VISIT TO A SARKARI DAFTAR

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

13/XII/2024

 

Most of us have had an experience of visiting a “Sarkari Daftar” sometime or the other. Some would have had a good experience and some not so good. Let me share a recent experience.

 

Firstly, the 'signages' there are misleading, outdated and worn out . If you are lucky, you would be told to visit room number 19 (just saying). Once you reach there, you may find that room under renovation and a paper stuck on the door, saying this office is on the first floor.

 

You finally locate it, only to see piles of files and tons of paper tied in cloth bundles gathering dust. Are these pending files or old records? It gives an eerie feeling and emanates a typical ‘sarkari odour’.

 

A ‘Babu’ would be sitting behind a desk peering over his computer screen. His desk littered with paper and files, a bottle of water and a cup of tea with its residual brown liquid should not surprise you.

 

This man would be busier than the Prime Minister and his mobile ringing continuously. Earlier there used to be landlines which no one picked up, till the party on the other side used to get fed up and hang up.

 

You approach him and he directs you to the adjacent empty desk, grrrrrrrr. Thank God those age old woven tubular chairs have been replaced by revolving chairs. There are two people already there before your turn, waiting for the man Friday, who is not on his seat as usual.

 

A third person sits between desks sipping chai. He turns out to be a relative of that clerk, with a privileged seat. You might as well stand in the queue.

 

Now the perpetual wait. He may turn up, depending on your luck. You take a walk to kill time, only to find two more people have taken your place. Lesson learnt, even if you don’t see your man, stay put.

 

Then there is hectic activity. Man Friday arrived and you hoped that things would move. You already have double checked all documents needed, with a few extra copies, just in case you have a last minute crisis.

 

Lunch break is announced. You are in two minds, whether to go home or skip it. If you leave, you may miss the boat. If you stay hungry, it's up to you. Latter is better.

 

Bara saab comes only after lunch. Which meant that ‘if’ your file was cleared from this desk, there could be a chance of it being placed on the ‘high table’ for a ‘dhobi mark’. ‘IF’?

 

Finally, this clerk used his mobile to fill in your data quickly and efficiently. These days things are mostly done online. Why not the desktop, I ask inquisitively? “Bahut slow hai”, he says. I don’t interrupt him as ‘my data’ is being fed. One wrong key and the whole thing will have to be done all over again.

 

The clerk leaves his seat for a ‘ek number’ break. You hold yours, lest you are called the next day. You wait twiddling your thumbs. By now, you have counted everything including the racks, files, cobwebs, used tea cups and bundles on the floor. Your turn comes again and data has to be refilled due to some error and network issue. Grrrrrr once again.

 

Fingers are crossed for obvious reasons and legs too, you can guess the reason. Finally, you hear music in your ears, when he says, data has been accepted and pushes his mobile towards you for a final check.

 

You become ‘Chisstopher’, instead of Christopher as the ‘kra ki matra’ cannot be found on his English keyboard. You help him find it as this is not the first time it has happened and he smiles.

 

“Thane Hindi keyboard ri bariya knowledge hai”, he says. You just smile back.

 

Patience and control on temper is the key to get work done. Good that they didn’t ask for something under the table or else there would have been fireworks.

 

A Khaki file cover with documents is handed over to you. Saab is about to leave, so get them signed fast. You rush, only to find another queue. Saab is already in a heated meeting. His mood might dictate his signatures on your ‘poor’ file.

 

“Padharo Hukum”. You look over your shoulder, as you did not expect yourself to be ushered in that way. “Athe aap sign kar do” and he countersigns under your signatures. “Padharo Hukum” he said again, which meant that you were free to go. The work had been done.

 

One didn’t have to play “office-office” and “kal ana” as online documentation has been a game changer. Still, can the paperwork strewn around be eliminated completely? I wonder!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

©®NOEL ELLIS