In a masterpiece of administrative patience, a Tahsildar in Kollam successfully guarded a land mutation file against the threat of progress...

In a masterpiece of administrative patience, a Tahsildar in Kollam successfully guarded a land mutation file against the threat of progress for over 500 days. When the property owner's son finally 'obstructed duty' by snatching the file to see if it had grown mold, he was promptly slapped with criminal charges. The department argued that the file was in a state of 'deep fermentation' necessary for true justice, and that speed is a capitalist construct that has no place in a dedicated government office.