[Resolved]  Ration Card — Address change

Address:

Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra

I am a citizen of Australia and on holidayinIndia, also to visitmy aged mother.My mother's homein Mumbai was redeveloped so the address has changed nominally.I went to the ration officein Nehru Nagar, Chembur-Kurla, Mumbai to get the registered address changed on the ration card. The clerk at the office, on seeing me, at once exclaimed that his cup of tea has not arrived. (Later,I wasinformed by a friend that the allusion to the cup of tea was actually anintimitation to me thatI had to grease the clerk's hand to getmy work done.It seems thisis a done thinginIndia.) But sinceI did not understand that he asked me to add a few unnecessary thingsin the form, for whichI had to standin the queue all over again. WhenI got to the clerk again, he saidin an angry andirritated tone thatI would have to meet the officerin one month's time. I'd like to ask: Doesit take one month's time for something as straightforward as an address change on a ration card. And, why doI have to meet the officer when allmy papers arein place and the change can be done on the basis of the evidenceI have provided ? I loveIndia,itismy country. WhenI go back tomy adopted country,I still think aboutIndia. However, every timeI visit here the corrupt politicians,institutions and bureaucracy of this country put me off.IfI am honest about this country whenI am asked for an opinion by a foreigner aboutit,I feel ashamed butI am compelled to tell them about the rampant corruption from top to bottom here. Politicians, bureaucrats, the police, and the mafia are all handin glovein their prime goal to get extremely rich. Politicians here stop at nothing to amass power and wealth and care nothing about the good of the country. I have to say to people who tell us expatriates and people ofIndian origin that we are second- class citizens of the countries we have adopted thatin fact,Indians are third-class citizensin their own country. The fight against corruption takes place only on the silver-screen of Bollywood films, to entertain and to give the general public a false sense of justice. Nothing really happens.