Change begins with me. Yes i can make a difference

FORWARDED MAIL RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND. MUST READ.


Dear Friends,

When I narrated the incident below to a close friend over lunch earlier this

week, he suggested that I should pen this down in an email and circulate it to

as many friends in Bangalore as possible. So here goes an interesting

experience of interacting with an IPS officer, who made me see a Glimmer of

Hope, amidst the corruption that encompasses, so many of our public services (

it is about 7 - 9 mins reading time...).

It was Friday 5th June, at about 3 pm I drove my Ford Ikon car into 80 feet road

at Indira Nagar in Bangalore, wanting to reach on time for my 3.30 pm meeting

with a client. As I entered the wide road I saw a posse of Traffic Constables

who stopped my car on the side and asked me to produce my car documents to the

Traffic Sub Inspector(SI) who was standing on the footpath. I walked upto the SI

and displayed my Driving Licence, to which he told me to bring my Car Insurance

certificate and also my Emission Certificate for the car. I walked back to my

car and realised that I had not carried either of the documents in my car and

was cursing myself for such a slip. I came back to the SI and told him that I

did not have my document and what was to be done. The SI had a half smile & told

me that the fine for not carrying both these documents was Rs 600/- however I

could pay him Rs 300/-. I removed my wallet and told the SI that I would pay the

amount and want a receipt for the same, to which he suddenly grew stern and told

me that in which case the fine was Rs 1,100/-. I paid the fine of Rs 1,100/- and

took the receipt, wondering why the fine had suddenly escalated just because I

wanted a receipt instead of paying the Rs 300 bribe which the SI had asked.



After my client meeting as I was driving back, I was annoyed at myself for not

carrying the documents and I was angry that at an officer at an SI level was

blatantly seeking a bribe. I decided that I should do something about it and as

soon as I reached my Home Office, I logged on to the net and found out that the

Traffic Police of Bangalore has a website, which gives details of the fines

chargeable , it also provides for logging complaints and gave the email ids of

the Asst Commissioner of Police for the traffic division. At about 7 pm that

evening I wrote an email to the email id of the ACP, narrating the incident of

the afternoon and lodging a formal complaint in the email. I also found out the

website of Lok Ayukta of Karnataka and marked a cc of the same email to the

email id's given on the Lok Ayukta's website. By about 7.30pm I had done the

needful, and I was happy with myself that what I preach in my Leadership

Workshops wrt Values, I had practised to a large extent (Paying the fine instead

of paying the bribe and reporting the bribe demand to the best of my ability). I

thought the chapter ended there, little realising that I would be having an

indeed amazing and pleasant experience on this whole incident in the hours &

days to come.



On Saturday 7th June(the next day) at about 2 pm, I logged into my Home Office

and checked my email and lo behold, I had 3 emails sent to me by the ACP to who

I had written the complaint email the previous day. The first one, informed me

that I had done the right thing by paying the fine and not the bribe, the second

email asked to give my complaint in writing and fax it to the ACP, so that

action can be taken on the SI and the 3rd email asked me to give the ACP a call

on his office no or his cell no, so that he could accelerate the action to be

taken on the erring SI. I promptly put my complaint in a letter and sent a

scanned copy through the email to the ACP.



On Sunday, 8th June in the morning I checked my email and I had an email from

the ACP stating that the erring SI had been suspended from services and that I

must give the ACP a call to work out the next formalities. I called the ACP

(till now I did not know the name of this ACP) who answered my call on the

Sunday. During my phone conversation he introduced himself as ACP Pravin Sood,

and thanked me for doing what I did wrt not paying the bribe and also escalating

the matter in writing, he explained that many Bangalore citizens escalate such

cases to him but then back down when asked to give the complaint in writing. He

apologised to me (yes - he said "I am sorry for what you faced with this SI who

harassed you, because he did not have any business stopping your to check your

documents if you had not done any traffic violation") and he invited me over to

Tea to his office at a time convenient to me. After I kept the phone down, I

could not believe that here was a case where within 48 hours of an incident of

seeking bribe, the erring office was suspended.



I decided that I must meet in person ACP Pravin Sood, speaking with who for 10

minutes had changed a few paradigms in my mind about Public Services Officers.

Since I was travelling the next few days, I sought time with him on 15th June at

4.30 pm at his office. I reached ACP Sood's office a little early (at 4.10 pm)

and was pleasantly surprised when I was ushered into his office at 4.15 pm, he

asked me to sit as he was completing a meeting with another delegation. At sharp

4.30 pm he ended his previous meeting and turned to me and spent the next 20

minutes discussing with me several aspects of Traffic Policing in Bangalore and

offered me a cup of tea (Many corporate clients I visit, do not see me on time

and do not ask me for a cup of tea, so what ACP Sood was doing was indeed better

than many corporate folks I have met!).



Right through the conversation, he was courteous, frank and completely

articulate on his thoughts and ideas. He reiterated that there would be no

repercussions on me for giving the complaint in writing, and that I may have to

make one appearance in person when the internal enquiry is done, he also offered

that instead of me having to come to the Police headquarters to give the

statement, he could send one of his officers to my residence to take my

statement if I so wish. When I was leaving ACP Sood's office, I told him "Over

the years many of my friends and cousins have urged me to migrate and settle in

one of the western countries, but I have consciously chosen to stay back in

India by my choice - when I have interactions like the one I had with you ACP

Sood, I am happy that I made the choice to stay back in India". It was an

impromptu comment, straight from my heart to which ACP Sood just smiled and

shook my hand.



When I was walking out of ACP Sood's office, I felt reassured that if we have

officers like ACP Pravin Sood in our country, there is a Glimmer of Hope,

against corruption, provided, we as citizens have the courage to say NO to

Bribes and have the inclination to report cases of Bribe (I am no major RTI or

Social activist, yet I found all the info I needed on the web, sitting in my

Home Office).

Change begins with me, I can make a difference !

Sender: Padmanabhan