I am facing it again! This time its for my son.
Well, I am talking about the Great Indian Passport Tamasha! Its been there and people of this country have contributed a lot in building this Tamasha. I am not blaming anyone here cause I am literally BLAMING everyone who paid bribe to get his/her passport. You have ruined this country so badly that now a 18 months old child can't get a passport but a terrorist can easily get one!
I had applied for my son's passport 2 months back @ the Delhi Regional Passport office. And to be frank, I never expected it to be a smooth ride. I had a prior experience with this #$%&ing thing. I don't believe any Government agency/department. They are all the same - CORRUPT!
It becomes quite interesting when the Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) website says. "In the cases where the minor children who are less than 18 years of age, the details of valid passports held by BOTH OR EITHER parents should be furnished. In such cases, passport to their minor child will be issued without any police verification basis."
Oh yes, you can read the above statement at this MEA site link -> http://passport.gov.in/cpv/checklist.htm
So as per the rules of the Government or this particular ministry, a minor SHOULD be issued an Indian Passport, WITHOUT Police Verification, if his parents (either or both) have valid Indian passport. But people of India, don't be surprised if your child's passport application gets rejected saying. "Incomplete Police Verification!"
Now what does this "Incomplete Police Verification" means? I guess all of Indians who have applied for passport till date know this. This means, You need to pay for the "Mithai" to the police hawaldar who visits your home for so called verification. Simple isn't it? So the rates are fixed, it's Ruppes 500 per passport.
When this a** police hawaldar visited my home for my child's verification, I was not surprised at - him now knowing or trying to TELL me - that "A MINOR doesn't need any verificaiton if his parents have valid Indian Passport." So I furnished all the documents, in original and in duplicate to him. Oh Yes, he also saw my son in the house! When I asked if anymore documents are required, I was told NO. He did his so called job and then left. While leaving my home, I did see his eyes looking for that "Mithai" from me. He did really look like a true B******! The roots I have and the way I was brought up by my parents, I would be the last one who will give "Mithai" to any person for doing HIS job.
And here I am today, writing this post ... Now what next? Well I will have to reach out for RTI (Right to Information) and then will have to write to the Ministry of External Affairs. I am not kind of person who will stop at getting justice. I can spend more money in taxi bills for going to the passport office again and again but when it comes to offering 500 Rupees as "Mithai", don't count me in. Many of us think that its a better deal to get it done 'cheaper' by just paying for "Mithai" and thats where the problem lies.
People have made this country like this. I just wonder, who the #@#$ was the FIRST MAN/WOMAN in India who offered "Mithai" to get his/her work done from any of the Government office.
So while you enjoy reading this, I am preparing for my battle and next moves. I will not go down without a fight. For those who believe in "Fighting for Justice", some of the links associated with MEA are given below.
http://passport.gov.in/
http://passport.gov.in/cpv/checklist.htm
http://passport.gov.in/delhi.html#complaints
Wish me all the best! I will get back to you on further updates as my fight continues ... मैंने कोई देश को सुधारने का ठेका नहीं ले रखा है ... पर मैं अन्याय के खिलाफ हमेशा लडूंगा! I will not try to wake up anyone - You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep!
"You have to make more noise than anybody else, you have to make yourself more obtrusive than anybody else, you have to fill all the papers more than anybody else, in fact you have to be there all the time and see that they do not snow you under, if you are really going to get your reform realized." -- Emmeline Pankhurst