The License Raj, as Amit Varma writes, is a system tailored to be inefficient. Beaurocracy and red-tapism have seeped into our way of life. Varna Sriraman recalls a horrifying day in the middle of one of the most cosmopolitan Indian cities. Accidents are not uncommon elsewhere in the world. But the crisis managements systems in place are effecient and trained to cope with such situations.
A trauma centre at a major hospital must see numerous accident-related cases everyday. The system in place to tackle with emergencies is appalling, as Varna finds out. The difference between saving someone's life and not happens to be that short period of time.
But this accident has turned into a money-making scheme for a corrupt police official and an inefficient, beaurocratic hospital (not to mention the autodriver).