Corruption and discrimination

People are funny.

I was having a discussion with a person from Kerala about why India has problems and hasn’t done better in terms of developing the poor etc.

Corruption was his answer and was what I was going to say also. The civil service in India was developed after independence in the fifties, deliberately to make jobs for the discriminated lower classes. But they are chronically underpaid which tempts more corruption so they can make a living wage.

Well, then he went on saying how his experience has been so that to get anything done, you need to use an “agent” or pay a “fee”. He gave example of renewing a license where he was at the window and the government official would not serve him so he waited. And while waiting, some of these agents came and ended up standing in line behind him. The agents expected to get immediate service but this guy wouldn’t move. So he waited over 30 minutes before the clerk gave in.

I think it is funny that during this conversation, the mail delivery driver, who is a Philipino, was kept waiting. So there is still class distintion (of course) here in Kuwait.

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