A common man living in one part of India - our very vast & diverse country, tries to save money from his meager earnings in the hope that he will someday go on a vacation to see the amazing tourist places the land offers.
The thought of going abroad or for that matter board an airplane does not even cross his mind.
His dreams are limited to places within India. Places like the magnificent TAJ MAHAL in Agra (UP).
But little does he know about the harsh realities. He is unaware of the prevailing "Gundaraaj" in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
That is exactly what happened with me & my family on our visit to Agra last week.
While I was driving on the Yamuna Expressway, I was cautioned by my well wishers, not to stop anywhere other than the Toll Plaza, even if I had a flat tyre or any other incident. There are gangs waiting to seize the opportunity and loot you. They may even try to pelt stones or sticks to make you stop the car.
I was told to drive very carefully and make sure that I reach Agra city before sun down. Thankfully, no untoward incident occurred and we reached our destination safely. But the drive, that I was hoping to enjoy turned out to be stressful as I had to be alert all the time. So much for driving on the expressway !!
The next day was scheduled for a visit to Fatehpur Sikri. Again, I was told to drive very cautiously since there is a gang active just before the gate that tries to stop cars bearing registration numbers other than UP and extorts money for no reason. I was told not to stop whatever happens.
That is exactly what happened. Seeing the Chandigarh registration number of my car, 2 youths on a bike tried to stop me. They even followed me and signaled me to stop. I was a bit scared, but kept on driving as instructed.
As soon as we passed the main gate, they vanished and we heaved a sigh of relief. Of course such an operation cannot be carried out without the connivance of the local Police. I was told to be ready for a similar episode at the time of return also. All this turned our pleasurable outing into a stressful nightmare.
Well, we thanked our stars on reaching back Agra city without any big problem.
Next day being Friday, the Taj was closed for visitors, so we decided to visit the adjoining "Taj Nature Walk" Garden. We wanted to use the washrooms on reaching there and were surprised to find them "LOCKED" !!
The sad thing was to see people (read locals) urinating all around in full public view.
The thought of going abroad or for that matter board an airplane does not even cross his mind.
His dreams are limited to places within India. Places like the magnificent TAJ MAHAL in Agra (UP).
But little does he know about the harsh realities. He is unaware of the prevailing "Gundaraaj" in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
That is exactly what happened with me & my family on our visit to Agra last week.
While I was driving on the Yamuna Expressway, I was cautioned by my well wishers, not to stop anywhere other than the Toll Plaza, even if I had a flat tyre or any other incident. There are gangs waiting to seize the opportunity and loot you. They may even try to pelt stones or sticks to make you stop the car.
I was told to drive very carefully and make sure that I reach Agra city before sun down. Thankfully, no untoward incident occurred and we reached our destination safely. But the drive, that I was hoping to enjoy turned out to be stressful as I had to be alert all the time. So much for driving on the expressway !!
The next day was scheduled for a visit to Fatehpur Sikri. Again, I was told to drive very cautiously since there is a gang active just before the gate that tries to stop cars bearing registration numbers other than UP and extorts money for no reason. I was told not to stop whatever happens.
That is exactly what happened. Seeing the Chandigarh registration number of my car, 2 youths on a bike tried to stop me. They even followed me and signaled me to stop. I was a bit scared, but kept on driving as instructed.
As soon as we passed the main gate, they vanished and we heaved a sigh of relief. Of course such an operation cannot be carried out without the connivance of the local Police. I was told to be ready for a similar episode at the time of return also. All this turned our pleasurable outing into a stressful nightmare.
Well, we thanked our stars on reaching back Agra city without any big problem.
Next day being Friday, the Taj was closed for visitors, so we decided to visit the adjoining "Taj Nature Walk" Garden. We wanted to use the washrooms on reaching there and were surprised to find them "LOCKED" !!
The sad thing was to see people (read locals) urinating all around in full public view.
Shameful and disgusting !!
Infact, urinating & spitting could be seen almost every where in Agra City. And that is the fate of our PM's much applauded "Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan". One wonders where the money being collected in the name of "Swachh Bharat Cess" is going !!??
The entire Agra city is crying for proper sanitation. The air is full of stench of open and non-functional sewer lines, and lack of civic sense in the residents.
The only saving grace is the magnificent TAJ, standing tall amidst all the shame.
It was time to go back. We were advised to leave early and cross the expressway well before sunset.
Infact, urinating & spitting could be seen almost every where in Agra City. And that is the fate of our PM's much applauded "Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan". One wonders where the money being collected in the name of "Swachh Bharat Cess" is going !!??
The entire Agra city is crying for proper sanitation. The air is full of stench of open and non-functional sewer lines, and lack of civic sense in the residents.
The only saving grace is the magnificent TAJ, standing tall amidst all the shame.
It was time to go back. We were advised to leave early and cross the expressway well before sunset.
We were feeling happy as we neared Greater Noida that no mishap had occurred and our journey would end on a pleasant note, when suddenly, we were stopped by a group of 8-10 policemen. They had also stopped some other cars too. One of the policemen told me that I was over speeding, although I knew I was not. Mind you that the speed limit on the expressway is 100 kmph and we were still on the same highway.
He told me that my documents (DL & RC) will be impounded and can be taken back from the court after 90 days after paying the fine of Rs.2500.00. I was shocked. I told them to take the fine in cash and issue a receipt to avoid the lengthy court procedure. He declined and said he cannot do this and that we will have to go to the court to get our documents, or, we can just pay him Rs.2000 unofficially and be on our way.
He told me that my documents (DL & RC) will be impounded and can be taken back from the court after 90 days after paying the fine of Rs.2500.00. I was shocked. I told them to take the fine in cash and issue a receipt to avoid the lengthy court procedure. He declined and said he cannot do this and that we will have to go to the court to get our documents, or, we can just pay him Rs.2000 unofficially and be on our way.
Finally after some negotiation, I gave him Rs.1500 and left, feeling miserable. We were later informed that this is usually what happens with people with vehicles bearing registration numbers from outside UP and the UP police itself has made a gang and loot gullible travelers on one or the other pretext.
Infact, I was told that this is what police does across India with travelers from outside the state. It is sad that the ones who are there to help & serve the people have become extortionists.
One feels like an alien in one's own country !!
Infact, I was told that this is what police does across India with travelers from outside the state. It is sad that the ones who are there to help & serve the people have become extortionists.
One feels like an alien in one's own country !!
