Good old jugaad

APOPULAR proverb ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ perhaps refers to needs which are primarily so essential that you are compelled to exercise the power of invention. But there is an indigenous equivalent to invention called jugaad in local dialect. The driving force behind jugaad is not the intensity of the need involved, but the intensity of the instinct to circumvent the established path suiting either our comfort zone or our vested interests. I am not sure about other indices of human development, but on this one we shall certainly score rank one in the world. 

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The moment a new step is taken or a law enacted, we start burning the midnight oil to look for loopholes. Hardly an iota of pusillanimity is betrayed while resorting to such measures. 

The word jugaad found its way into my vocabulary long ago when our genius minds invented an improvised engine-driven cart (rehra), mocking at the provisions of motor vehicle rules. A lot of water has flown down the bridge since, and a number of innovative ideas circumventing the principle or maxim governing conduct have been added in this chest of ingenuity. Many a time, these jugaads become a source of entertainment too. There is a long list ranging from boarding a bus or train out-of-turn; usage of two/ three-wheelers for things other than carrying passengers; beating scorching heat or biting cold; taking bath without getting wet ; stealing water or electricity; to dodging demonetisation objectives, etc. Perhaps our PM too had the same jugaad in his mind when he said people in the Opposition felt that a notice should have been given before announcing the demonetisation decision. We are all a witness to the recent jugaad in the series after hotel and restaurant owners serving liquor were prohibited to do so within a specified distance abutting national/ state highways. Not only did owners hoodwink the authorities by manipulating the length of corridors leading to the premises by shifting the entry, but also the authorities colluded in declaring these roads as district roads. 

Voila! I was awestruck when I saw the jugaad at its best few days ago. I was driving near a traffic light intersection in the City Beautiful, when all of a sudden, a number of cops blowing whistles appeared on the scene magically. One of them switched off the lights from the junction box and others took control of the traffic manually. My co-traveller answered my curiosity immediately telling me that this is the latest modus operandi to ensure a smooth passage for VIPs. It seems that the dictum of the PM to change ‘VIP culture to EPI culture’ was at stake. Truly, old habits die hard.