NOC

From the time I started this blog I have been listening a lot and watching people a lot. Seeing their reactions, striking a conversation with them and just communicate - a smile when needed. 

I was in my bank last week, as I received a letter from them saying that I had not operated my safe deposit box in a year and if i don't they would fine me! Strange that these conditions exist looking the contents of the safe deposit box, not that they know. It is no Swiss vault but a small deep box where I keep my 'precious' stuff towards the front edge or I would need to carry a torch to see what is in there deep, lest I forget.

While waiting, I was in good company of an elderly gentleman who was also waiting for some other work rather patiently. Filling out various forms and signing them and waiting... Boredom was something common we shared, waiting. He looked at me and smiled with slight uncertainty of a response. When I smiled back, he started his dismal story of his ordeal with government departments.  His wife died a couple of months back and he had just started to pick up pieces into his life alone. Their children settled abroad he had to deal with lot of paper work alone. His new journey had just begun! The fixed home phone was in his wife's name and he went to the telephone department to have it transferred in his name, the man across the counter was obviously apathetic to the plight of this old man. He asked to fill out a few forms. Waiting patiently, this septuagenarian thought that this was easy, with private phone companies offering phones and multi services  the government phone company would learn from competition. Lost in his thoughts he heard a voice and looked up at the Babu (synonym to a government officer) who was saying he needed an NOC (a No Objection Certificate). When asked from whom, he replied, from your wife!! He looked at him with shock and pointed at the death certificated he had attached. To which the Babu nodded and gave him a brief nod of dismissal! A fortnight later he receives a letter from this phone department and what does it say? 

"Congratulations, your phone will be transferred in your name successfully and the same information has been sent to your wife, if we do not hear from her in 30 days, it will be done automatically."

No guesses for the fact that this gentleman did not contact the phone department to correct the error!!

Then he related another incident which depicts the deep malaise in the dealings of public servants. He is a member of their housing society where he lives and was invited by the local Police station to see if the senior citizens are safe and verification drive for servants employed by them was taken seriously. Touched by the concern they visited the Police Station and waited for the Additional Commissioner of Police in his room. It was a very hot summer afternoon and with the fan whining the resident representatives were sweating it out. The ACP was polite and raised concerns which needed to be addressed and called his aides to make notes. A junior officer walked in with a tray of cold water, relieved the resident representatives looked expectantly with parched throats. To their horror the water was offered to the ACP and his aides only. The surprising part was that none of these police officers noticed the lack of hospitality and drank their water. A lady from the residents group could not tolerate this insensitivity on the part of the Police Department and blurted out that this was not right!! The silver lining was that the ACP was embarrassed enough to get them all cokes and Fantas in the end!

Our wait at the bank was over and before I stood this gentleman recited a couplet by Milton's Paradise Lost.  

Oh Conscience, into what abyss of fears

And horrors hast thou driven me; out of which

I find no way, from deep to deeper plunged!  

I wish I had asked his name.