Red tape is defined as “The collection or sequence of forms and rules required to gain bureaucratic approval for something, especially when oppressively complex and time-consuming”. In medical terms it’s kind of a gastrectomy which prevents us from having the tasty food that a cook prepares for us. Here the food is the good policies and the cook in this case good politicians and administrators. The red tape is something that most of us Indians have read about and heard about or have experienced personally. Especially in today’s era where the world is fast progressing and we having the world’s second largest population which mostly consists of young people with a large range of ideas.
Yes, opportunities for the expression of these ideas are increasing but when it gets to the practical implementation of these ideas we fall behind other nations. Why? Because of this very same red tape. We have ideas, we have talent and certainly we have all that it takes to carry out them but why do the Americans who are so few as compared to us and the Chinese who are just one place greater than us in population manage to get the limelight most of the time (when I say this some of you may be thinking about America’s shutdown. But then I’m talking about a large span of time).
Yes, these days we are coming up, in matter of the world affairs but are we becoming as good as we can be? Is India becoming what it can truly become? The answer I believe is no. Why? Every time somebody tries to get a good policy implemented, they are discouraged by a never ending line of rules, if you are not discouraged by them (you must be very determined for that to happen) then you’ll need to bribe people from the most lowly servant to the highest officer in the department and perhaps someone even higher than that (at the end of which you’ll either be so old that you’ll think of chucking the project you had in mind or you’ll become penny less and you’d be thinking of how to get your next meal).
This is the reason I guess talent from India goes to other counties with the hope of making it big and most of the time they do. But I guess then even they’ll have an inner sadness that they are could not do the same in their homeland. When will this despair be attended to? Well there is nothing that the average person can do except wait and hope one day when kaliyuga truly ends and a day where goodness and peace are restored and try his part by not becoming a part of such a filthy system.
This write up is inspired by an article dated 30th September 2013 in the Times of India
Which was titled “Tendulkar’s document hits roadblock” it was about how a letter he had sent to human resource development minister Mr. Kapil Sibal and ex sports minister Mr. Ajay Maken and no response was obtained regarding this visionary proposal to give greatest opportunities for talented young people from the grass root level. If this is the kind of response that our system gives to Mr. Tendulkar who is a member of the upper house of the parliament and a world-famous cricketing god we can only imagine the amount of struggle that a common man will have to face to get things done in this country.
Mr. Tendulkar’s case is not the first nor will it be the last .Below I mention a few titles I came across in some newspapers.
1. Red tape clips tourism policy’s wings (About a tourist policy declared in 2006 but not implemented even in 2012) Times of India Mumbai, August 30th 2012.
2. Nirbhaya fund caught in red tape. Times of India May 15th 2013.
3. Had it not been caught it red tape, the Doppler radar could have sent out timely warnings saving thousands of lives. India Today, June 28th, 2013.
4. Aid to Chandana caught in tape? Times of India, June 7th 2013.
5. Broken by red tape retired teacher dies. Times of India, January 8th 2010
And the list goes on. These are all titles taken from renowned newspapers. Things that people have seen and experienced. Events that have led them to many grave things.
Yes, as a nation we are progressing but when will the time come when India will be described as the place where one feels “It does not kill to dream”. When will that day come when the youth of our country will wish to stay here because their nation provides them all that they need? If you ask the youngsters of today their reasons to stay would include many things except that (that it provides them all that they need).
I realize that this change will not happen fast, this article will be one among many which come and go, people will talk, not act and if they act they are punished so they fear to act but at the end of the day if we progress as a nation, our income will increase, other nations will be more interested in us, respect us and fear us and the very same people will benefit out of this, but in a good way. I sincerely hope that all will find some inspiration from this or at least acknowledge that this is happening in our society. The sooner you accept the problem the sooner, you can cure it. Amputate if required, healing may be arduous and slow but at least no other organ will be affected.
Let’s hope for a better tomorrow and work towards it.
Jai Hind.
Be the first to comment