Bikaji Cama Place

Bikaji Cama Place is a huge building. One of the fine looking government offices in India. The ambiance, however is really pathetic. With all babu's decked up in their old fashioned suits, they consider themselves to be the Gods of the aam janta. Since its these people who are supposed to give you the so called clearance, you have to respect them, no matter whether they actually deserve that respect or not. They will issue passports to all sorts of criminals, tharkis, terrorists, will make fake passports for people but will not issue an Indian passport to a person who shall be representing their country at the international level. So my story begins in the following manner:-

First Visit:

Sundriyal Sir: Nikita aap apne papers lekar ek bar bikaji cama place jao. 6:00 pm tak ka time hota hai. Abhi nikal jao, aur kisi samajhdar bande se apne papers verify karwa lo.

Me: haunted by the name of Bikaji cama place, I took a deep breath and said ok. I left with my feriend mady, who just accompanied me because she wanted to spend some time with me and was not in a mood to attend classes.

So, together we left and reached in one hour.

First counter: Madam ab aap kal aiyega, tokan ka time khatam

Me: but i just want to get my documents checked today.

First counter: Go to the counter No. 3 , wahi apko bateyenge.

Counter No. 3: madam ji ab aap kal hi aiyega, hum isi kaam ke liye thode hi na baitha hai.

Me: (Frustrated on hearing this) toh sir phir kaun batayega.

Counter No.3: mujhe nai pata

Me: Almost loosing my temper, but the very next minute a cute looking guy said

Cute guy: come I will make u meet someone who helped me out. She will help you also- Kaushal Aunty

Me: I did not know how to react, but the guy was cute and helpful, so I listened , secondly - I had no choice.

Kaushal Anty: haanji bolo beta.

Me: Showing her my papers, explaining her my strange story which have already been written in my birth history blog, I asked her for help.

Kaushal Aunty: Get these verification papers ready from a person who have the magistrate authority and see me on Monday. I will get it done.

(With relief in heart, I called my College Principal and told her the whole story. We sat in College till 6 in the evening, the whole office was running to court to get my documents ready)

VISIT 2:

All of a sudden Kaushal aunty shows her true colours, and denies to help.

Me: Nikita be strong, its ok. Collected my papers and got into the line. Finally I got the token. One hurdle crossed.

I waited for my turn. The whole day I sat in that boring place, the musical sound hurt my ears. I felt nostalgic, sick and worn out, but I still waited and kept praying. After four hours came my turn.

Me: (Glad, a lil nervous) these are my papers

Counter No 4: She took ten minutes to check my papers and said, beta apka yeh verification form par photo attested nai hai.

Me: I did not know about this. I have got the papers ready as ready in the form.

Counter No. 4: Yeh nai chalega. Aap yeh abhi karwa kar laiye

Me: Ok.

I called my College Principal and asked her to stay in College as I wanted to see her. Poor thing was about to leave for a university meeting but cancelled it for me. I ran to the college, fell twice on the way. Once on The Civil Lines metro Station and the second time I slipped from the Escalators in a very funny manner.

After reaching College;

Me: Munna Bhaiya, Principal mam ki stamp do

Stamped the papers and badged in her cabin without noticing that she was in a meeting. But she welcomed me

Principal maam: Signed and attested my documents and said all the best

Me: I ran waving her bye in air. Dint have time to chat. Had a deadline to reach. Messaged her thanks while sitting in metro.

Visit 3:

Reached passport office on time, went to the lady and got it done.

Counter No. 4: Beta arey! Yeh nai chalega. Principal yeh verification nai kar sakti. aap Couter No.2 par jaiye

Counter No. 2: these papers are not valid. Your principal can not verify ur papers. Only a gazetted officer can do it.

Me: But my College principal is a gazetted officer. She has the magistrate authority.

Counter No 2: Nai hoti

Me: But you must check . She has the authority

I argued alot, kind of faught with him. But nothing worked. I called Sundriyal Sir, spoke to maam on phone , they asked me to come back.

Please Note: According to law the Principal of a college which comes under University of Delhi ishas the magistrate authority.

The so called babus of the passport office, the so called intelligent , literate people sitting in one of the most important government offices of India- has knowledge = peanuts. This person is asking me to get verification from an under secretary, whereas the post of my college principal is much higher and she has the authority to give me the certi.

I felt like shouting at this fellow, wanted to ask him to update his knowledge, but I somehow could not do so. He was of the age of my grandfather. Somehow that respect came in me. I wanted to curse him out of frustration but somehow I could not. Maybe my culture and my morals barred me from doing so, but I just know one thing- This is simply not done. What happened is simply not correct.

P:S. I do not know whether I will be issued a passport or not, but I will try once again.