Apr 11, 2007 03:57 PM
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Wait and Q are the two words that I have been fed and nurtured all my growing years. Those of us who have grown in state controlled economy too must have been familiar with these words. Be it milk booth, rationed grain shop, barber, bank, post office – Q is every where. Wait! Is a hallmark of expressing one’s domination. Be it as miniscule as peon sitting on wooden stool or clerk busy cleaning his beetle nut residue from his teeth or manager behind the closed door cabin. Wait is distinct pronouncement as soon as you utter to solicit something. In recent years, with spread of privatisation and internet, wait has lost its steam but Q would be hard to banish, as long as India’s population is ballooning.
After many years, I have had my dose of wait and Q at India consulate in Dubai. “For dead body, please go to counter number 8, If no body then go to counter number 7” This notice on the glass showcase on the right side of the foyer was a fair indication of amusing time I would have at the Indian Consulate in Bur Dubai. This is not a typical consulate like that of other countries with sleek indoors and compact space. This is a microcosm of true India with the exception of beggars, eunuchs and union leaders. There are illiterate labourers, skilled workers; tie clad sales persons, newly wed couples and even new born babies all waiting in Q to complete their passport related work. The trade people have been insulated from this milieu behind the main building for attestation related service. Sight of security man behind robust rotating gates is understandable but his approach to let go without even seeing inside the bag baffles my logic. I guess he is either over smart or too naïve.
No longer you have breathed fresh air from security dungeon, you are hit with men who are standstill, they are part of many serpentine Q’s that are to get inter wined as you go inside. They all seem to originate from every window or office cabin. In this entire melee, there is ubiquitous lean tall soft spoken Sardar – managing crowd, assuaging irritated nationals and sympathetizing with overstayed labourer’s plight. I thought him as PRO of India consulate; he turned out to be man from security agency. First Q leads to a massive square table managed by four people, on the table lie host of forms stacked up next to each other. ‘I want to delete a name ….’ before I could finish the sentence, a form was thrust in my hand by stern looking, delicate framed lady. Only after I started filling up the form standing at a desk next to notice of ‘dead body at counter no 8’, I realize that this was for a woman who wants to change her name after marriage. A young man next to the ‘writing desk for standing people’ asks me if it’s necessary to put his thumb impression after signing the form. Before I could say no, I am jostled by another person who is keen to occupy coveted desk space. I gather there are more people than this small desk would provide. Another Q is in the process of being born.
Consul is like a Lord in a consulate. If you need to get job done in a day, you must prostrate before him with pitiable face and ready to provide to the Govt of India of additional US$20 over and above normal charges. I join this coveted Q outside his office. Lord is patient, soft spoken, listening to everyone’s grievance and providing succour to his best ability. I imagined him a like a benevolent King from poor kingdom serving his society. Soon, the cubicle outside was gets packed. Every minute, Lord speaks on telephone, three more join the Q. Seeing hustle bustle, Sardar arrives goading people to make U turn in that small space. Now I am squeezed between three shoulders and wall. But I manage to nudge, squeeze and protrude my neck to measure the time that I need to reach the Lord. He attends to me and guides me to go to ‘Counter – no 8’ Dead body flashes in front of my eyes.
I come in main foyer; this is like Indian railway reservation hall with counters from 1 to 8 with amateurish hand painted boards in English, Hindi and Malayalam pronouncing the purpose of the counter. But there is one board at Counter 2 to 5 that is bigger than any other boards that draws my attention “Counter Closed”. Counter no 7 and 8 are almost merged some people squeezing themselves in between. A howling protest from people behind for an intruder is quietened with his announcement that he was just witness to sign a paper. Another burkha lady arrives with Arab husband, and heads to counter window. I was intrigued about preferential treatment for Arabs but learn that it’s not Arab but woman who gets special privilege not to stand in queue. At last, woman managed to get reservations somewhere. Meanwhile, a young mama with 15 day old baby snuggles in. Her husband holding blue ink pad ready to take imprint of baby’s finger to fit to put on passport form. Poor baby, she is too stunned with the whole environ and even scared to cry or howl. I was told that infant must have separate passport with their finger print.
Getting a photocopy is another ordeal. A small porta cabin turned into a photocopy center and outside is a long winding Q` of people clutching papers in one hand and mobile on another while brazing the scorching sun. Occasional white woman become cynosure of the eyes of labourers who find it a welcome change from their mundane daily hard grind. The photocopy inside a cabin is a manual version of industrial robot. This man with one hand on cover flap of machine and other on documents, keeping the documents – pressing buttons – counting money – and yet taking shouts from people behind “kitna slow hain – how slow he is”.
My ordeal is over and am relieved. But when I study the process and workflow, I can’t but admire the staff of India Consulate. They are doing Herculean task of attending almost 4000 people every day and yet do their best to provide solution. Whats heartening is their approach in handling people by according utmost respect and dignity to everyone. Many visitors all illiterate yet am sure that they too don’t feel as second grade citizen(perhaps J&K residents may do so).India consulate do have a system and their employee adhere the system but surging huge crowds make their job extremely difficult. They must be doing nearly half the job of all consulates put together in Dubai. And I am sure; they earn lot of money to India exchequer too. I see their plight as Bombay Suburban Railway; both give lot of revenue but get very little back. India Govt should seriously start in terms of implementing innovative measures like introduction of biometric passport, 80 page machine readable passport and internet based passport processing and yes many more photocopy stations for India consulate in Dubai.
