A day at the American Consulate
It was the month of Dec 2005 and my friend in TCS got an opportunity to go to US on a project. Getting onsite opportunity is the final destination for any typical software engineer working in a typical IT companies (TCS, Wipro, Infy etc. etc.). So, like others he was highly excited. The petitions had already come and the only formality remaining was the Visa interview in the American Consulate.
Finally that D-Day arrived!! As he was not a localite of Mumbai I agreed to accompany him for 2 reasons….I was also excited about the thing called American Consulate and again those were my vacation time in IIT so I was kind of free.
This American Consulate is located in a very posh locality of Mumbai (Breach Candy: See the name itself sounds something beyond middle-class!!). His interview time was 11 AM but to avoid any risk of missing out we reached there at around 8 AM. We received a grand welcome from the already present crowd of around 1000.
The ambience was a little tensed. People were speaking at a very low voice as if talking in high pitch would result in not getting Visa. In them there were students who were only physically present in India while their minds were already in US. There were parents and grand parents aging from about 40 to 75; waiting helplessly in the queue and hoping that they would be sooner or later step into that great country. There were professionals like my friend who were worried about their time wastage and next meeting in office. In fact few have started their work on Laptop. As the time was progressing the queue was increasing from the back side but the front side remained in tact.
The aged couple standing in front of us must be around 65. When we asked them to relax for some time they refused to do it fearing that the Visa would get rejected. We came to know that their interview time was 9:30 AM and it was 12:30 PM but still looking like they would have to wait for long.
We asked the police if there is any place where the aged people can rest for a while. But as you would expect we neither got any answer nor a mere cooperation as if the police and American government was doing a great favor by awarding us a Visa.
After 1PM the line started to move. The people got out from their slumber. By this time we had made some friends in the line, one student, a married girl with her parents whose husband is staying in the US and the aged couple who was going to their son.
Finally after a delay of about 6 hrs my friend got into the consulate at around 5 PM. While he was inside some thoughts came to my mind. Why is it that the consulate of the richest nation in the world which is known for its discipline and efficiency, so inefficient and undisciplined that people have to wait for at least 4 to 5 hours before getting in? There is no place for the aged people to rest for some time. Going by the no of people who come to the American consulate daily this is a necessity. American government has not even done anything to guide the Indian citizens who come there standing in the queue having no clue when their number will come. Again the logic of the officials for rejecting anybody’s visa is not coherent. They reject sometimes some aged person’s visa who is going to visit his son or grandson with the reason that he would start a business there!!! Now tell me if there is any logic involved in this. But the funniest part is that no one standing in that long never ending queue seemed to have complaints or grudges about it. In fact they seemed to praise that how American system is highly systematic and scrutinizing. This is in total contrast to the way the same public who give all the cuss words to the railway or bus reservation counter if it happens to take 5 to 10 minutes more time to open.
Just shows that still we have the notions that the west and especially US is always right. 58 yrs after independence the Indian mindset is more or less the same.
While these thoughts in mind fortunately my friend came out of the door with the winning expression on the face. I got the message: One more US visiting Confused Desi in the making!!!
Finally that D-Day arrived!! As he was not a localite of Mumbai I agreed to accompany him for 2 reasons….I was also excited about the thing called American Consulate and again those were my vacation time in IIT so I was kind of free.
This American Consulate is located in a very posh locality of Mumbai (Breach Candy: See the name itself sounds something beyond middle-class!!). His interview time was 11 AM but to avoid any risk of missing out we reached there at around 8 AM. We received a grand welcome from the already present crowd of around 1000.
The ambience was a little tensed. People were speaking at a very low voice as if talking in high pitch would result in not getting Visa. In them there were students who were only physically present in India while their minds were already in US. There were parents and grand parents aging from about 40 to 75; waiting helplessly in the queue and hoping that they would be sooner or later step into that great country. There were professionals like my friend who were worried about their time wastage and next meeting in office. In fact few have started their work on Laptop. As the time was progressing the queue was increasing from the back side but the front side remained in tact.
The aged couple standing in front of us must be around 65. When we asked them to relax for some time they refused to do it fearing that the Visa would get rejected. We came to know that their interview time was 9:30 AM and it was 12:30 PM but still looking like they would have to wait for long.
We asked the police if there is any place where the aged people can rest for a while. But as you would expect we neither got any answer nor a mere cooperation as if the police and American government was doing a great favor by awarding us a Visa.
After 1PM the line started to move. The people got out from their slumber. By this time we had made some friends in the line, one student, a married girl with her parents whose husband is staying in the US and the aged couple who was going to their son.
Finally after a delay of about 6 hrs my friend got into the consulate at around 5 PM. While he was inside some thoughts came to my mind. Why is it that the consulate of the richest nation in the world which is known for its discipline and efficiency, so inefficient and undisciplined that people have to wait for at least 4 to 5 hours before getting in? There is no place for the aged people to rest for some time. Going by the no of people who come to the American consulate daily this is a necessity. American government has not even done anything to guide the Indian citizens who come there standing in the queue having no clue when their number will come. Again the logic of the officials for rejecting anybody’s visa is not coherent. They reject sometimes some aged person’s visa who is going to visit his son or grandson with the reason that he would start a business there!!! Now tell me if there is any logic involved in this. But the funniest part is that no one standing in that long never ending queue seemed to have complaints or grudges about it. In fact they seemed to praise that how American system is highly systematic and scrutinizing. This is in total contrast to the way the same public who give all the cuss words to the railway or bus reservation counter if it happens to take 5 to 10 minutes more time to open.
Just shows that still we have the notions that the west and especially US is always right. 58 yrs after independence the Indian mindset is more or less the same.
While these thoughts in mind fortunately my friend came out of the door with the winning expression on the face. I got the message: One more US visiting Confused Desi in the making!!!
posted by Amrutaunshu | 12:57 AM
1 Comments:
nice one to start off man.
The visa process is pretty arbit. my friend applied for PhD and had a visa i'view. he disclosed that he had resigned a software job to pursue studies.
the interviewer just made a sly remark " oh u had resigned ur job? ". interview over.
his visa rejected.this is height of sadism.
2. and yes, our country ppl need a dose of self dignity; and not go gaga over US at every slight opportunity and trashing our own nation and indulge in perennial complaining!
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