I got the permanent License issued three days ago. :-)

I had gone for the test after five months of learning license being issued. I had gone there with both my car and bike as the license I had applied for was for both two wheeler and the four wheeler (LMVs). The enquiry people had ensured that I had both vehicles of my own out there for giving the test. I had bought car particularly for this purpose. (I am also going to sell it back now :-) ).The guy who was taking the test was known to me. The first day I went to him he did not put me to test, telling me that he did not want to fail me! :-) He asked me to come the next day and everything would be cleared. Well, he was a nice talking guy this time. He did not mince those 'no' words anymore. He recognized even after five months and was behaving very kindly this time.

Well, so I went there the next morning. After the formalities, there was another guy was supposed to take my driving test. I had met this as well. At the office of Deputy Commissioner where he was there put the arguments on behalf of the MLO, Vasant Vihar. However, at that time I did not know him and he had heard my firm determination about my stance on the Motor Vehicle Act which I was discussing with a friend of mine who had accompanied me to the Regional Transport Office. He came with me to my car parked outside on the road. There is no testing ground specified for such tests here. He also did not sit with me in the car. He simply asked me to bring the car back to the gate of Office after taking a u-turn from the red light that was merely 50 metres from there. I was wondering whether he takes the test for everybody in the same way. I guess, yes, that is how they test you once they are satisfied with the documents. So, it took me five minutes bring the car back to the gate of the Office. When I came here, he simply said the I will get my license by speed post. And the next morning the license came to my address. :-)

With my fight through RTI, I had brought the knowledge of the Law of the Land to the ignorant Motor Licensing Officer of Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. Now, he knew that people like me with partial loss of vision could get a license through the proper channel. I emphasize on the proper channel here. Because, I could have got a license issued by keeping these guys in dark. There hundreds of such Driving License issuing offices in India that delivers the license of anything that runs on the road, without even seeing the candidate once! And this license is valid through the country. So, I could have had a license made through an agent, by paying him some money which he would feed the guys holding chairs in such offices.  If I were to take this route, there would not have been any hassle for me in getting the license issued.

So, the question is why did I undergo all this pain of the proper channel and suffered all this. Well, the answer is just to seek the truth of my being. All along, I have been considering myself as a normal person. But then there are times when I feel or perhaps somehow made to feel that I am different from others. I never discussed anybody about this 'physical condition' of mine. However, it has always been with me at the back of my mind since it all began 13 years ago. For me it is a small thing. But sometimes it feels that it is the biggest thing I have and has an impact on almost everything I do. I could talk of such instances, but I would prefer not to talk because this would be too subjective a matter to talk on. And besides, I do not want to put my social standing at risk. So, let us keep this for some other posts.