. One, make laws to bring back the black money stashed abroad by corrupt means; Two, reveal the names of those who have perpetrated and orchestrated this loot and Three, pass an effective law that can bring these corrupt people to justice. As a citizen, I think that all these three demands are most logical and fair. In fact, it is a shame that the people of this country are having to make these demands in the first place. As I see it, the moment any party comes to power, it should act on these three issues suo-motu. But what is the response of our 'Leaders' to these demands ? The response is a concerted effort by all the political parties to avoid having to face these demands. All political parties without fail are busy pointing fingers at each other. What they are saying effectively means "Look, who is party-X to call us corrupt ? They are much more corrupt than us !" In this match of mudslinging the real issues-the three demands of the public-are effectively sidelined. As a citizen I fail to understand why no political party is willing to step forward and commit to the people of this country that they are committed to bringing back the wealth of the people of this nation, reveal the names of those who have perpetrated and orchestrated this loot and award exemplary punishment to them. In fact, what I see instead is an all out frontal attack on those who are championing the cause of the people.

The logical question that comes to mind is that how can those, who are against corruption, attack and deamonize those who are campaigning against corruption ?? There is only one answer to this question-and that is the conclusion that forms the title of this article. The fact remains that now there is only one 'System' in this country and that system is 'Corruption'. All those at the top, who are supposed to fight this malaise have their interests firmly rooted in this morass. The moment any one tries to battle corruption, he/she steps on powerful toes and hurts powerful interests. So dear friends, in contemporary India, if you are against corruption..you are against the system...!! Fight it if you wish to...but at your own cost and peril !

Losing A Friend: In Remembrance of Himanshu Mohan

Dear Friends,

Today is one of the saddest days of my life. I have often been woken up from sleep at wee hours in the morning by news of derailments, failures etc. But the news that woke me up today was as terrible as it gets. Kapil Sir called at close to 5 in the morning to inform me that Himanshu Mohan Sir was no more !! Even though I have seen his lifeless body, I still cannot believe that he is gone.....!!

Himanshu Sir, without doubt was one of the nicest and most genuine persons I have known to date. A human being who was defined by dignity, wit, command over language, poetic flair, warmth and an understated elegance. I met him for the first time in NCR Headquarter, in the chamber of Ojha Sir, when I  first reported to NCR after my sudden-interzonal transfer from Northern Railway. In that singular meeting he won me over and it was only later that I came to know that he was so much senior to me. From then on, we kept meeting and soon a friendship blossomed between us which was as unlikely (seeing the difference of seniority) as it was special. I loved his wit and warmth and the ability to make me feel absolutely at home and comfortable and he admired my poetry. In my humble opinion, Himanshu Sir was a rare literary gem-a master of satire and poetic expression-who was yet to be discovered by the literary world. 

It is a sad day today that I am writing this piece as a tribute-a parting gift-to a dear friend whose ready smile, quick wit, sense of humor and down-to-earth attitude will be missed forever by all those who have been fortunate enough to be close to him when he was still here between us. 

Today I bid farewell to my friend and pray to God that his soul may rest in peace.

Adieu my friend....I shall miss you forever !!

Thieves of the Private Sector (Continued): Branded Showrooms Selling "Nakli Maal" in Allahabad

Dear Friends,

I think that I shared with you how a pair of Adidas Sports shoes that I bought from the showroom of Adidas in Vinaayak City Center Mall, Allhabad, lost their 'Souls' -I mean 'Soles'- a few months after purchase and after minimal use. Well, I was telling this story to a journalist friend of mine. Imagine my surprise when he told me that in probability, the pair of shoes that I bought from the Adidas Showroom was fake !! He went on to inform me that large scale business of fake shoes is going on in Allhabad. The modus operandi is that the owners of showrooms of branded shoes are purchasing fake shoes of the same brands which reach Allahabad via Nepal. These shoes are virtually indistinguishable to the untrained eye from the original product. Typically, a pair of such shoes is purchased by the showroom owner at the rate of Rs.250 to 300. The fakes are then sold along with the original ones at the same rate as the originals (Rs. 2500 to Rs.8000 per pair) in the same branded showroom. In the process, the showroom owner laughs all the way to the bank while the poor customer has only one recourse..to go and complain to the showroom owner where insult is added to injury when the staff manning the showroom starts misbehaving with him (just as the Adidas Showroom staff misbehaved with me). If this is really happening (and I am inclined to believe that it is !), then the phenomenon must not be limited to Allhabad alone. This is another example of how crores of rupees are being stolen daily from the pocket of the hapless and unsuspecting consumer by the ubiquitous and unscrupulous thieves of the private sector..!! 

Another Moral Victory for My Stand On Corruption

Dear Friends,

It appears that the issue of corruption in the private sector being the genesis of all corruption in this country is now gaining momentum. If the newspapers are to be believed, the government is mulling bringing the three holy cows of this country-namely Media, NGOs and the Corporates under the scanner of the Lokpal (if and when it is formed). You may recall that I have written an article called "Vultures Behind Lenses" bringing out the rot that has and is eating away the core of Indian  Media. On the issue of the corruption in private sector, my series of articles under the common title,"Thieves of the private sector" is there for you to read, discuss and debate. I have for long raised the issue that corruption in India is all pervasive and what is visible and highlighted in the public sector is merely the  proverbial tip of the iceberg. It is heartening to see that work has begun on fixing the responsibility of those who are silently eating away into the roots of our country like a bunch of termites working unseen under the ground.

Kejriwal's Book Supports My Stand On Corruption

Dear Friends,

For a long time now I have been trying to attract public attention to the very important and much neglected issue of corruption in the private sector. I have written a series of articles under the omnibus title "Thieves Of The Private Sector" on this issue. Through these articles I have tried to highlight and underscore the fact  that the genesis of the corruption in the public sector lies in the greed of the private sector. 

I have given numerous examples of blatant corruption and looting of public money by the private sector in these articles which can be read on this blog. And now, It is heartening to note, that one of the biggest crusaders against corruption of our times, Magsaysay Awardee, Arvind Kerjriwaal has highlighted the same problem in his recent book "Swaraj". The newspapers report that in this book Kejriwal has dwelt at length on how the MNCs and the big Corporates use their cash-muscle to force public servants into being corrupt. 

Even the great Hindi writer, Premchand, in his story "Namak Ka Daroga" has dealt with this theme of how the rich and powerful people in the private sector force honest public servants to become corrupt and how they play with the lives and careers of those who refuse to tow their line. If corruption in the public sector is like the branches of a tree, the corruption in private sector is like the big, deep tap-root that feeds those branches. Pruning the branches is a good idea. But a better idea is to attack the root. Once the roots-thieves of the private sector-are destroyed, the tree of corruption will automatically wither away.

My congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal for attacking the root of all corruption in this country.

काश मैं मैडम का कुत्ता होता

कल शाम कुछ हजरतगंज की हवा खाने का मूड हुआ तो उस तरफ टहलने निकल गया | जनपथ मार्केट की तरफ मुड़ा ही था कि सामने से एक सुन्दर युवती आती दीख पड़ी | ऐसा मत समझिएगा कि हजरतगंज में किसी भी सुन्दर युवती को देख कर मैं 'अटेंशन' में आ जाता हूँ | यहाँ तो बात कुछ ऐसी थी कि मैडम सुन्दर होने के साथ-साथ कुछ जानी-पहचानी सी लगीं | कुछ देर कुलबुलाने के बाद सोये हुए जज़्बात दीमाग पर जमी वक़्त की परत को तोड़ कर बाहर निकले और दिल से आवाज़ आई "अरे ये तो रेखा जी हैं !!"

रेखा जी एक ज़माने में हमारी कोलोनी की धड़कन हुआ करती थीं | पसंद तो मुझे भी थीं मगर कभी भी उनके आशिकों की लम्बी कतार में शामिल होने कि हिम्मत नहीं हुई | आज इतने दिनों बाद उनको सामने देख कर मैंने जज्बातों के स्विमिंग पूल में जो गोता लगाया तो फिर वो तन्द्रा उनकी सुरीली "हाय" से टूटी |

"अरे आप ! यहाँ अकेले खड़े क्या कर रहे हैं ?"

"बस...बस ऐसे ही | कुछ काम से आया था | अपने एक दोस्त का इंतज़ार कर रहा था |" मैंने झूठ बोला |

"और आप सुनाइये क्या खरीददारी हो रही है ?" उनके हाथ में पकडे हुए पैकेट की तरफ देख कर मैंने पूछा |

"ओह ये ...ये तो बेबी के लिए फैरेक्स है |" उन्होंने जवाब दिया |

"बेबी के लिए फैरेक्स...!" ये वाक्य मेरे कानों में बम कि तरह फटा | यानी रेखा जी की न केवल शादी हो गयी थी, वरन बच्चा भी इतना बड़ा हो गया था कि फैरेक्स खाने लगे |

"मुबारक हो रेखा जी ! भई ये तो गलत बात है | शादी कर ली | बेबी भी हो गया और हमें खबर तक नहीं ?" मैंने शिकायत करी |

"अरे नहीं...नहीं !!आप गलत समझ रहे हैं | बेबी तो मैं प्यार से अपने जैसपर को कहती हूँ |" 

मेरी नासमझी पर तरस खाते हुए उन्होंने बात आगे बढ़ाई |

"अभी कुछ दिन पहले एक अलसेशियन पप्पी ख़रीदा है | उसी का नाम है जैसपर | बड़ा नाखरेवाला है | कुछ खाता ही नहीं था | मेरी एक दोस्त ने बताया कि उसे फैरेक्स खिलाओ | मैंने ट्राई किया | उसे फैरेक्स सचमुच बहुत पसंद आया | अब तो हालत ये है कि हर हफ्ते एक टिन चट कर जाता है |" रेखा जी के लहजे में वात्सल्य उमड़ आया |

"आपको पता है, अलसेशियन बड़ा समझदार कुत्ता होता है | मेरा जैसपर तो बड़ा क्यूट है..."

रेखा जी ने वात्सल्य पूर्ण स्वर में अपने 'बेबी' की तारीफ़ शुरू करी | मगर मेरा दिमाग चक्कर खा रहा था | एक सवाल मेरे ज़ेहन में हथोड़े कि तरह चोट कर रहा था | सवाल था " कुत्ते के लिए फैरेक्स ...!!!???"

"अच्छा मैं चलती हूँ | कभी घर आईये | आपको बेबी से मिलवाऊंगी |"

"ज..जी..."

रेखा जी चली गयीं, मगर मेरे ज़ेहन में एक ऐसी उथल पुथल छोड़ कर , जिसे सम्हालना नामुमकिन हो गया और मैं वहीँ फुटपाथ पर बैठ गया |

आप भले ही मुझे एक सड़ा हुआ सोशलिस्ट समझें मगर बात कुछ हज़म नहीं हो रही थी | जिस मुल्क में हर साल  लाखों बच्चे भूख और कुपोषण से मरते हों, उसमें फैरेक्स जैसा शिशु आहार कुत्ते के पिल्लों को खिलाया जा रहा है !?

मगर इस इस मामले में रेखा जी अकेली तो नहीं हैं | हमारी एक और जानकार मिलीं जो अपने कुत्ते को काजू-किशमिश खिलाती हैं | एक ऐसा भी केस देखा जहां एक मिसेज़ शर्मा अपने कुत्ते 'लकी' को मेहमानों से बाकायदा 'लकी शर्मा' के नाम से मिलवाती थीं | ऐसे भी असंख्य मामले हैं जहां इस गर्म देश में अपने  प्यारे-दुलारे कुत्तों को ठंडा रखने के लिए उनके 'मां-बाप ' उन्हें एयर कंडीशन में सुलाते हैं |

इस तरह के दृष्टान्तों से मैं अपने चीखते-चिल्लाते हृदय को सांत्वना दे रहा था, कि कंधे पर किसी ने हाथ रखा | ऊपर देखा तो होमगार्ड था |

"क्या बात है भाई ? यहाँ फुटपाथ पर बैठना मना है |" 

मेरा मन तो हुआ कि उससे पूछूं कि जनपथ में फुटपाथ पर बैठना कब से मना हो गया ? मगर बिना कुछ बोले चुप-चाप उठ गया | बोझिल कदमों से घर की तरफ जा रहा था कि सामने से एक चमचमाती 'मर्सडीज़' कार निकली | अन्दर एक सुन्दर सी मैडम थीं और उनकी गोद में सफ़ेद, सुन्दर, रुई के फाहे सा, उन के गोले सा...'पामेरियन' था | कार होर्न बजाती हुई बगल से निकल गयी और मन में एक हूक सी उठी...."काश..मैं मैडम का कुत्ता होता |"

कल डिस्कवरी चैनल पर एक कार्यक्रम देख रहा था | उसमें एक सुन्दर सी मैडम के हाथों में एक सुन्दर सा कुत्ता था जो बड़े प्यार से उनके मुंह पर जीभ फेर रहा था | मैडम के चेहरे पर जो प्रसन्नता के भाव थे उनको देखकर बरबस  मन में यह विचार आया ...

"लब का बोसा कुत्ता ले और हम खड़े देखा करें, क्या हमारी कदर कुत्ते के बराबर भी नहीं ....!!??"

(यह लेख सत्रह अप्रैल, 2002 को लखनऊ से प्रकाशित 'सिनेरियो' नामक साप्ताहिक अखबार में छपा था )