Delhi will hold Common Wealth Games this year, beginning 3^rd October, 2010. It is the biggest sporting event of international stature India is going to hold till now. It will showcase India’s image to the entire world – all be it participation is restricted to Common Wealth Countries only. Hectic preparation is on full swing: lot of new construction; huge work of deconstruction for beautification, followed by reconstruction of entire old city. All involve massive makeover to bring it to the level of international standard. It is an occasion for every Indian to be rightfully proud of – though, already there are critics questioning the justification for such an expensive event while millions of our countrymen live below poverty line. These criticisms should have been raised before finalization of hosting the games was done. Now, such criticisms are uncalled for. It is time to look forward to the perfect execution of the project and splendid performance of the event.

But we cannot wish away the pall of gloom overcastting the mental sky. First comes escalation of initial estimates of any project big or small; multiple shifting of dead lines – no project is finished in time; finished stadiums or building complexes are sub-standard – roofs are crumbling; costs of items paid many times over the market price -- quality remaining inferior. Sickening reports of corruption at each level of execution occupying the major space of news media became the norm.    It offered a great opportunity for looters – a hunting ground for making quick buck. Nascent firms with no office and little experience of executing big projects bagged the contracts due only to connections and palm-greasing ability. So, we don’t nourish high hope of the games. However, let it pass off somehow.

Now, coming to the main point – corruption. We heard it many times over; it happened and is occurring all over the world. But the scale and spread differ. In our case it is rampant and pandemic. It is there almost at every level. Whoever, whenever and wherever got a chance displayed the presence of this gene in the blood. Exceptions are there, but they are negligible. I will illustrate it with a few incidents of my short retired life.

In 1994, immediately after retirement for processing my pension documents through treasury I had to shell out Rs. 2,100/-. Though my department sent the papers complete in all respects, I was given a paper to get signed by 15 different officers/officials – none of them known to me. And without knowing me, nobody can sign my papers. In fact, they demanded Rs.2,200/-. I paid them Rs.2,000/- and I was handed over a quarter-of-a-newspaper size  document called cheque. It was account-payee cheque. I presented it to the bank to be told that it had to be routed through sub-treasury. The sub-treasury clerk cannot initial it for forwarding to the T.O. because he doesn’t know me. Telling him he need not know me because it was account-payee cheque didn’t yield any result. I phoned the treasury clerks whom I already paid enough. They in turn contacted Mr. Jain, the sub-treasury clerk. Now, Jain tells me, “Why didn’t you tell me that you are Mr. Arya’s man?” I thought, probably the ordeal was over. Still, after initialing my paper he told in Hindi “dijiye” – meaning  “Give me”. What ‘give me’, I had already given. He repeated “dijiye”. I paid him another 100 rupees. And I started getting my pension.

I needed to renew my driving license. The touts asked for Rs. 250/- and everything would be ready in a jiffy. Or else I had to go through normal channel of providing an affidavit on seven rupee stamp paper and a fitness certificate of eye-sight signed by a government doctor. I never knew the rules of Motor Vehicles Act differ from state to state, because in Himachal Pradesh I was never asked to produce an affidavit for renewal of licenses. Now, I settled at Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P.  I preferred to follow the official route. Stamp paper vendor demanded hundred rupees for seven rupee stamp paper. To my question why hundred instead of seven -- the actual cost of the stamp duty -- he replied, “I had to recover whatever I paid already”. There was no other vendor.

Next, I went to the government hospital for test report of my eye-sight. I was asked to pay Rs. 80/-, which I paid and kept waiting for my turn, at the reception. After about half an hour the fitness report duly signed by eye specialist was in my hand without testing my eye-sight. See the magic of rupees eighty only.

At the Regional Transport Office I had a different story. As usual I was waiting for my license after submitting the relevant documents. After sometime I was spotted by the boss – a lady officer – sitting inside. She called me in and told the clerk, “Why do you trouble old people; bring his papers.” And within no time I got my driving license. Of course, she was not known to me.

Paying Rs. 250 to the tout would have been cheaper bargain minus all such hassles.

With limited transactions of a retired man there are many such incidents, which I am omitting now, to switch only to two little stories. I have a bad habit of being chummy with so-called lowly people, like rickshaw pullers and chowkidars etc. Enquiring one watchman about his family, how many children he has and how much salary he gets   I get to know that actually he gets Rs. 2,000 though he signs for Rs. 2,500. There are so many such cases around us, but you cannot catch any body: the documents are perfectly clean on the surface. Even the victim himself will not testify in front of anybody for fear of losing 2000 rupee job.

Now the dog also has its day. I was holding first birthday ceremony of my grand son in the community center of our colony. The society has many caterers on their panel. You are free to choose from them or bring from outside any one you like. We compared the cost: the empanelled ones costing more for the same menu – it has to be, because they have to accommodate the society bosses. So, we opted from outside. Now, the chowkidars got a chance. They won’t allow the external caterer to decorate the hall as he likes or keep his utensils wherever he pleases. They continued to create little hindrances wherever possible. This they cannot dare with the internal caterers. The external caterer had to gratify the chowkidars to continue his business. (This story the caterer narrated to me when he came to collect his dues).  Such interesting stories are galore in our country.

CWG offered easy way to amass money; the smart people are quick to grab it. We are unnecessarily crying foul.

Now, I started doubting myself: corruption probably is in my blood too, I am honest, because I didn’t get any opportunity.