Honesty of convenience.

Our flat in Delhi wasn’t having a dedicated water connection. The owner had applied for it and after getting the necessary approval from the Delhi Jal Board (who were very co-operative), today, the process of making the connection was started. When the workers started to dig a small stretch of the road to make the connection, a policeman on his Royal Enfield arrived. He demanded to see the necessary papers. Our papers were still with a man who was responsible to get it from the Jal Board. I called up the guy and he said it would take him an hour to come with the papers. The policeman started getting restless. My neighbors talked to him and  suggested me and my friend to give him some ‘Chai-paani’ and get the work done. But we didn’t. I said that since we had the proper documents, we would prefer to wait for an hour than to grease the palms of a government employee. The policeman used his time to eat a few oranges (without paying of course) from a roadside vendor. My resolve not to bribe him strengthened. My neighbours said that he might ask us to visit the police station if we didn’t pay him. We were game for it as we had done nothing wrong.

Finally, the papers arrived after 45 minutes and the policeman left. We felt good and proud for having resisted the temptation to get the work done the easy way by bribing. But one question that disturbs me is, what would I have done in case I didn’t have the proper papers? There have been instances in the past when I have paid the ticket-checker in the train to get a berth in case I didn’t have a confirmed seat. Even for my driver’s license, I paid an agent as I wanted it quick. Isn’t my honesty and uprightness all about convenience? I guess most of us do the same. It’s difficult to resist the temptation. After all, if spending a few extra bucks saves us all the headaches of standing in a queue or waiting for months for an LPG connection, then so be it.

The bigger question is, if we do so, then what right do we have to call a government corrupt or a policeman greedy? From where I see it, if they are the ones asking for bribes, it’s we, standing at the other hand,ever-eager to oblige them.