- Bribe Fighter
- 14 years ago
- 4251 views
From a town near the Indian border to Nepal
As a ********** tourist in India (October 2009-March 2010 I noticed the Indian authorities' efforts to fight against bribe.
When, for instance, you go by boat from Chennai to the Andaman Islands, you will se the notices on the wall in the room where you buy your tickets: Please do report to us (= the local authorities, phone number so-and-so), if anyone tries to blackmail you!
From Denmark I had got a visa for only one entrance and one departure to-from India. When you visit the Andaman Islands, you have to get an extra, so called “visa”, but it is in fact just a stamp in your passport.
Back to the continent - this happened in Raxaul, Bihar -a Gonverment official with pleasure noticed that the stamp in my passport told about my “departure” from India, “arrival” to the Andaman Islands- and back “departure-arrival” Port Blair-India/ Chennai. But my visa from Denmark did not allow that!
Oh yes, I am sure, I said – as far as the Andaman Islands still are part of India?
He understood that very well, but a stamp is a stamp!
I wanted to cross the borderline to Nepal. And this Indian gentleman wanted to be paid, so that he could ignore the stamp and let me go.
Okay, I said: You can have the rest of my Indian money; but then you have to give me a receipt with your signature to my embassy in Delhi; the ********** embassies are very serious about that.
He meditated for a while and concluded: I was a very very very old lady (I am 62 years old) and he, in fact, was a very friendly man! So never mind – I could leave. Without paying.
I accepted this generous offer , and there were just kindly manners between us.
Maybe these sort of things could be more easy to handle for a foreigner than for a local citizen?
For me it was just a funny story to my memories – and nicely overshadowed by my experiences about Indian honesty, tolerance and hospitality.
Kind regards - and good luck!
Elsebeth *******