Bribe baby Bribe

Back to blogging after a month.This time few incidents that happened in my life over the past 1 month.
Scene 1 : New Delhi International Airport. Jan 2nd 2008. Its 1.30 AM . I checked out my luggage and was going out to board a bus to Domestic Airport. While coming out of customs 2 security guys caught me and asked me whats there in my suitcase. Its marked 'X' by chalk piece. I am pretty sure the customs check has already been done.
1 security guy told me to go to customs and do checking once again. The other guy was reluctant to leave me. I asked the security where should I do checking . He told some gate number. I said I will go there. But the other guy stopped me from going there. He told not to go there but to give him some dollars/Euros/Rupees so that I can go out without doing proper checking. I told I will do checking once again and he said not to go there. After few minutes I went out.
Lesson : Security asking bribe to a passenger not to do his duty.
Scene 2 : Mysore-Mayiladudhurai Express. Me travelling in RAC. Got a co-passenger whose friend was not travelling that day. He gave me that seat. We agreed to travel by mutual consent. TTR was against it. Finally going back and forth with the co-passenger I got my seat. The role of TTR is null. But still when I got my seat by the other TTRs approval, I was asked a bribe by this guy.
Lesson : TTR asking bribe to do his duty.

Bribery is prevalent all over the world , but its quite explicit here in India. When these menace is going to change in India ?

Is this Independence ??

Happened to read the latest article in NewYorkTimes
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/world/asia/23india.html?_r=1&oref=slogin .
The article talks about new found Independence in Indian Women because of Career opportunity.
Its a wonderful article to tell it to the west that Indian women are no longer conservative. In fact west already know it based on their experiences like Indra Nooyi being CEO of Pepsi. Women empowerment is way ahead in US compared to India, We are slowly catching up. At least in Urban India women are more Independent, bold and powerful compared to villages.
I find lots of managers here in client side who are women and doing a wonderful job. Its very large in number compared to number of managers in India. The new found independence as discussed in that article will at least help in bridging the gap.
Having said that, at the end of the article one girl has told the author that she is living freely in Bangalore. Here, her boyfriend can come and go without anyone asking questions. That's what is Independence projected by the west. Does it apply to our culture our tradition? Good question.
The Girl at the end confesses that she broke away from family and married her boyfriend. This is what is called Independence by the west. Proof that we are getting westernized in every sector and soon there is going to be no difference between us and US .
Where are we going ?