Of late travelling
to UK was not a big strain for both of
us. During those strenuous working days
we used to take a nonstop flight on British Airways to reach the destination as
fast as possible. And it was always from Chennai to Heathrow like a point to
point Tamil Nadu buses. Now we break our journey at Dubai comparing notes with national geographic
channel's visual description of this
techie airport and window shop for two hours, buy an almond
stuffed date packet and take another flight to Heathrow. Everything seems wonderful till then. But as
we reach the immigration point at Heathrow I go jittery. At the checking counter the passport scan takes a
second , their verbal enquiry for the purpose of visit takes another and after
this the high drama starts for me.
Yes you guessed it right ... it is the
biometric system which needs my thumb print in all its perfection! There is
nothing wrong with this requirement except that my biological system refuses to
partake in the game
"Can you put
your thumbs on the reader please?" I am asked courteously. In all smiles I
oblige and press but the result was naught.
"Harder
please...." The British politeness. Still
my imprint refuses to register.
"Show your
thumbs please" I happily respond
thinking that he is going into a different mode.
The man applied
some gummy liquid unto the thumbs.
" Now the fellow will not play truant.... ha.. ha " he laughed
and asks me to press my thumb. I was disheartened
Even after
energetic exercising on my part and cajoling from the better half the result
was zilch.
All other counters were moving in great
regularity except the one monopolized by me, the royal Indian! Like the spider
which tried to build its nest 18 times
and taught a life lesson to King Bruce, I was trying to prove my resolve
to the man in the counter.
After several
patient trials and a frail imprint on
the computer the man shook his head. He
should have thought like King Bruce, who learnt a lesson from the spider, and
took risk with resolve to clear immigration. He again looked at my bunch of
passports stapled together and the many visas, short term and long term, to
allow valid entry to England.
With resignation
written large on his face, he said "Please go ...... have a nice stay and
enjoy the weather"
I should have
convinced him about my good conduct during my sincere effort and compliance
that I might never go into the terrorist category !
Anyway this has
become my regular routine of entry into UK for of my annual vacation.
But never in my
life had I imagined that I would undergo
a similar ordeal in my free India! This is also an equally interesting one!
For several
years we had been evading obtaining the
Aadhar card, our national individual identity.
The idea that you
are being numbered like in prisoner or
in many of the broiler schools (where you are known by your number alone) was
distasteful to us . But many of our friends frightened us with dire consequences to us, the Aadhaar less people.
"Do you want a
birth certificate? A death certificate? Caste certificate? Register a property?
Register a marriage
under Hindu Marriage Act? Or Special marriage Act? Want a solvency certificate?
Apart from all
these in future if you want to pay bills
or apply for a driving license Aadhaar is a must"
Another one added
fire to the flame " Do you know in
the State of Delhi 90% of the citizens own Aadhaar cards?"
This psychological
warfare didn't bother us much.....Only 30 crore people of India
possess the Aadhaar card .The remaining 129 crore of the
population happily goes about without
this piece of plastic. We are in the majority! Ha ha......
But when one of
friends informed us that this Aadhar card registration is happening closer to
our house, we decided to do away with
this procrastination and relieve our friends from their anguish!
Since the
requirement was that the forms were to
be filled in Tamil we did that in right earnest
and where we had some doubts we decided to clarify it on the spot.
We waited in a
reasonable queue and as we entered the sanctum sanctorum and submitted our
applications. At one corner there was a growing mound of these application and
ours were duly consigned to the place it belonged! The professional gang took
our photos and then the biometric retina
scan and then........... there was the biometric registration. I thought this
local one will prove to be easy. But it
was not to be. "Press the thumbs nicely madam" he said. When I failed
to respond, he said "Now I will put my hands over your thumbs; It may pain
a little... hope you don't mind"
"Yes
please...... go on....., I don't mind at all."
With all my experience I understood things in
the right perspective. In spite of the exerted pressure my thumbs were
adamant. The impression in the computer
was still feeble.
The man scratched
his head and said " Can you put your thumbs on your head and rub some oil
into it?
But I don't have
any oil in my shampooed hair.
Again he
scratched..... He looked around
"Akka (sister)
can you do a little help? Can you allow madam to rub her thumbs on your hair
please?
He addressed the
lady waiting for the retina scan.
I look up at her.
In the beautiful rustic fashion she had applied coconut oil and plaited the
hair properly (unlike city folks)
"Why should I
?"she was vehement
"It is just to
help akka. Since madam had taken a head bath there is no oil in her hair. For
the proper impression of the thumb a little bit of oil helps. But don't bother
if you cannot."
She smiled and
bowed her head to me.
With a 'thank you'
I rubbed my thumbs unto her hair.
With this
ingenious replenishment and an aided
crushing hand pressure from the official, I successfully accomplished my biometric scan!
But how are you
going to manage in future.......
I will be the king
Bruce's spider....... try... try.... and try again
