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Today (Sep 24, 2008) morning was like any other day. The difference was in what was to unfold later in the day. As usual I left for the office today and stopped at the BSNL office (Jeevan Beema Nagar near Indra Nagar) to pay for my residence phone. The BSNL security did not allow to park the car on their campus. I parked the car just outside their campus. On the other side of the campus there was a no parking sign board which I could not see -- and the way it is planted that it could easily escape anyone's vision. It appears as if it has been purposely put it that way so that the traffic police can tow away the car with an eye on your hard earned money. What a business !!! Well all roads on Bangalore have those monestrous sign board and parking is really a nuisance in Bangalore. But that isn't the storyline that I like to relate here. Well, I came back after paying the BSNL bill for my residence phone I found my car missing. I could easily guess that it was towed away by them. To make things worse I had left my wallet at home. I had to walk down to the Jeewan BeemaNagar traffic police station about a kilo meter from the BSNL office. Luckily I had my mobile with me. I called my brother who was bring my wallet. Meanwhile I had located my car in the traffic police station. And I found several vehicles parked out of the PS which were towed away from some "No-Parking" places. And there was a clerk who was busy collecting the fine. As if traffic police had this agenda for the day - towing away vehicles from all around with "No-Parking" places, and collecting the fine ( Rs 100 ) and towing charges ( Rs 300 ) - you can just extrapolate the size of the business. And more than anything instead of becoming a reason for a smile on the face of the public they were becoming a reason for a distress and causing a lot of inconvenience. It really appears as if they have a strategy to organise a loot sponsored by the govt. Ah "No-Parking" sign all over the roads in Bangalore. I suspect all this business is by design which is evident in the way they hide themselves in all cross-roads and appear from no where to the defaulting vehicles. Iasked for the complaint book which he denied.
Now I wanted to protest with the officer of the station. I enquired the clerk about the officer - to which he replied that he was in the towing station. When I started communicating with him - he swiftly changed to Kannada - and I told him that I did not know Kannada -- and I am sure he knew that already. He then said if I did not speak Kannada then I should leave Karnataka. This was like a shit right on to my face and I was not to take it lying. I protested and picked up an argument with the clerk. In that course of the argument I raised my voice higher than his. Then gathered his colleagues and started taking his sides with intimidating body language. Things could have gotten really nasty - I just came out of the station. Then there were 2 guys from the press whose vehicle they had towed away and they were also protesting that their vehicle was towed away from a Parking Zone and there were others also who were protesting with the way the keepers of the law were causing inconvenience to the public. The whole scene in and out of the station was chaotic. More than their design to net the public with an eye on the money in their pocket what hurt me immensely was their (police) feelings & attitude about & behaviour with the "outsiders" ( people not from Karnataka). I hate to consider myself an "outsider" in my own country. This feeling, attitude & behaviour is much against the cosmopolitan outlook of the country. My profession and work bring me to Bangalore and it may take me to elsewhere tomorrow and being an Indian I have every right to go & settle anywhere I want all across India without having to learn the regional language. Hindi should be enough to survive me. Well Language isn't the issue here. One clearly understands that - undercurrent is somewhat a different issue altogether. And there is not a penny for a guess here. This orthodox outlook isn't going to stand Bangalore in a good light. It would eventually lose its advantages that it has built through its cosmopolitan outlook. I vehemently protest this. Bangalore can not go the Raj Thakrey way.
In a democratic govt the style of governance should not be punitive. The agenda should be to build the country and not generate revenue for the exchequer through fines such as this. The BJP govt that holds the office in the state should take note of this otherwise I spell an end to this govt and campaign against the govt. It can not choose it the chauvinistic way of Raj Thakrey.
Now I wanted to protest with the officer of the station. I enquired the clerk about the officer - to which he replied that he was in the towing station. When I started communicating with him - he swiftly changed to Kannada - and I told him that I did not know Kannada -- and I am sure he knew that already. He then said if I did not speak Kannada then I should leave Karnataka. This was like a shit right on to my face and I was not to take it lying. I protested and picked up an argument with the clerk. In that course of the argument I raised my voice higher than his. Then gathered his colleagues and started taking his sides with intimidating body language. Things could have gotten really nasty - I just came out of the station. Then there were 2 guys from the press whose vehicle they had towed away and they were also protesting that their vehicle was towed away from a Parking Zone and there were others also who were protesting with the way the keepers of the law were causing inconvenience to the public. The whole scene in and out of the station was chaotic. More than their design to net the public with an eye on the money in their pocket what hurt me immensely was their (police) feelings & attitude about & behaviour with the "outsiders" ( people not from Karnataka). I hate to consider myself an "outsider" in my own country. This feeling, attitude & behaviour is much against the cosmopolitan outlook of the country. My profession and work bring me to Bangalore and it may take me to elsewhere tomorrow and being an Indian I have every right to go & settle anywhere I want all across India without having to learn the regional language. Hindi should be enough to survive me. Well Language isn't the issue here. One clearly understands that - undercurrent is somewhat a different issue altogether. And there is not a penny for a guess here. This orthodox outlook isn't going to stand Bangalore in a good light. It would eventually lose its advantages that it has built through its cosmopolitan outlook. I vehemently protest this. Bangalore can not go the Raj Thakrey way.
In a democratic govt the style of governance should not be punitive. The agenda should be to build the country and not generate revenue for the exchequer through fines such as this. The BJP govt that holds the office in the state should take note of this otherwise I spell an end to this govt and campaign against the govt. It can not choose it the chauvinistic way of Raj Thakrey.
