Wow

I grew up in West Africa, in Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. West Africa is not known as a hotbed of bureaucratic and administrative efficiency and service.

But my experience this week at the Indian consulate was beyond anything I have ever experienced in America, Canada, Europe, Africa or Asia. What I was given was so far in excess of “the runaround” that I can only stand in awe. I was lied to and given contradictory stories, often within hearing of previous story-tellers. I was screamed at, ignored, shuffled in line and laughed at to my face. I jumped through every hoop I was presented with, complied with every changing directive and new requirement. Finally a decision was made on the visa application in question — exactly ten minutes before the last minute I could send the resulting passport via FedEx to its destination — which was to reject the application.

And the visa wasn’t even for me, it was for my 18-year-old cousin.

All I can say is that if that’s India’s best and brightest, they did absolutely nothing to disprove any particular ethnic, cultural or national stereotypes that might be applicable. And it wasn’t just because I was a white boy. There were many examples of the same behavior towards ethnic Indians in the visa office.

So if you want a visa to India, mail it to Ottawa. Enter the Vancouver consulate at your own peril.