short play on Corruption

Narrator: It’s August 14th, the day before the Independence Day and the day looked  beautiful and promising. One lady is seen amongst the crowd. hough she looked like any normal woman, her noble and dignified demeanor set her apart from e!eryone else in the place. "et, "et, people went by without e!en throwing a glance at the stately lady. lad y. #or some reason, she is in!isible to their e yes. $he is the %harat &ata. "es, "es, the &other of India. As she crossed a building, she heard some !oices and stopped to listen. Man: $ir, I need a '' for my daughter. (ere is my ration card and the details of the child’s background. Narrator: he officer !erifies all the necessary papers. Officer:  )!erything’s in order, but for one*. Man: I don’t understand sir* Narrator:  he officer rings the bell. (is assistant enters. Officer: ake ake him out and e+plain e+p lain the procedures here.

"es sir. After coming out- i!e me /00 /0 0 rupees. "ou "ou know the procedure or Assistant: "es what m y child’s Man: %ut sir* I am from a poor family and I ha!e enough money only to pay my school fee and today’s the last day too. 2lease sir* Assistant:  )!en I ha!e a child who’s been asking for a new cricket set and I ha! e a few rupees short. $o either hand o!er o !er the money or else* well, you know the process.

Narrator: he man gi!es away, half3heartedly.

 "ou must attach 00 rupees along with the details, if you want to get it signed. Assistant:  "ou Man: %ut sir*I* Assistant:  If you are to argue with the officer like this. (e may e!en tear the '' in anger  and you will ne!er get it. Narrator:  he man hands out the money bitterly cursing under his breath Man: hey get salary from the go!ernment for doing their 5obs and yet* Don’t know how I’m going to pay my child’s fee* Bharat Mata: oodness* his is outrageous6

Narrator: %ut then her spirits rose a little. BM: here’ll always be one or two black sheep e!erywhere. 7et me try some other place. $urely it’ll be a better story there. Narrator:  $he turns towards a building, hoping it would brighten things up. It was the )lectricity %oard Department. Woman: $ir, I ha!e telephoned and e!en launched 8 complaints that the street lights aren’t working in our street for the past 4 months. 2eople* especially children, suffer a lot* Officer: $orry ma’am* your complaint didn’t reach me. Woman: 9hat do you mean it didn’t reach you It was me who had filed them directly to you, sir6 I hope you don’t e+pect me to belie!e what you say6

Officer [to his assistant] : "ou there* take this woman out. Narrator: Outside the office:

Assistant:  9hat’s wrong with you ma’am 9hy don’t you 5ust gi!e him wha t he asked for Woman: 9hat do you mean Assistant:  %ribe ma’am, bribe* as you people call it. If you want your work to get done, you must gi!e him money. Woman [indignantly]:  his is unfair* then what is he paid by the go!ernment for  ;e+t beggars will start demanding coins from us6 Assistant: "ou don’t argue and waste time here. )ither gi!e the money or mo!e away. Narrator: %harat &ata watched as the woman ga!e a scathing look at the electricity  board and ga!e the money to the office assistant. $he looked near hopeless and crestfallen. ight* I’ll see to it. IT officer: &eanwhile pay some attention on this poor man, sir*

Rich Man: $ure* It’ll be done. Narrator: 7ater, the I officer’s wife calls him on phone. IT officer: (ello Wife: )!erything has reached us safely. All the appliances are from good companies. I think our child will be !ery happy with her new laptop.

BM [forlornly]:  I ne!er e+pected this* )!en the family members, who are supposed to ad!ice these corrupt officials against this !ice, are supporting them. 9here are the leaders who are responsible for all this disorder and chaos Narrator: