After a very long time, I met a person at a funeral house immediately
after the recent general elections and knowing that the person is a avid
supporter of the present regime, I was determine not to talk any politics.
Once the initial greetings and chit chat were over, the
person knowing that I was a grower and selling my stuffs, wanted to how the
business was running.
Because of my previous resolution I was initially a bit
reluctant to talk facts but when the person prodded me more, I had no avenue to
turn than to disclose that doing business in this country is not as easy as one
would thought.
I confessed how I failed to register a company, the very
first step to be taken if anyone is thinking of doing any business.
The failure is partly due to my stubbornness and but mostly
due to corrupt officials who instead of helping a business, instead throw more
and more obstacles in one’s path with only one intention in their mind.
It is no secret that coloured papers with different types of
birds are printed can do wonders and clear any obstacle in anyone’s way.
However, I was reluctant to let my birds fly away from my
nest on principles and not that I was short of coloured papers with different
types of birds printed on them.
Hearing that, the person said the present regime encourages
more and more exports and that I should get in touch with the newly appointed
task force to investigate such malpractices and punish those who are still
engage in them.
I politely agreed to get in touch with this new whatever the
force, just to pacify and silence my friend than anything else, knowing well
how still works in this place.
Then the person turned to boasting.
How he had accompanied a friend of this person who is also a
businessman looking for an opportunity to see the infamous Mr 10% and how he
had promised to help my friend’s friend in his request.
When I mentioned that I have no desire to use any backdoor
to gain any undue advantages and rather prefer to stay on the usual and
available right way, common to all.
The person was shocked and with a resignation in the face
said to me that if I do not get such a help from an influential person in a
very high place, I would never successes.
Finally I totally agree with that person on one thing.
I rather would stay a poor and free man all my life than become
someone who would suck up to another to gain any undue advantages for me or for
my family.
I wanted to ask this person, whether is that the change that
most of you aspired and expected from the new regime, but opted to say nothing
in the end because of two things.
The first one is that I value our decades old friendship
more and wanted it to stay intact than taking a mere useless political stand
points.
The second one is that even if I strive so hard with facts,
it would not be possible to remove the coloured glass the person had been
wearing for a long time.
If nothing is working out without flaunting the coloured
papers with birds printed on them and or using a backdoor contacts, then I could
not help thinking, is this the new change many have aspired to have?