Change of Name in the Indian Passport

I thought I would do a post on the list of things to keep in mind if one wants to get the name changed in one's passport. I am somewhat qualified to do the post as I managed to successfully get this done in the fifth attempt. After much anger, frustration and generally cursing the world for creating passports I have realized that the fault lay with me. I hope this post will help someone else avoid multiple trips to the passport office. This is based on my experience at the Bangalore Passport Office.

1. Do not trust anyone else (not even the website of the Passport Office - the currency of information is not the most recent moreover all the required information in not very well crosslinked) for the documents. Call up the passport office and confirm what you have learnt. You will have try the phone a few times before you get through.I had to return the first time as the passport office no longer accepted property tax receipts as address proof.

2. Its best to have a Passport Information Booklet at hand to help with the format of affidavits etc to be produced. In my case, we got format of the affidavit for change of name wrong even though we had taken help from agents to get it done.

3. Keep in mind the cultural considerations. What is easily considered a surname in Bihar will not be accepted as the surname in Karnataka. I failed to convince the passport officer that my father could not be called Kumari for reasons as basic as gender.

4. Take care to fill the form carefully - Surname should go in the correct column. Even if it is in the correct column, how your name appears in the previous passport dictates how it appears in the new passport. Do not assume that simply by filling the form in desired manner, the changes will be done. Apply for the relevant service (bifurcation of name, change of surname on account of marriage, change of name etc.) with the relevant documents. My previous passport had both my given name and surname in the Given Name column and thats how it went in the new passport. Then I tried the bifurcation of name route but that failed too. I finally had to go for a full fledged name change in the form of an affidavit and ads in the newspaper.

4. The web registration system available at Bangalore is good but you cannot apply for Tatkaal having registered on the web. You will have to queue up physically, get a token number and then apply. It is best to reach the passport office early - around 7 am or so to get your place in the queue. There are chairs so you can sit and work or read during the wait time. H reached the passport office at around 7:30 am. D and myself reached at around 10 am, just in time to collect our coupons. We were 50th in the line and our work took less than 2 hours thereafter.

Overall the Bangalore Passport office is pretty efficient and the process is really hassle free if you take care of producing correct documents and apply for the right service.

I smile to myself

...as I watch D play. She plays in her tent with her back towards me. She kneels to reach something, loses her balance and falls on one of the walls of the tent, accidently pressing the button for music. The music plays in her tent, she rotates her upper body to look at me with such wonder and joy that I still can't stop smiling. May the sense of wonder always stay with you darling!

Romance is in the air

She sees me lying next to her, gives me a broad smile, crinkles her eyes, rolls over to come near me, opens her mouth and starts eating whatever part of my body that her mouth can reach. I guess this is love. The beginning of love! Ah D is the gal after my own heart!

This is about others

Just my luck! I was all fired up to write a rabid post this afternoon after reading an interview of a 25 year old investment banker who apparently earns 2 crores a year. I did not get a chance all day and now Rediff has removed that piece from the website. Good sense finally prevailed.

To give you the gist, this chap is a BBA from some school in Toronto who is making a lot of money and doing little else in life. Why was he featured in Rediff I have no idea. He gloats about the fact that he works all the time, rushes out of parties at weekends at 2-3 am to attend to his boss's requests blah blah.

Anyways what really got my goat was when at some point in the interview he said something to this effect- "When I started, I was earning only 6 lakhs a year. So I have done that (meaning struggled). I have travelled by bus and taxi." Oh! You poor sod! I hope the guys at the ration shop gave you your supplies at the right time. Hope you didn't go hungry.

What are we talking about? How much is enough? And what use is even 100 crores if you can't enjoy a party on a weekend? How can money drive anyone so if he can do little else?

I guess, I am a big one for a great personal life because when I pay attention to what the old people are saying I get a feeling that what remains with them is not the thrill of making pots of money but small and big joys that have come their way with loved ones, the satisfaction of having done something for others, contributed in some way.

A toast to all those who succeed in making their lives multi-dimensional and not just a green line.

Since this blog is all about me...

.. I decided to tag myself from here and decided to do a list of my favorite things.

1. Water (drinking)
2. Red clothes (maroonish red)
3. Reading on a beach or a misty hill station and with H by my side
4. A walk in the cool crisp morning air
5. Fresh flowers in my house
6. Getting together with my sisters (especially at my childhood home)
7. Paper cards -with deep meaningful words :-)
8. Open-air restaurant, good food, wine and scintillating conversation - together
9. Reading newspaper with a cup of tea in the morning in silence
10. The aroma in my father's room
    
11. Watching my mother laugh
12. Beautiful homes
13. Rice, Dal, Potato - together
14. A warm hug
15. H's Humor
16. Babies
17. My baby
18. A wash followed by combing of hair and application of nivea cream just before going to bed
19. Drinking tea in company especially that of my family
20. D's face breaking into a smile
21. Shayaris and Ghazals that I can understand
22. Engaging conversations while on long drives
23. Stopping at a Dhaba while on long drives, sitting on a charpai and eating Tadka Dal, Tandoori Roti and Onions.
24. Sitting silently in a lush green forest and listening to the sounds of leaves rustling and birds chirping
25. Holding hands
26. Bathing in the rain
    

Am sure there are many more but this is all my sleepy brain can put down.

We all fall down.

Written 3 years back on 16th August 2007.

But how can my daughter fall? As parents you believe that your child can come to no harm. Especially with young children, the feeling that as long as you take care of your child she is completely safe. But mistakes happen. And you do not have to be a hired help to commit them.

D fell from the bed today. She fell on her cheek and cried continuously for 5 mts. She rarely cries so that was something. After giving her a massage, I left her on the bed surrounded by pillows and layers of sheets on all sides. Then I went to the bathroom to prepare her bath. I must have been in the bathroom for 30 seconds. Then I hurried out worried that she may fall off. I looked into the room just as she was falling off the bed.

She cried and cried. I was worried if she had broken some bones. I moved all her limbs, but the crying didn't intensify. Then when she didn't stop crying I knocked at the neighbour T's door.

We took her to the doc. As soon as the doc saw her he said - Oh my God! And my heart sank! Her left cheek was red as an apple. He checked everything and pronounced her unharmed. And then I cried.

Got an eye on you...

...and its an evil one!

I do not understand this evil eye business. Ever since D was born I have resisted countless suggestions and admonitions about putting some black somewhere on her person. The arguments run on the lines of - "she is so chubby, you should put something to ward off drishti", "there are so many women around who don't and can't have children, kuchh kaala daal yaar iss par."..... All these coming from well educated women.

I refuse to do so. I do not believe that anyone is evil and refuse to begin my daughter's life with this burden of mistrust in others. First of all why would anyone want ill for an innocent child? And even if they did, how can they cause harm just by looking at her? And even if they can how can a small black dot repel such a strong effort to harm her?

I personally dislike this evil eye business and I think it is just a symptom of the mistrusting and quarreling race that we are.