I want to start off this blog with something that really kept rolling in my mind since about two weeks, including today, which is what finally pulled me to start writing this blog! Quite often, either due to a long day at work, or when out to catch up with friends on a weekend, I end up driving back home past 10:30PM (although I must confess, lesser traffic past 10 is a main reason for the delay most of the days). Something I really enjoyed was the traffic police’s Nakabandhi for looping in those driving after downing a few pegs. I used to enjoy seeing the policeman’s somewhat disappointed expression seeing the breath analyzer, I had blown into, which said I was clean. Driving past the barricade seeing people negotiating with the inspector trying to get out of the mess, added to my joy. It was so very joyful that I was always looking forward for these checkpoints every time I was driving after 10:30. During weekends, it was an assured visual treat.
I used to come across at least two checkpoints, in my regular route. One was at the end of the cubbon road, near the stadium, and the second one was near Windsor manor hotel, at the golf course corner. Cubbon park police, for some reason, shifted their “adda” and started the business opposite to the stadium’s main entrance. I dint loose hope, I changed my route to continue in M.G.Road and then reach cubbon road junction driving past their new location. It however din’t make much difference to me, since I was driving in the parallel road now. The sight near Windsor manor hotel started to be less frequent and got completely stopped! So I was now left with just one location for my “maja sigo jaga”, the cubbon road junction one. It was holistically a confirmed fact to see them during Friday, Saturday & Sunday, and if it was any other days of the week, it was a 50-50 possibility. Now, they too have started disappointing me! Not to be seen at all since about 2 weeks now!
Even today, all way thru, until I reached home, I have been figuring out the reason as to why they could have stopped doing this. To spice it up, I tried linking this up with the most discussed topic these days of the current government situation “Corruption”! I am a strong believer of the saying “Yatha Raja thatha praja”. So if somebody tells that our current ministers are after making unaccounted money, I would see it trickle down all way and hold good for the cops too!. How do you buy that? I have heard from a lot of people, who were caught in these nakabandhis, that if you are caught drunk, the cops accept only the legal fine and don’t agree to “yeno nodi, adjust maadkoli sir”. So I would say, they are not investing their “Precious sleeping” time anymore in this job which is not earning them any extra bucks!
Don’t agree? Here is the extra dose! Checking still happens at the golf course junction! Yes, it does. But not to see if you have gulped down Mallya’s tonic before starting the engine! They now only stop trucks and goods vans! All of us have seen a million times, the “Gandhi paper” being passed within closed hands when a goods vehicle is stopped by a man in white shirt and Khakhi trousers with a round white hat in his hands, hiding what he is doing.
Looks like, they really are just making sure that all the time they are investing, without sleeping and staying out on the street in freezing cold, is giving them some extra returns!
The problem I have is not with losing out the maja I was having, not even with those who are getting away without being caught. It is the fear that this could be true! I just put a rough thought and ended up concluding what you just read. It might not really be the true reason for what is happening, but if it is, it means we are in a very bad situation and will get worse very soon.
