Extortion ..............

"Dushera Bakshish" is something very common this part of the India. During this time, almost every support personality of your daily life will come over for a few bucks from you. The postman, electricity meter reader, the person who cleans the road in front of your house, the water connection official. All of them.

This has been pretty much a tradition. So, it does not really annoy anyone around here. This is expected.

What amused me this year is the new and creative ways, people are including themselves to that set of support personnel who are eligible for Dushera Bakshish.

The BSNL Broadband technician, cuts the broadband connection. The usual reboot and wait does not help. Then call the usual number.

Someone will pick up and say mechanically for this problem he would have to come to home and check. He comes home and before looking in to the issue, asks for Dushera Bakshish.

Thats where I asked him to fix it first. He smiled and said, no worries, we are the invisible support people and no one gives them the public bonus which they feel entitled to. They need to come home, show their value and take this bonus.

He even mentioned, this is arranged. Once the bakshish is given, and he makes a call from him mobile phone the broadband connection at home will start working.