<p>It is the way of the world to grab most of the credit when something good is done and not disown discredit when things don’t go as well as expected.<br /><br />A recent incident highlighted this common human trait. There was a pile of garbage just outside our compound wall — an unsightly hillock, in fact — which kept growing at an alarming rate.<br /><br />I called the BBMP and was told it would be cleared and advised me to contact A, which I promptly did. A directed me to B who, in turn, referred me to C. Never one to let the grass grow under my feet, I did so. C was ‘not in his seat’. I gave him a long rope, knowing that the breaks these employees take is stretchable. When I managed to catch him, he said ‘urgent matters’ had kept him busy and suggested I approach D. I couldn’t afford the luxury of irritation at being pushed from pillar to post (or in this case, from A to probably Z, only to return to A) what with the garbage level rising rapidly. So I set about tracking D. Not surprisingly, D proved elusive. Patience is a virtue and I decided to practise it, though it was beginning to wear thin. Before it completely gave way, I managed to corner D. He promised to take action. Being sceptical, I wasn’t convinced. As if sensing it, reassured me.<br />Even after two days, nothing was done. I was forced to tackle D again, treading warily as my interest was at stake. After a whole morning of requests and reminders, the garbage was cleared. I heaved a sigh of relief. It was such a pleasure to see the place all spruced up.<br /><br />The very next morning, the door bell rang. A khaki-clad stranger stood outside. “I am Raghu,” he declared. As I had never seen him before, I didn’t recognise him. I couldn’t figure out why he was giving himself the celebrity status of Rajikanth. I got a bit suspicious, especially after the gory stories of assault and murder that the media publicises in painful detail. “What do you want?” I asked brusquely. He looked hurt. “How can you ask that? I am the one who cleared all that garbage,” he answered. I could recall the faces of those who had done the clean-up but Raghu definitely wasn’t one of them. He coolly demanded Rs 50 for a job which he hadn’t done.<br /><br />I was more prepared to deal with the next claimant. The uniformed lady gave me a sweet smile and took credit for what was done and wanted to be rewarded for having done nothing. But who took the cake was a local resident who claimed the rubbish heap was cleared because she threatened to expose the BBMP by sending a picture of the rubbish heap to the press.</p>
<p>It is the way of the world to grab most of the credit when something good is done and not disown discredit when things don’t go as well as expected.<br /><br />A recent incident highlighted this common human trait. There was a pile of garbage just outside our compound wall — an unsightly hillock, in fact — which kept growing at an alarming rate.<br /><br />I called the BBMP and was told it would be cleared and advised me to contact A, which I promptly did. A directed me to B who, in turn, referred me to C. Never one to let the grass grow under my feet, I did so. C was ‘not in his seat’. I gave him a long rope, knowing that the breaks these employees take is stretchable. When I managed to catch him, he said ‘urgent matters’ had kept him busy and suggested I approach D. I couldn’t afford the luxury of irritation at being pushed from pillar to post (or in this case, from A to probably Z, only to return to A) what with the garbage level rising rapidly. So I set about tracking D. Not surprisingly, D proved elusive. Patience is a virtue and I decided to practise it, though it was beginning to wear thin. Before it completely gave way, I managed to corner D. He promised to take action. Being sceptical, I wasn’t convinced. As if sensing it, reassured me.<br />Even after two days, nothing was done. I was forced to tackle D again, treading warily as my interest was at stake. After a whole morning of requests and reminders, the garbage was cleared. I heaved a sigh of relief. It was such a pleasure to see the place all spruced up.<br /><br />The very next morning, the door bell rang. A khaki-clad stranger stood outside. “I am Raghu,” he declared. As I had never seen him before, I didn’t recognise him. I couldn’t figure out why he was giving himself the celebrity status of Rajikanth. I got a bit suspicious, especially after the gory stories of assault and murder that the media publicises in painful detail. “What do you want?” I asked brusquely. He looked hurt. “How can you ask that? I am the one who cleared all that garbage,” he answered. I could recall the faces of those who had done the clean-up but Raghu definitely wasn’t one of them. He coolly demanded Rs 50 for a job which he hadn’t done.<br /><br />I was more prepared to deal with the next claimant. The uniformed lady gave me a sweet smile and took credit for what was done and wanted to be rewarded for having done nothing. But who took the cake was a local resident who claimed the rubbish heap was cleared because she threatened to expose the BBMP by sending a picture of the rubbish heap to the press.</p>
