Baksheesh & Inaam

Kings are gone, but their practices are haunting India.

Come festival season or any perceived favour in the course of routine performance of any task, the ‘Baksheeh’ lurks around to embarrass you and remind that one isn’t as pauper as the seeker and neither as rich as the king to not mind parting the sum in that form. It becomes more painful when ‘Baksheesh’ is demanded as a right rather than received as a reward. People are so used to ‘Baksheesh & Inaam’, that they demand one even if they haven’t done anything extraordinary and even if the task performed is purely part of their duty and responsibility.

Government too has institutionalised this attitude of the ruler and the ruled among its employees by granting yearly bonus on some occasions.  The kingdom continues, servitude and slavery institutionalised with no addition to efficiency.

• Buy any big-ticket product, gatekeeper awaits ‘Baksheesh’.
• Your wife delivers a child undergoing painful labour, everyone from hospital ward boy to your driver become expectant of and entitled to ‘Baksheesh’.
• Answer your door bell before and after a major festival, every second person demands ‘Baksheesh’.
• The list is looooooong.

Even if you don’t want to, the workers expect an ‘Inaam’ from you. One can’t just give any sum as ‘Baksheesh or Inaam’ and get-away with it easily… there are RATES which you have to adhere or be ready to receive ugly looks, lowered standard of service or just refusal to accept ‘Baksheesh’ as a display of character, self-respect and defiance. Other names to ‘Baksheesh & Inaam’ are… “Khushi se & Chai paani”.

There is no escape from this ritual in this part of the world. One can’t equate it with either bribing or begging, but can merely justify it as a convenience fee… aren’t we spoiled by those ‘Maharajas’ of the yore! I hate it, like I love it…. when I have to give and receive respectively.