Earlier the students never had the facility of internet. They had to struggle for knowing the meaning of the words. In college, I heard the word Baegar for the first time. It is in a shabad of Gurbani on Ang 727 of Shri Guru Granth Sahib (Neeki Terri Biggari Alle tera Nau). This word means doing labour without getting paid. During those times (1985), I had to refer to several books of translation to know the meaning of this word. We shifted to Jagraon in 1999. We sent our child to DAV school. When I used to reach the school to pick up my son, I had to wait near the school gate for a couple of minutes under the shade of a tree along with the auto rikshaw wallas who commuted these school children back to their houses through the narrow lanes. Once I overheard an autowalla uttering the word 'Baegar'. I came to know that the policemen can catch any rikshaw walla and use his services as much desired and then leave him unpaid. The auto rikshaw wallas have to make a union to keep this exploitation under check. The union pays some fixed amount to the police force per week or month. In local parlance it is called Hafta and Mahina respectively. This money, probably, travels from low level to the top level in the police department. To make all this run smoothly strict rules are made regarding school transport in the name of safety of the school children. Since there would always be some problem in fulfilling the requirements of the rule book, the hafta culture keep getting encouraged. Anybody can understand that a school bus cannot navigate in the narrow lanes of the town like the auto rikshaws. When the things cannot work in an ideal way they are made to work in the mafia way. It is said that in some places in India, the mafia collects 'hafta' as the protection money from the shopkeepers. In small towns in Punjab there is a union for most of the trade like truck union, tempo union, daily wage labour union, Mason or Rajmistri union, rehriwalla(hawker) union, taxi union, shopkeepers union in every market. All these unions have some trouble in following the rule book. The poor people do not know that the rule book was knowingly made such that it would be extremely difficult to follow It is more for entrapping them than anything else. Due to this the poor guys have to do 'Baegar' for the police. The police wallas who otherwise must be from good families have to act as mafia in disguise. The respective unions have to pay haftas and Mahinas to them. The poor people battling for their bread have to shell money from their pockets which are wet with sweat in order to pay to their union leader. Union leaders often learn the lessons of corruption without any time lag. So there are elections for the union leader. Thus moves the wheel of corruption in the society.
A few year ago I was in the electricity office where a clerk said that he was an honest man but he had to extort money from the customers as he has to submit a fixed monthly 'Baegar' amount from his seat. This means 'Baegar' rates are there at clerical level also and that too fixed for every seat.
Ultimately a part of the dirty money reaches the politicians who are usually clad in spotless white clothes. These people then ensure that no rule should be plain and easy to follow. More complications in rules result in more dirty money. So the 'Baegar' culture thrives.
Similar is the case in the revenue department. When a person buys property there is a rate list for various types of properties. His property may not fit in any category. He finds it easy to shell out money to the Patwaris and his ilk.
Once I heard from a milkman that he has no fear of the police as he gives 'Mahina' to them. But police is meant to instill confidence not fear. Logic followed is simple. As per the rule book nothing can be sold without sales tax. Moreover his motorcycle is a private vehicle and cannot carry commercial goods. So he should be exploited royally.
A few years ago some innovative guys installed 'Atta Chakki'(wheat grinder) on their tractor trailers. They used to take their equipment to the doorsteps of their customers and offered their services. They were forced to close their work as a tractor trailer is a private carrier and cannot be used commercially. Some villagers used to buy big cars. This served their family as well as a few others of their village. Thus they could earn their livelihood. This continues to happen even now but not without paying bribes.
The main culprit is, therefore, the rule book. The solution is simple. Let there be a card for rehri wallas, auto rikshaw wallas, Doodhwallas, private taxi wallas and all other wallas. They should pay the hafta or Mahina to the government. For that money the rules should be relaxed for them for a certain period of time. The rule book should be simplified to the level that even a primary student should be able to follow it. But before all this one or two officials involved in dirty money in every department must be given exemplary punishment every year. An office or the officer that never punishes anyone must be suspected at once. The main question that should be asked to the top level officers is, 'Apne kitne logon ke khilaaf action liya?'(Against how many officials have you taken action?).
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