My father is a retired government servant. He joined the TN state government as a typist in 1958 and retired as a Tehsildhar in 1995. His official stint was full of experiences with politicians, bureaucrats, public and to some extent media. He loves to talk about his experiences and the way he handled numerous and variety of situations that came up to him. It is after his retirement that I realised how much government officials with power can do and how responsible and at the same time thankless there job could be. He has a nice and witty style of narration that I never missed a session when he is on the topic, if I am around.
It was during one of our sessions we got into the powers of bureaucrats (IAS and the like) and how much they can do. My father said, a bureaucrat has enormous power to improve things and with out his sign of approval no file in the government can move. A dedicated bureaucrat with resources can make things happen, my father said. No politician would risk going against an official's stated position as that would mean they are personally responsible and can be easily trapped especially if it is in someway beneficial to them(as is the case nowadays).
When I heard him saying this, I asked, who is the real culprit for the corruption? Most of us blame politicians, general public and police. If there is no giver, there won't be a taker is a famous cliche. But when a poweful taker demands a person to give, what else can he do other than accepting the demand to give or giving up his right unless he is a revoutionary or a natural fighter. Most of the commoners have no power and can't really fight against the powerful in this corrupt environment. I am not justifying the giver but only highlight his desperation. I am not talking about the rule breakers who bribe.
Coming to the point, if bureaucrats don't bend and serve according to the oath or as expected of them by the Indian constitution, where will be corruption? It's difficult to bring all commoners under one banner. They are numerous and have different interests whereas bureaucrats are quite negligible in size and according to their service requirement must have only one interest that of serving the nation. If only they stand tall and not buckle under the political pressure they would have served this country well. Political class are powerful and there is no denying that. But then if all bureaucrats fight unitedly, corruption can be rooted out. Political class may be the drivers but bureaucrats are the engine of the government. If the engine stops the driver can't push the road roller. Can he?
As long as the gate keepers are lax and greedy, thieves, transgressors, tricksters, perpetrators and their lot will keep entering throught the gate. All that the inmates can do is not be part of them or try their best not to yield to the stealing party. However hard they may try, there is not much they can do but slowly accede to the illegitimate demands made on them and in turn become one of the fraudsters, tricksters, perpetrators,... because gate keeprs are lax and greedy.
nice post. mine his experience and share with us more from the treasury of his memories.
ReplyDeleteI believe that if you love your job, then you would not be bothered by money. Don't we know of painters who earn plenty of money, and when they refuse to go with 'public taste', lose most of the money? To the painters, their arcs and colours are important and special and they would not compromise on their work.
ReplyDeletePeople market their position, that is the problem...
ReplyDeleteA gate-keeper in our apartment complex may get a low pay, but he has great responsibility.
The post man, the courier boy, the electrician, the man who lays the road- they all make a difference between life and death.
If we see the impact our work has on other people, then things might look different.
We look at what we get out of others and feel depressed. But if we for one moment think what we give to others, then our life gains meaning.
When we can think like that, this kind of things might happen less.
Don't know. I feel it is just a question of not realising our responsiblity, not valuing our worth. Lack of respect for what we are, what we do, if we shirk our responsibility out of boredom or for money.
Could we have more posts of this kind?