Over 30 million pending cases..!

Yes, that’s the number of court cases pending in India! To be exact, thirty one million, three hundred thousand! For a long time I’d assumed that with more judges and courts the backlog would reduce, but I doubt that’s the real problem; the real problem are the lies we say with such ease, till judges are needed to find the simple truth!
I remember a store in Portugal, and as I looked at the goods, the girl in the store told me, “Why do you cheat so much?”
“Whoa! Whoa!” I said, “I haven’t cheated you or stolen anything!”
“When I came to India,” she said, “I found you people lied to us all the time!”
I find this happening all over, all the time: In the housing society where I live, I was called for a meeting where the new secretary, an ex-municipal employee was told by the previous chairman that since the cupboard keys were kept by both the chairman and treasurer and also other society members, the documents in the cupboard at the time of handing over were the collective responsibility of the whole committee. This was agreed on and keys handed over! It was also minuted by the secretary, again as I found out later in cleverly ambiguous language and later he sent a notice to the same ex-chairman asking for the handing over of the same documents he had agreed was the collective responsibility of everyone!
Thirty point three million cases!
Certainly a fair amount built on lies and cheating!
As Modi goes about country hopping, and the Indian abroad seeing him, starts feeling proud of his heritage, I wonder whether that same Indian remembers the people in the country he left behind?
As I wander along the different locations here in New York, earlier in the month in San Francisco and a few days in Washington, I realize that so much of life here is based on trust: You pick up food, and you make a beeline to the cash counter, some even open their packets and eat in the store and at the counter, show the empty packet to be accounted for. In India, there would have been a watchman at the door, because I’ve seen well off people trying to avoid payment, not because of lack of money, but because it’s a national habit!
I wonder what that ex-municipal employee tells his son, “Don’t lie, don’t cheat!” or is it, “Son, if you can get away with lying or cheating do so, but don’t ever get caught!”
It’s not about lying, it’s about getting caught!
“Now son, about getting caught…that’s not honourable to our family..!”
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Over 30 million pending cases..!

Yes, thats the number of court cases pending in India! To be exact, thirty one million, three hundred thousand! For a long time Id assumed that with more judges and courts the backlog would reduce, but I doubt thats the real problem; the real problem are the lies we say with such ease, till judges are needed to find the simple truth! I remember a store in Portugal, and as I looked at the goods, the girl in the store told me, Why do you cheat so much? Whoa! Whoa! I said, I havent cheated you or stolen anything! When I came to India, she said, I found you people lied to us all the time! I find this happening all over, all the time: In the housing society where I live, I was called for a meeting where the new secretary, an ex-municipal employee was told by the previous chairman that since the cupboard keys were kept by both the chairman and treasurer and also other society members, the documents in the cupboard at the time of handing over were the collective responsibility of the whole committee. This was agreed on and keys handed over! It was also minuted by the secretary, again as I found out later in cleverly ambiguous language and later he sent a notice to the same ex-chairman asking for the handing over of the same documents he had agreed was the collective responsibility of everyone! Thirty point three million cases! Certainly a fair amount built on lies and cheating! As Modi goes about country hopping, and the Indian abroad seeing him, starts feeling proud of his heritage, I wonder whether that same Indian remembers the people in the country he left behind? As I wander along the different locations here in New York, earlier in the month in San Francisco and a few days in Washington, I realize that so much of life here is based on trust: You pick up food, and you make a beeline to the cash counter, some even open their packets and eat in the store and at the counter, show the empty packet to be accounted for. In India, there would have been a watchman at the door, because Ive seen well off people trying to avoid payment, not because of lack of money, but because its a national habit! I wonder what that ex-municipal employee tells his son, Dont lie, dont cheat! or is it, Son, if you can get away with lying or cheating do so, but dont ever get caught! Its not about lying, its about getting caught! Now son, about getting caughtthats not honourable to our family..! [email protected]