Itna To Chalta Hai

Few days back, I came across a facebook post.  The post said- At a countryside school in UP, when a teacher scolded few boys for passing lewd comments on girls, one boy among them said, “Sir, Itna to chalta hai.”

This post, rather the last statement triggered a series of questions in my mind. Candidly, it would be more appropriate to say that this post actually brought those questions  alive in front of me which were lying dormant somewhere in my mind. These questions must have been getting accumulated since I was a kid, I guess.

So when this guy says, “Sir, Itna toh chalta hai.” The first and foremost question comes in my mind "Who decides it ? I mean who decides the degree to what extent this can be done or this is allowed ?"

Not only in this case but when I go little back in time to my childhood, I can picture my classroom where everybody was deeply into taking exam. Suddenly, there was some noise at the back bench. Turned out the invigilator had caught some guy red handed copying other guy’s answer-sheet.  The guy who was caught red handed argued “Sir, Itna cheating to chalta hi hai.” Though, I was busy in writing answers but couldn’t help and the same question, momentarily, appeared in front of me, “Who decides the degree that how much cheating is allowed in the exam and how that degree is determined?”

Another incident I could recall when I was in the 6^th standard. My friend Aniket had hit another kid. Wounded kid’s father came and complained to Aniket’s father about that. I was there at Aniket’s home when this happened. Infront of victim’s father, Aniket’s father pretended to be apologetic. Once they leave, Aniket’s father says, “Bachche hain, itna to chalta hai.”
“Really? ” the same question rushed through my mind, “Who decides the degree that how much misbehave is allowed and how that degree is determined? ”

I grew up and went college to pursue higher studies.  In the very beginning of the freshmen year, some first yearites were annoyed with the ragging in the hostel and decided to file a complaint against seniors. Later a meeting was called where final year students came and tried to convince first yearites saying, “Hum log kahan zyaada ragging karte hain, doosre colleges mein toh bahut hota hai. Itna to chalta hai.”

“Really?” I said to myself and asked the same question, “Who’s gonna decide the limit?”

These incidents and many more happened and left me wondering everytime. “Who is the authority to decide the limit. And how does that authority calculates the ‘Allowable Limit’." It has always been a thing of great contemplation for me.

This reminds me of a very interesting incident which was narrated by a reputed MP during a Lok Sabha session in 2011-2012. Incident was like this in the words of this MP:

quote "

Last year, I was on a visit to a village in my constituency. I was busy listening to the grievances of the people there. Suddenly, my eyes set upon a person who seemed familiar. Soon, I could recollect that his name was ‘Madhav’ and I had helped him in the past to get his son a job. 

So, I smiled at him and asked , “How are you doing, Madhav? What’s your problem?”

Madhav replied, “Doing great, Sir. But I am so troubled with all government employees here. Everyone needs bribe for petty things. What to tell you? It has become problem of everyday. Please do something”.

Reacting to this, I ordered my subordinates to take note of that complaint and to take some immediate action.

Then I again turned to Madhav assuring everything would be all right. I further asked him, “Madhav, how is your son doing?”

Madhav smiled and described like this, “Sir, you know everything. He got a job because of you only and then he changed everything. In the last 4 years, we have prospered a lot since when you got my son employed. Now we have a large piece of land, a big house, 2 tractors, a fleet of 5 four-wheelers and thus operating a travel agency.”

I was stunned with the pace of his prosperity and asked Madhav, “Madhav, how did your son do all this in such a short span of time . As I remember, 4 years back, I helped him getting a very ordinary job in a government department.”

Madhav sheepishly replied, “ Huzoor aap to sab jaante hain. Sarkari naukari ki pagaar mein kahan chalta hai, yeh toh upar ki kamayi se hua hai.”

I said, “Madhav, just now you were complaining about the corrupt officials involved in bribery and troubling you on regular basis. Don’t you see what your son is doing?”

Madhav, again with a shameless smile, replied, “Huzoor. Itna toh chalta hi hai.”

" unqoute

This narration was really thought provoking . Again, I had those questions in my mind. "Who decides the limit to which bribe should be taken? And ofcourse, how that limit is determined?"

But this time I had a bigger question too  "Who will prevent if Madhav's son goes beyond that limit?”

(To be continued..)