Contents
हिाफाज़
गोविंद तभरद्
Eik Nazar udhar bhi
by R U Singh
याजनीति की दरदर
याभ उऩदे श तिंह‘ विदे ह’
A cold autumn morning in Srinagar
by K Gajendra Singh
A.N. Jha
by Satish Kumar
Bofors: The Ambassador’s Evidence (A systems approach to
fighting corruption)
by B M Oza
Challenge and Response: A reminiscential account about my
service in the Indian Police
by V Vaikunth
Charade in Churachandpur
Proloy Bagchi
Encounter with the Elite Service
Sharad Behar
Fifty Years Later
by K Ramamoorthy
Grandma, Kargil-returned, Epitaph
by Sitakant Mahapatra
Gulf Crisis: lessons from 1991
by K Gajendra Singh
In fond memory of A.N. Jha
by K S Ramakrishnan
Jamedar Nawal Singh – the Riding Instructor
by Satish Kumar
Lessons learnt from Training at Mussoorie
by I C Kumar
Look before you Leap
by S V M Tripathi
Looking back: Face off with a swashbuckling District Judge
by R J Khurana
Mandi, Kulu and Manali : A trip down the memory lane
by S N Mathur
Management of change – Sine Qua Non for Civil Service
by Dr. S. Chakravarthy
Memories
by S V M Tripathi
Moments Recalled
by Tarun Roy
On being correctly secular
by J C Pant
Reminiscences
by Joginder Singh
Reminiscences
by Proloy Bagchi
Road to Mussoorie, and then on
by T S R Subramanian
The cartoons that gave me identity
by K S Ramakrishnan
Profiles
gokckt
xksfoUn feJ
Eksjh rSukrh jkt/kkuh esa gqbZ FkhA jk’Vªifr Hkou ds vktw&cktw
tks nks Hkhedk; bekjrsa [kM+h gSa iz”kklu ds LrEHk&lh] mUgsa lfpoky;
dgrsa gSaA bUgha esa ls ,d ds] ,d misf{kr ls dksus esa eq>s fcBk fn;k
x;k FkkA bu fo”kky bekjrksa ls lkjs ns”k dk “kklu pyk;k tkrk FkkA
;gka fdfle&fdfle ds vQlj viuh Jsf.k;ksa ds vn`”; rexs
viuh&viuh is”kkfu;ksa ij fpidk, fnuHkj b/kj ls m/kj gksrs jgrs Fks--lc vyx&vyx rjg ls ,d gh Hkqykos ls ihfM+r fd os gh gSa tks ns”k
dks vius d/ksa ij mBk;s gq, gSA ;ksa dk;kZy; dk le; 9-30 cts ls
ysdj 5-30 cts “kke dk Fkk] ij dqN tks viuh efgek ls T;knk gh
eafMr Fks ;k fd os ftUgsa dke djus] eryc fd Qkbys “kq: djus]
pykus] nkSM+kus] chp ls dgha [khap nsus----;gkWa rd fd t:jr gqbZ rks
xk;c dj nsus ----bl lcdk u”kk Fkk] os vk/kh&vk/kh jkr rd cSBrs FksA
bu vQljksa ds dkjukeksa ij yxkrkj utj j[krs gq, ;gkWa vxy&cxy
ds isM+ksa ij cUnjksa dh ,d cM+h lsuk iSnk gks x;h FkhA canj fnu Hkj rks
isM+ksa ij jgrs ysfdu lk<+s ikWp
a ctrs gh nkf[kys n¶rj gks tkrs]
b/kj&m/kj xSyfj;ksa esa cs/kM+d ?kwers] dejksa essa ?kql tkrsA mudh fuMj
pky vkSj /kkdM+ rsoj ls lkQ fn[krk Fkk fd os yksxksa dks fudkyus
vk, gSa------“ pyks gVks vc] fnu Hkj rqeus jkt fd;k vc gekjh ckjh gSA
rqe D;k rek”ksckth djrs gks geus ns[k fy;k] ge Hkh ;g lc dj
ldrs gSAa ” canj rax njoktksa ds chpksca hp cSB tkrs vkSj vknfe;ksa dks
vkrs ns[kdj Hkh Vl&ls&el u gksrs] mUgsa diM+ksa ls Nwrs gq, xqtjuk
gksrkA ;gkWa bl rjg ds okd;kr vk, fnu gksrs jgrs Fks&fdlh dk
fVfQu ckWDl canj Nhu fy;k] cDlk tc [kkyh feyk rks mls ,d
>kiM+ ekjk] ,d ds gkFk ls Qkby Nhu yh] vkSj mlds ns[krs&ns[krs
QkM+ MkyhA ,d lfpo egksn; dh VkWax idM+ yh] Mj ds ekjs mUgksua s
njoktk can djuk pkgk rks ,d VkWx
as ckgj ,d HkhrjA rc ls ,d
MaMk/kkjh pkSdhnkj dh mUgsa ckgj dkj rd igqWapkuas dh M~;wVh yxk nh
1
xbZA ,d vQlj ij canj us ckdk;nk nkWar xM+k fn,] rks mls tkus
fdrus batsD”ku ysus iMsA+
Ekq>s ljdkjh edku pkfg, Fkk] tks eSa lksprk Fkk vkils vki
fey tk,xk---ysfdu tc ls fnYyh esa vius yksxksa dk “kklu gqvk gS
rHkh ls ;gkWa gj pht esa lkslZ dk cksyckyk c<+rk pyk x;k gSA vkt
lkslZ ds vkxs fjlkslZ ;kuh iSlk tqM+ x;k gS ---th gkW]a ljdkjh vQlj]
deZpkjh vius gh lkfFk;ksa ls ,sBa us ls ckt ugha vkrs----rqe vxj viuh
[kkyh tscsa fn[kkvksxs rks os dgsx
a s--- “[kqn ughsa ns ldrs rks fdlh dks
nsus ds fy, dg ldrs gks--- iSlk u lgh ikoj rks gS rqEgkjs ikl] mls
Hkqukdj nksA” cxSj lkslZ&fjlkslZ ;gkWa iRrk rd ugha fgyrkA blfy,
tks Hkh u;k cank fnYyh esa mrjrk gS] igys ls gh tks laHko gqvk viuh
tscksa esa Hkjdj ykrk gSA
,slk ugha fd eSa cxSj rS;kjh vk;k FkkA os lkslZ tks esjh fnYyh
dh rSukrh esa enn djusokys Fks] mUgsa Hkh eSaus ljdkjh edku ikus ds
fy, bLrseky djus dks j[k NksM+k Fkk] D;ksfa d ;gkWa vxj edku ugh arks
rSukrh Hkh csdkj gSA tks lkslZ esjh tsc esa Fks] muds vykok tc gj
feyusokyk eq>s vk”kkfUor djrk vk;k---“edku---? og vki eq> ij
NksM+ nhft,---” rks eq>s fo”okl gks x;k fd edku eq>s QV ls feysxkA
tks bl rjg ls cksyrs Fks] os lc vPNs ls vPNk edku gfFk;k, cSBs Fks]
blfy, os NqPNy gh ugha cksy jgs FksA esjs ,d lgdehZ] tks dqN
eghuksa igys gh ogkWa ls vk, Fks tgkWa eSa vc rd Fkk] mUgksua s ogha ls
ok;nk fd;k---“edku---? og rks eSa vkidks fnyok nwWx
a kA” os ;gkWa tSls gh
feys] eSaus mUgsa idM+ fy;kA os cksys& “dy eSa vk tkrk gWwa----vki
edku&ea+=h dks ,d fpV~Bh fy[k nsaxs fd bu otgksa ls edku vkidks
QkSju fn;k tk, vkSj ge ml vthZ ij ea=h th ds vkns”k ys ysaxsA ” os
e”khuh vkRefo”okl ls cksy jgs Fks] eSa pfdr Fkk] eryc bruk vklku!
nwwljs fnu os fu/kkZfjr le; ij vk Hkh x,A lkFk esa muds dksbZ Jhdkar
Fks---“eSa ,d eghus dks ckgj tk jgk gWw] Jhdkar th vkids ekeys dks
QkWyks&vi dj ysaxs] vkidks cl og fpV~Bh ns nsuk gSA ” eSausa mUgsa ea=h
2
th ds uke fpV~Bh Fkek nhA vxys fnu gh Jhdkar th dk Qksu vk;kA
os FkksM+k vf/kdkj ds Loj esa cksy jgs Fks---“vPNk th] vkids fy, ea=h
th dks cksy fn;k x;k gS] ftUgksua s cksyk gS vki muls dgkWa feysx
a s th?
dgkWa fQDl dj nwWa] fdlh gksVy ;k Dyc ;k muds ?kj?”
Eskjk ekFkk Budk--- ,slh dksbZ ckr gqbZ ugha Fkh] t:j ml
vkneh ls iSlk fnyok;k tk jgk gksxk] ftldk eqvkotk og eq>ls
ekWaxsxkA eSa ?kcjk;kA vkSj Qksu ij Jhdkar dks MkWVa rk pyk x;k---“HkkM+
esa tk, edku] eq>s ugha feyuk blls ;k mlls---edku esjk gd gS] tks
eq>s ;gkWa rSukrh ds dkj.k feyuk gh pkfg,-----feysxk] nsj&losjA eq>s
ugha feyuk fdlh ls” vkSj eSus Qksu j[k fn;kA QkSju gh eq>s [kklk
vQlksl gqvkA bl “kgj esa vfM+;y gksus ls ugha pysxk] yphyk gksuk
iMsx
+ k& ;g lykg eq>s dbZ “kqHkfpardksa us nh FkhA
“kke vius foHkkx ds ,d cgqr gh feyulkj vkSj e`nqHkk’kh
vQlj ls eqykdkr gks xbZ&Jh ujs”kpanzA ujs”kpanz dh tku&igpku
<sjksa yksxksa ls FkhA mUgksua s eq>s <k<+l cW/a kk;k &
“;gkWa vkidks cgqr lkjs yksx ;ksa gh cksyrs pys vk,Wxs fd os
vkidks edku fnyok nsaxs---vki fdlh ds pDdj esa u ifM+,A vki rks
cl eq> ij NksM+ nhft,A eSaus fdruksa dks edku fnyk;k gS]” vkSj os
,d yach QsgfjLr esjs lkeus [kkrs ds iUuksa dh rjg [kksyrs pys x,A
“rks eq>s vHkh D;k djuk gksxk?”
“vki igys QkWeZ Hkfj,] ea=
+ ky; 19 rkjh[k rd QkWeZ ysrk gSA
,d ckj vkidk uke dEI;wVj ij p<+ x;k--- mlds ckn vki eq> ij
NksfM+,A”
vxys fnu Jhdkar us Qksu fd;k& “lj th] vkidh fpV~Bh
ij ea=h th ds vkns”k gks x, gSaA”
3
“ij vHkh rks eSus QkWeZ ugha HkjkA”
“vth QkeZ&vkeZ D;k gksos thA ea=h th us fy[k fn;k&” ,u,-oh-” esa ch- ,yksVsM”
“ij eq>s rks edku pkfg,] ;g ,u-,-oh---?
“,u-,-oh- ekus usDLV~ ,osysoy osdsalh& tSls gh osdsalh] ekus
[kkyh edku gqvk] vkidks feysxkA geus rks dgk Fkk th] ge rks vkids
rkosnkj gSa] vki rks csdkj gh ukjkt gks x,A eSa QksVksdkWih vkids ikl
Hkst jgk gWwA vki viuh vkW[kksa ls ns[k ysaxsA”
vkSj lpeqp gh og QksVksdkWih ys vk;kA ea=h th us esjh
fpV~Bh ij vius gkFk ls fy[kk FkkA eSa [kq”k Fkk] pfdr HkhA rks og gok
esa ckr ugha dj jgk FkkA eSaus Jhdkar dks nh gqbZ ml fnu dh MkWaV dks
FkksM+k /kks;k&/kk;kA og dke dk cank Fkk] bruh tYnh ea=h ls vkns”k ys
vk;kA ckn esa eSaus ujs”kpUnz dks crk;k rks og gWalk& “;s rks ea=h ds
n¶rj ds yVds&>Vds gSaA] ,u-,-oh- ds dksbZ ek;us ugha] ;g rks ea=h
gj ,d ds i= ij fy[k nsrs gSaA”
“rks tSlk blesa fy[kk gS& edku [kkyh gksus ij eq>s ugha
feysxk?” eSaus iwNkA
“[kkyh gks rc u? ;gkWa edku [kkyh gksrs gh ughaA osdsalh gksus
ds igys gh os fdlh ds fy, b;jekdZ dj fn;s tkrs gSaA blfy, bl
vkns”k ds dksbZ eryc ughaA bls QkM+dj Qsd
a nhft,A”
esjk eqWag yVd x;kA eSa ujs”kpUnz dh rjQ rkdus yxkA “ij
vki fpUrk u djsAa eSaus dgk Fkk u& vki eq> ij NksM+ nhft,A”
“vki dqN dj rks jgs ughaA”
4
“eaS&eSa [kkukiwjh dj ys jgk gWAw QkZe&vkeZ Hkj tkos] Qkby esa
dqN dkxt rks vk tk,WaA fcuk Qkby ;gkWa dqN ugha pyrkA rc rd
j.kthr vk tk,xkA”
“j.kthr?”
“gkWa] j.kthr&ea=h dk Lis”ky vflLVsVa A og fons”k x;k gS
tSls gh og vk;k] viuk dke fQVA”
bl chp cacbZ ds esjs ,d ifjfpr&jkuk ds Qksu ij Qksu
vk,A jkuk v/ksM+ mez dk LekVZ vkneh FkkA mlds cki&nknksa dh
lksus&pkWna h dh ,d NksVh&lh nqdku Fkh ftls jkuk us vius laaidksZ ds
tfj, c<+kdj ,d ‘,DliksVZ gkml’ ls rCnhy dj fy;k FkkA xksjk jax]
ns[kus esa [kwclwjr] lcls Åij lQyrk vkSj iSls ls iSnk gqvk
vkRefo”oklA og esjs fy, dc ls dqN djus ds fy, csrkc FkkA fdruh
cM+h jktuSfrd gfLr;ksa ds ;gkWa mldk mBuk&cSBuk FkkA dksbZ ekSle
gks] og pepe twrs&eksts ls ySl jgrk FkkA tc usrkvksa ls ckr djus
dh ckr mBrh rks cksyrs gq, deht dh vkLrhu Åij fldksM+rk pyk
tkrk] xks;k fd fdlh ;q} ds fy, [kqn dks rS;kj dj jgk gks&“vjs
ml lkys dh ,slh rSlhA og djsxk dSls ugha] ih-,e-vks- ds ;gkWa Qksu
djk nwWx
a kA” jkuk us gh ,d [kkl edku crk;k ftlesa ,d ifjfpr jg
jgs Fks vkSj tks [kkyh djusokys Fks&“cgqr cf<+;k edku gS] vkidks ogh
fnyokÅWaxkA”
esjs eqWag esa ikuh vk x;k] eSaus vxys fnu ml edku ds ckjs esa
rgdhdkr dh rks irk pyk fd og edku Qkby ij ,d ugha rhu
yksxksa ds fy, j[kk tk pqdk Fkk---ekus b;jekdZ] tcfd vHkh og [kkyh
Hkh ugha gqvk FkkA jkuk cksyk& “rhu dks gS rks pkSFks vki lgh] vHkh
dksbZ ?kqlk rks ugha gS u mlesaA og lc vki eq> ij NksfM+,A”
jkuk us ftldks bl dke ij yxk;k os lTtu ,d i=dkj
Fks&Jh “kekZA jkuk us crk;k fd “kekZ] jktho xkW/a kh dk [kkl vkneh FkkA
5
vkt Hkh mldk edku&ea=h ds ;gkWa jkst dk mBuk&cSBuk gSA “kekZ eq>s
ogh edku fnyk,xk tks dkxt ij rhu dks fn;k tk pqdk gSA
“kekZ th eq>ls vxys fnu gh n¶rj esa feyus vk, vkSj eq>s
;ksa gh ns[kus yxs tSls cPpk feBkbZ dks ns[krk gSA
“dkSu&lk iksVZQksfy;ks feyk gS vkidks?”
eSa >qW>
a yk;k rks ;g vkneh vius fy, vkxs dk flyflyk
fcBkus esa vHkh ls yx x;k] :[ks&:[ks crk;k vius dke ds ckjs esAa
“vkidks gesa bl foHkkx ds loksZPp in ij fcBk nsuk gSA ”
“kekZth vius nksuksa gkFkksa dh mWaxfy;kWa VdVdkus yxsA os csgn lathnk
gks x,A
“”kekZth vki og fpark NksfM+,A eq>s in ugha ,d vnn edku
pkfg,A”
“og rks fey x;k] feyk gh lef>, “kke rd vkns”k gks tk,WaxsA ;gka
ls dg nsrk gWAwa ”
vkSj mUgkssua s esjk Qksu idM+ fy;kA ,d iy dks eSa gSjku---vkneh gS ;k tknwxj] ea=h dks vkns”k nsxk] og Hkh esjs lkeus ? “kekZ th
us eksVs uxksoa kyh vWx
a wfB;ksa ls vkSj eqVYy gqbZ viuh mWaxfy;ksa dks Qksu
ij ,d&nks ckj xksy&xksy pyk;k] fQj cksys] “baxsTM gS] eSa [kqn gh
pyk tkrk gWAwa vki eq> ij NksfM+,A”
;gkWa Hkh ogh---“eq> ij NksfM+,A” cf<+;k rfd;k dyke Fkk ;k
mu lcdh “kCnkoyh rd ,d gks xbZ FkhA
“kekZ th x, D;k-----xk;c gks x,A tc jkuk dk crk;k edku
fdlh nwljs dks ,ykWV gks x;k rks eSaus jkuk dks Qksu dj mls ykur
HksthA og pqipki lqurk jgkA eSaus dgk& “ vc fdlh vkSj edku dk
6
lkspk tk,” rks og xqLlk iM+kA “nwljk D;ks]a ogh edku vkidks
feysxkA”
“mlds rks vkns”k gks x,A”
“vkns”k myVs tk,Wx
a &
sa ,slh&rSlh! eSa vHkh vkidks Qksu djrk gWwAs ”
jkuk tc Hkh dfBu fLFkfr esa gksrk ;gh dgrk&eSa vHkh vkidks
Qksu djrk gWws----vkSj og Qksu djrk Hkh FkkA mldk Qksu vk;k fd
mldh iz/kkuea=h ds lykgdkj ls ckr gqbZ gSA vktdy ;w-ih- dzkbfll
ds dkj.k os dksbZ Qksu gh ughas ys jgs FksA flQZ jkuk dk Qksu fy;kA
dy edku&ea=h ls ckr djds os jkuk dks Qksu djsaxsA vxys fnu lcsjs
jkuk dk Qksu vk;k& “lykgdkj th dh edku&ea=h ls ckr gks xbZ
gSA edku&ea=h bl [kkl edku dks ysdj FkksM+k fnDdr esa gSa] gkFk
tksM+ jgs Fks fd vki bls NksM+ nsaA “kke rd eq>s pkj edkuksa ds uacj
fn, tk,Wx
a s] eSa tkdj ns[k vkÅW vkSj tks ialn d:Wx
a k mldk vkns”k gks
tk,xkA”
okg! ;g gqbZ iz/kkuea=h ds n¶rj tSlh ckrA eSa mRlqdrk ls
izrh{kk djus yxk fd Qksu vk,xk] dbZ edkuksa ds uacj feysxsa vkSj eSa
fudy iMwWaxk] ,d lkFk lc ns[kwWaxk] muesa ls ,d pquWwx
a kA Hkhrj ls
FkksM+k eSa iqyfdr Fkk fd dgkWa lcdks tSlk&dSlk edku ,ykWV dj fn;k
tkrk gS] eq>s pquko djus fn;k tk,xk fnu Hkj eSa izrh{kk djrk jgkA
“kke rd dksbZ [kcj ugha vkbZ rks eSaus “kekZZ th dks Qksu yxk;k tks
jkuk th dh gj ;kstuk ds ‘yksdy xkftZ;u” gksrs FksA
“gkWa] ml edku esa FkksM+h fnDdr FkhA vkidks nwljk feysxkA”
os bRehuku ls cksysA
“edku rks dHkh u dHkh feysxk gh “kekZ th] D;ksfa d eSa
ljdkjh ukSdj gwWaA”
“vkidks izk;VhZ ij feysxkA”
7
“izk;VhZ ij nsus ds vkns”k Hkh ea=h th vkils feyus ds igys
dj pqds gSaA” eSaus gYdh f”kdk;r dhA
“vkidks vksoj jkbfMax izk;VhZ ij feysxkA’’ “kekZ th ,dne
“kkarLoj esa cksysA
“jkuk us dgk Fkk] “kke rd eq>s edkuksa ds uacj feysx
a s] eSa
NkWWaV ywWx
a kA vkidks fn, D;k uacj mu yksxksa us?”
“eSa vHkh vkidks Qksu djrk gWw] edku&ea=ky; lsA vki blh
uacj ij gSa u?”
Eak=ky; ls Qksu vk;k] ea=h th ds ih-,- dkA eSaus mls Hkh
mykguk fn;k fd vkids ;gkWa ls [kkyh edku ds uacj feyusokys Fks]
rks og cM+h djgkrh vkokt esa chekj dh rjg cksyk&”ucaj----[kkyh
edku-----? ;gh rks eqf”dy gS lgkcA edku [kkyh gksrs gh dgka gS] ucaj
;gka dgkaA vki ,slk dfj, vki gh vius yksxksa ls irk dhft, vkSj gesa
uacj ns nhft,A “
mlus tSls eq>s iVd fn;k] >q>Waykdj eSaus Qksu j[k fn;kA
jkuk vkSj “kekZ th tSls yksx dSlh gok cka/krs FksA eq>s yxk os igqWps gq,
gokckt Fks&gok esa yEch&pkSM+h HkwyHkwyS;k cukrs vkSj mlesa NksM+ nsrAs
eSa mlesa xksrk yxkrs] pDdj [kkrs] ?kwerk jgrkA fQj Hkh eSaus bu yksaxksa
dh ckrksa dks vkf[kjh fcUnw rd ys tk dj ns[kus ds fy, ;g Hkh fd;k
fd ,d&nks [kkyh edkuksa ds uacj ea=h th ds ih-,- dks fn;sA uacj
feyrs gh og chekj dh txg xeZtks”k gks x;kA eq>s mEehn ca/kh] ij
vxys fnu irk pyk uacj os”kd eq>ls fy, x;s FksA ij os edku ns
fn;s x;s vkSjksa dksA
eq>s dksbZ nwljk jkLrk idM+uk gksxkA gokckt&gok esa yM+rs
Fks] tcfd esjh yM+kbZ tehu dh gksuh pkfg,A ;g lHkh dgrs Fks fd
og tekuk] tc edku dksbZ NksVk&eksVk vQlj ,ykWV djrk Fkk] dc
dk yn x;kA vc ;g dke ea=h [kqn djrs gSaA fygktk eq>s cdk;ns
8
iykaM rjhds ls ea=h dks ?ksjuk Fkk] tSls fd “krjat esa ckn”kkg dks
?ksjrs gSaA eSaus lcls igys ,d edku dks tYnh [kkyh gksus okyk Fkk]
mls ryk”kkA bl ckj edku dk uacj ih-,- dks crkus dh xyrh ughaa
dhA vius ,d lkFkh vQlj ls lykg djds] eSaus vius fy, QkbZy
pyokbZ] QkbZy esa esjk QkeZ ea=h th ds ,u-,-oh- ds vkns”k vkSj esjh
,d ubZ fpB~Bh fd esjh ifjfLFkfr;ksa dks ns[krs gq, edku QkSju fn;k
tk; yxk;k fpB~Bh ij uhps ds vQlj ls “kq: djds lfpo Lrj rd
ds vQljksa dh vius i{k esa fVIi.kh&nj&fVIi.kh pLik djkbZA lfpo
Lrj ij tkdj ml edku ds uacj dk [kqyklk fd;k x;k ftls eq>s
nsus dh laLrqfr dh xbZA
iq[rk cqfu;kn Fkh ;g dkxth dk;Zokgh dhA cl vc edku
ea=h dks ?ksjuk Fkk--- bl rjg fd esjh Qkby mlds ikl igqWapus ds
igys og esjs i{k esa fu.kZ; ysus dks rS;kj gks pqdk gksA eSaus dks f”k”k
djds ea=h th ds fy, dbZ lkslZ <Ww<+ fudkys&ea=h th dk yM+dk]
yM+dh] nkekn vU; fj”rsnkj lcds laidZ&lw= tqVk fy,A eSaus Jhdkar
dks Hkh pwek&iwpdkjk fd og ea=h ds fy, vius lkslZ dks mBk,A jkuk
dk lkslZ Hkh iz;ksx esa ykuk pkfg,] lc dqN bLrseky djuk pkfg,]
irk ugha dc D;k dke dj tk,A
njvly vc rd eq>s [ksy esa etk vkus yxk FkkA eSa [kqn dks
NksVs&eksVs tujy dh rjg ns[krk Fkk tks ,d pkSrjQk vkdze.k iwjs
fMVsy esa Iyku djds lapkfyr dj jgk FkkA QkSt dh eq[; VqdM+h
Qkby ds lkFk uhps ls ea=h dh rjQ c<+ jgh FkhA bldk usr`Ro esjs
fgrS’kh edku&ea=ky; ds ,d vQlj dj jgs Fks] nkfguh rjQ dh
deku esjs nwljs nksLr jkeLo:i ds gkFk esa FkhA mls ea=h ds iq= dks
lWaHkkyuk FkkA ckbZ rjQ dk usr`Ro esjs lgdehZ jes”k ds gkFk esa Fkk tks
ea=h ds yM+dh&nkekn dks idM+dj c<+uos kyk FkkA Åij dh fn”kk eSaus
iz/kkuea=h ds lykgdkj ds fy, j[kh& ftls eSaus jkuk vkSj “kekZ th dks
lkSaikA ck,Wa ls FkksM+k Åij dh txg Jhdkar dh NksVh VqdM+h ds fy,
NksM+ nh Fkh& ftl fdlh ds ekQZr og ,u-,-oh- dk vFkZghu vkns”k
djokdj yk;k Fkk&og mls gh ysdj vkxs c<+sA eSa lc VqdfM+;ksa dh
pky bl rjg Vkbe dj jgk Fkk fd esjh Qkby igqWaprss gh ;k igqWpus
9
ds Bhd igys lHkh VqdfM+;kWa ,d ds ckn ,d ea=h ij /kkok cksy nsaA
cgqr igys ;k ckn ds cksys x, dks ea=h th Hkwy tkrs Fks D;ksfa d os
cspkjs cgqr o`) FksA mu fnuksa esjk efLr’d cgqr moZj gks mBk Fkk]
f”kjkvksa esa [kwu rsth ls nkSM+ jgk FkkA jkst lcsjs mBdj eSa Qksu ij
gj VqdM+h ds dIrku ls tk;tk ysrk fd og dgkWa rd igqWp
a k&ea=h dk
yM+dk ;k fd nkekn] ea=h th ls dc vkSj dgkWa feyusokys gSa] dSls
cksyusokys gSa] oxSjg&oxSjgA eq>s ,d ;g Hkh irs dh lw>h fd Bhd
mlh fnu tc ea=h nkSjs ls ykSV]s esjh Qkby muds lkeus igWaqpsA muds
vga dh rqf’V gks---blfy, eSaus Lo;a muls feyus dk le; Hkh mlh fnu
dk ys fy;kA jkuk ds ekQZr iz/kkuea=h ds lykgdkj dk ,d i= Hkh
eSaus ea=h th dks [kqn nsus ds fy, lkFk ys fy;k] ;g veks?k “kL= Fkk
ftldh xjekgV eSa gj iy eglwl dj jgk FkkA
fu/kkZfjr le; ij eSa ea=h th ds n”kZu dks igWaqpkA esjh rks
ckr ,d gh ih-,- ls gksrh Fkh] ysfdu ns[kdj eSa nax jg x;k fd ogkWa
NksVs&eksVs eqLVaM iaMksa tSls lkr&vkB ih-,- viuh&viuh Nrfj;kWa xkM+s
cSBs gq, FksA eq>s ns[kdj lcds eqWag esa ykj cuus yxh] ysfdu eSa muds
[ksy le>rk FkkA ftl ih-,- ls esjh ckr gqbZ Fkh] mlh dks pqipki
viuk vkuk crkdj eSa tkdj cSB x;k tgkWa nwljs yksx izrh{kk dj jgs
Fks---fd ih-,- “okg&okg] vki ;gkWa D;ksa cSBs gSa] ,vjdaMh”kaM esa pydj
cSfB,” dgrk gqvk eq>s nljs dejs esa ys x;kA ogkWa ckgj cksMZ yxk
Fkk&j.kthr] fo”ks’k lgk;dA j.kthr lHkh ih-,-yksxksa dk eqf[k;k FkkA
est ds ikj mldh dqlhZ [kkyh iM+h Fkh] D;ksfa d fQygky og NqV~Vh ij
FkkA lkeus lksQs j[ks Fks] ftl ij eq>s fcBk fn;k x;kA ogkWa nks igys
ls gh cSBs gq, FksA eq>s mu yksxksa ds psgjs ,dne vius tSls yxsA vc
rd og ih-,- tks eq>s ;gkWa yk;k Fkk] esjk fo”oklik= cu x;k FkkA ;g
ogh Fkk ftlls jkuk ds i=dkj nksLr “kekZ ds ekQZr [kkyh uac jksa ds
eqrkfYyd ckrphr gqbZ Fkh] mlh us ea=h ls feyus dk le; Hkh ysdj
eq>s fn;k FkkA mlus crk;k& vkidh Qkby ea=h dh est ij gS] ogha
lc lacaf/kr vQlj gSa] vkt vHkh ;gha QSlyk gks tk,xk] vki Hkh
dkxt yk, gSa---vkSj mlus vkjke ls esjs gkFk ls og fyQkQk ys fy;k]
ftlesa iz/kkuea=h ds lykgdkj dk i=] edku uacj oxSjg j[ks FksA lc
10
dqN ns[kdj mlus fyQkQk eq>s okil idM+k fn;k& “ Bhd gS&tSls gh
ea=h th cqykrs gSa] eSa vkidks [kcj nwWaxkA”
eSa ogkWa cqM+od dh rjg ,d ?kaVs ls Åij cSBk jgkA
vkf[kjdkj cSpSu gks tc eSa ea=h th ls feyus ds fy, mBk rks ,d
yac&rM+x
a ih-,- ftldh ul&ul ls [kk,&fi, dh ped QVh iM+rh
Fkh---esjh rjQ vk;k& c/kkbZ gks th! ea=h th us vkns”k dj fn, gSaA
vkidks vc muls feyus dh t:jr ugha gSA vkidh Qkby ij mUgksua s
fy[k fn;k gSA ,dne fDy;j&dV vkMZj fd, gSaA”
“rks eq>s og edku ,ykWV gks x;k?” eSa pgdkA
“ea=h th us lkQ fy[k fn;k gS&” gh es oh ,ykWVM
s n uSDLV
gkml fop QkYl osdsaV” ,dne fDy;j&dV vkMZj gSa thA”
“vkSj og edku?”
“og rks irk ughaA ij ea=h th us fDy;j&dV vkMZj Qkby ij fd,
gSaA”
Eskjh vkW[a kksa ds lkeus vW/a ksjk Nk x;kA brus fnuksa dh esgur-----lkjh
tksM+k&tkM+h] bu Hkkb;ksa us ,d QwWad esa mM+k nh FkhA Åij ls vc os
esjh vaxzsth lq/kkj jgs Fks& vFkZghu vkns”k dks fDy;jdV vkMZj crk jgs
FksA eq>s D;k ekywe fd tc eSa bartkj dj jgk Fkk rc ih-,- yksxksa dk
,d ny lfdz; FkkA [kkyh gksus okyk edku ftldk uacj esjs ikl Fkk]
mlds fy, mUgksua s rRdky Qkby cukdj] ea=h dks myVk&lh/kk
le>kdj mls vius fdlh vkneh dks ,ykWV djok fy;kA esjh Qkby
,d fdukjs gh j[kh jg xbZA tc og ea=h th ds lkeus ykbZ xbZ rc
rd og edku ftldk lq>ko Fkk] og mM+ pqdk Fkk----rks esjh Qkby ij
;s csdkj ds “kCn fy[kok fy,A os edku dh txg fQj esjs gkFkksa esa
“kCn Fkek jgs Fks---igys ,u-,-oh- vc ,u-,-,p- uSDLV ,osysoy gkmlA
11
“vki tkurs gSa] blds ekus dqN ugha gksrkA” eSaus ek;wlh ls dgkA
----“usDLV ,osysoy thA ;s ljdkj ds vkns”k gS---’’ ih-,- otu nsdj
dg jgk FkkA esjs lkeus ;enwr dh rjg og [kM+k Fkk-----xksjk&fpV~Vk]
[kk;k&fi;k rksna qyA mlds ihNs&ihNs ckdh vkSj ih-,- Hkh eq> ij >qd
vk, Fks vkSj eq> ij rjl Hkjh gWl
a h maMsy jgs FksA og Hkh tks dqN nsj
igys esjk fo”oklik= Fkk ftlus ea=h ls eqykdkr dk le; fy;k Fkk]
;k irk ugha dqN ugha fy;k Fkk] ;ksa gh eq>s ,d le; crk fn;k FkkA
eSaus ea=h th ls feyus dh is”kd”k dhA eq>s cgykus ds fy, os Hkhrj ls
iwNdj vk x,& “t:jr ugha gS----ea=h th dk dguk gSA ljdkj ds
vkns”k gks x, gSa-----A”
ljdkj----og tks ltk&/ktk Hkhrj dejs esa cSBk gS ;k ;s tks
ckgj /kekpkSdM+h epk, gq, gSaA
eSa gkjk gqvk tujy] ykSV iM+kA esjk pkSrjQk vkdze.k ,d
ukpht VqdM+h us ukdke;kc dj fn;k FkkA I;knksa dk egRo eu ugha
le>kA “krjat ds [ksy esa I;knksa dks ,sls gh igys ugha ekjk tkrkA
pyus ls igys esjh utjsa lkeus dh [kkyh dqlhZ ij vVd
xbZA j.kthr dh dqlhZ] j.kthr ea=h dk fo”ks’k lgk;d] lgk;dksa dk
fljekSj! eq>s yxk og dqlhZ /khjs&/khjs fgy jgh FkhA
“,d vPNh [kcj gS HkkbZ lkgc&” ujs”kpaUnz dk Qksu Fkk&
“j.kthr dh lkl ej xbZ A “ eSa pkSadk] fd mlus vkxs dgk&”j.kthr
dks vc fons”k ls tYnh gh ykSVuk gksxkA ,d ckj og vk tk, cl---“
eq>s le> esa ugha vk;k gWl
a w ;k jksÅWAa fQygky eSa j.kthr
uke ij fopkj djus yxkA j.k tks eSa ugha thr ik;k “kk;n ogh thrs]
D;ksfa d j.kthr FkkA
12
,d utj m/kj Hkh
R. U. Singh*
ft/kj ftUnxh fllfd;ka Hkj jgh gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
feys gSa cgqr rqedks eryc ds usrk]
elhgk xjhcksa ds] etgc ds usrk]
xjhch ft/kj djoVs ys jgs gSa]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
fdlh dh vehjh dh vkSdkr ns[kks]
fdlh dks xjhch dh lkSxkn ns[kks]
rM+i+ rk ft/kj Hkw[k ls ru&cnu gS ]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
dqN vks<s+ gq, nksLrh dk yCkknk ]
ogh dj jgs [kwu nsus dk oknk]
ft/kj nq”euh djoVsa ys jgh gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
dgha nksLr rks Qwy iFk ij fcNkrs ]
dgha dj jgs tku nsus dh ckrs]a
ft/kj nksLr esa nq”euh iy jgh gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
toka gqLu ds uXu O;kikj ns[kks]s
oks vkxks”k] ckslksa dh ckSNkj ns[kks]
*
Composed by RU Singh, IAS (Retd.
13
flldrh ft/kj flyoVsa fcLrjksa ij]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
oks jaxh&fcjaxh tgka frrfy;ka gSa]
ogha ij rks HkkSjksa dh Hkh iafDr;ka gSa]
oks fpFkM+ksa esa fyiVk cnu gh tgka gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
Hkys rqeus ns[kh cgkjksa dh jaxr]
pyks] ns[k yks BwBa isM+ksa dh iaxr]
ft/kj >M+ x;s “kk[k ls ueZ iRrs]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
cgqr [kq”k Fks csVh dh lkSxkr ikdj]
Fkk uktksa ls ikyk xys ls yxkdj]
nqYgu cu ds csVh ft/kj ty jgh gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
oks csVh rks Fkh bd leqUnj dh eksrh]
tekuk u pyrk tks csVh u gksrh]
ft/kj Hkwz.k dks xHkZ esa [kRe djrs]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
dgha “kkuks&
a ”kkSdr dgha t”us&”kknh]
dgha ij nqYgu cu jgh “kgtknh]
oks nqygu ft/kj vkx esa ty jgh gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
eqdÌl jgha tc fl;klr dh pkysa]
ugha HksfM+;ksa dh Fkha HksM+ks dh [kkysa]
;wa bUlkfu;r gh ft/kj ej jgh gSa]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
eqgCcr xjhch ls Fkh ftudh fQrjr]
ogh dj jgs gSa xjhcksa ls uQjr]
ft/kj vkt [kqnxftZ;ka iy jgha gSa]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
14
dgha caV jgs gSa xjhch ds ipsZ]
dgha gks jgs csfgtkch ls [kpsZ]
gj bd iy ft/kj ftUnxh jks jgh gS]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
tks fj”or ds cktkj esa vkrh xehZ]
ogha ?kwl[kksjksa dh ns[kks cs”kehZ]
ft/kj [kkjs&xqy gSa lnkdr dh jkgs]a
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
jgk ftUnxh dh rjg fnu “kgj dk]
lqcg dk veu dksykgy nksigj dk]
ft/kj “kkes&xe jkr esa [kkRek gS]
utj Qsjdj rqe m/kj Hkh ns[kksA
;gka ftUnxh rks gS iy&iy d;ker]
dgha ls fgdkjr dgha ls tykyr]
xqtjrs ft/kj yEgs lfn;ksa dh tkfuc]
utj Qsj dj rqe m/kj Hkh rks ns[kksA
15
याजनीति की दरदर
(The Quagmire of
Politics)
याभ उऩदे श तिंह‘ विदे ह’*
इराहाफाद मूतनितििर्ाि के छात्र के रूऩ भं भुझे ऩं. जिाहयरार नेहरू को
कयीफ िे दे खने के अनेक भौके तभरे थे। उनके व्मवत्ि भं दे ििु्म िदव्मिा थी।
भंने िुनाओ था िक िर्षों ऩहरे ग्िातरमय भं कांरेसेि की िकिी फक क भं बाग रेने के
फाद नेहरू जी याि के िभम अऩने कुछ िहमोतगमं के िाथ काय िे िद्री रौर् यहे
थे। तबंड-भोयक ना के जंगरं भं जफ कुछ डककिं ने रूर्ऩार् की नीमि िे उनकी काय
को योकने ऩय जाना िक उिऩय ऩंिडिजी ििाय हं िो उनभं िे एक दौड़कय डाकू भान
तिंह के ऩाि गमा औय कहा, ‘दददा इि काय भं िो ऩं. नेहरू जा यहे हं।‘ िपय क्मा
था, अये , योके यहो, जया ऩंिडि के ऩांि िो छू रूँ, कहिे हुए भान तिंह िुयंि काय िक
आमे औय ऩं. नेहरू के ऩांि छूकय उन्हहं ििाभान विदा िकमा। िो ािा था िफ के
नेिाओं के प्रति, जनिाधायण की िो फाि ही छोड़ दं अऩयातधमं के रृदम भं बी
ऩरयव्माप्ि विश्िाि एिं रद्वाभाबाि। भिूयी थितथि याटरीम प्रशाितनक अकादभी (
National Academy of Administration) भं एक िर्षोि की रे तनंग ख़्भ कयने के फाद 12
भई 1962 के िदन भंने ऩातरिमाभंर् तरीर् ऩय यीगर तिनेभा के तनकर् ड 0
याधाकृटणन को तनिििभान याटरऩति याजेन्हर फाफू की विदाई हे िु उनके िाथ
घोड़ाचातरि फग्गी िे एिं उिके कुछ फाद ही ऩं. नेहरू को एाफेिेडय काय वाभाया वफना
िकिी िाभझाभ के नई िद्री तर्े शन की ओय जािे दे खा था। उनकी िुरना भं आज
*
रेखक बा.प्र.िे. के 1961 फकच के अिकाश प्राप्ि िरयट
कामिकिाि हं । [e-mail:rusingh25@yahoo.com]
िंऩकि: 1, आईएएि क रोनी, िकदिईऩुयी,
ऩर्ना- 800 001
(भो. 094310-21508)
16
अतधकायी, कवि एिं िििम िाभाथिजक
के निा कहाँ हं , जो ऩरर्न के वफना जनिा के िाभने जाने भं िहचकिे हं ? िहजिा
की दृवि िे जनिा का 90 प्रतिशि वफखया हुआ अंश िो ऩूिि
ि ि ही हक , ऩय केिर 10
प्रतिशि अंश एकजुर् हक । आज के नेिाओं के िाथ उनके तर्े र्ि को दशािने हे िु
िुयक्षाकतभिमं की पौज चरिी हक । हभने आज़ादी की जंग िो जीिी रेिकन उिभं
िभश: जंग रगिा गमा हक ।
याजनीति िो जनिहि की प्राति हे िु िाभूिहक िंमत्र (Instrument of Mass
Action) के रूऩ भं ऩरयबावर्षोि होिी हक । इिी प्रकाय धभि भात्र ईश्िय िे िंऩकि िाधने
का व्मवतगि िंमत्र (Instrument of Individual Action) होिा हक । कभिकांड तनकार िदए
जाने ऩय धभि अध्मािभ
् के तनकर्िभ हो जािा हक । अि: याजनीति आध्माथि्भक
तिद्धािं िे िदशानुदेतशि होनी चािहए। िानाशाही रोहे के जहाज जकिी हक जो
र्ाइर्क तनक की ब ंति चट्र्ान िे र्कयाकय डू फ जािा हक जफिक रोकिंत्र रकड़ी का फेड़ा
हक जो थऩेड़े खाकय बी ऩानी की ििह ऩय ही यहिा हक । िफिे अच्छा िंत्र होने के
कायण ही तरंकन ने रोकिंत्र को ‘जनिा का, जनिा वाभाया एिं जनिा के तरए’ कहा
था। अफ ‘जनिा’ की जगह ‘नेिा’ ऩढ़ रं बरे ही िे याजनीति, नौकयशाही मा
िाथिणथियमक क्षेत्र का नेि्ृ ि कयिे हं। आज याजनीति ‘जनिा के वफना’, ‘जनिा िे
दयू ’
एिं ‘जनिा के विरूद्ध’ िंचातरि होने की प्रिृवि रेसहण कयिी जा यही हक ।
ितिुि: याजनीति ही रोकिंत्र का यक्ि-प्रिाह होिी हक , ऩय िंितभि यक्ि िारी
याजनीति के शयीय की ख़कय कह ?ं आज की याजनीति तिद्धािं के फदरे ि्िा ि
िहूतरमि का भाध्मभ फनकय तिाथन नेिाओं के तरए व्माऩाय मा ऩेशे का रूऩ
अथितिमाय कयिे हुए उतचिानुतचि धनाजिन का िाधन फनिी जा यही हक । इििे
ि्िा–ऩरयिििन िो हो जािा हक ऩय व्मितथा भं िुधाय वियरे ही िदखिा हक । िाभाथिजक
एिं आतथिक विर्षोभिा फढ़ाने भं याजनीति कायगय तिद्ध हुई हक । कुथि्िि याजनीति ने
ऩंचामिीयाज िंतथाओं को बी भ्रटर्ाचाय का अखाड़ा फना िदमा हक । आभजन के िहि भं
रागू मोजनाओं का अतधकांश राब भ्रटर्ाचाय की बंर् चढ़ जािा हक । इि प्रकाय
याजनीति एिं भ्रटर्ाचाय एक दि
ू ये को िंऩोवर्षोि कय यहे हं । शामद ही कोई डे रीियी
प्िाइं र् दे खने को तभरे जहाँ घुिखोयी न हो। ािी थितथति भं विशेर्षोि: उच्च्तियीम
भ्रटर्ाचाय ऩय तनमंत्रण प्रफुद्ध जनिा ही कय िकिी हक क्मंिक ािा कयना याजनीति के
िंचारकं के िश का योग नहीं यह गमा हक । गणिंत्र ‘गण’ िे औय याजनीति ‘नीति’
िे अरग-थरग ऩड़ गए हं । याजेश ऩाइरर् की शब्दािरी भं ‘नेिा, नीति एिं नीमि’
भं खोर् दे खे जा यह हं । विकृतिमं के िभािेश के कायण याजनीति िे रोकिंत्र के
17
अथिति्ि ऩय ही ख़िया भंडयाने रगा हक । प्रदवू र्षोि याजनीति ही रयश्ििखोयी, चोयफाजायी,
कुव्मितथा, उरेसिाद आिद कुयीतिमं की जड़ं को तिंतचि कयिी हक । तव्िंत्रिा-प्राति की
प्रििमा की प्रिि-ऩीड़ा िे अनजान, आज के ‘माचक’ नेिाओं को आज़ाद बायि का
ऩरयिेश वफना प्रमाि के, वियािि के रूऩ भं, तभर गमा जफिक ऩूिि के ‘दानी’ नेिाओं
ने दे शप्रेभ िे अतबबूि होकय अऩने ्माग औय फतरदान िे उभूति
ू ऩीड़ा भहिूि कयिे
हुए बायि की आज़ादी को अथिजिि िकमा था। परि: िे आज़ादी का भामने िभझिे
थे। आज के तिथन नेिा भ्रटर्ाचाय के ऩोर्षोक, तिच्छन्हदिा के िंिाहक, अहं के दाि
एिं िाभन्हििाद के प्रिीक फन चुके हं । ‘जाके ऩांि न पर्े फेिाई, िो क्मा जाने ऩीय
ऩयाई’ की कहािि के फािजूद अनेक कयोड़ऩति बी गयीफ जनिा की िाक् िेिा हे िु
भचरिे यहिे हं । आज दे शप्रेभ का ऩाया इिना नीचे चरा गमा हक िक िंिध
क ातनक
व्मितथा का अऩभान धड़्रे िे हो यहा हक औय जनिा तनतऩृह होकय दे खिी यही हक ।
आभजन इि फाि िे अनजान हं िक उिके जागृि जन की िभेिकि
पुिपुिाहर् बी
घोय तननाद फन िकिी हक , औय िबी याजनीति को दरदर भं िे तनकारा जा िकिा
हक । कबी दटु मंि ने कहा था, िक ‘हं गाभा खड़ा कयना भेया भकिद नहीं’ भेयी कोतशश
हक िक मह िूयि फदरनी चािहए’ भेये िदर भं ना िही ऩय िुाहाये िदर भं ही, हो
अगय कोई आग िो िह आग जरनी चािहए।‘
धयिी की दरदर िे विशुद्ध कभर एिं जंक दोनं ही ऩकदा होिे हं । गोतिाभी
िुरिीदाि ने भानि भं तरखा िक ‘उऩजिहं एक िंग जग भाहीं, जरज जंक थिजतभ
गुन वफरगाहीं।‘ कुछ नेिा कभर िदृश विशुद्ध होिे हं जो अऩने जन्हभस्रोोि ‘कीचड़’ के
िंऩकि भं यहिे हुए बी उिका एक किया अऩने िाथ नहीं रािे। इिे विऩयीि जंक
दरदर भं ही यहिे हुए यक्ि चुिने की िपयाक भं विचयिा यहिा हक । याजनीति की
दरदर िे उ्ऩन्हन जंकरूऩी नेिा अऩने िाथ जािीमिा, खुदऩयतिी, भ्रटर्ाचायी प्रिृवि,
इ्मािद अिगुण तिरूऩ कीचड़ के अंश को बी रऩेर्े आिे हं औय जनिा का ह़
छीनकय तिमं को िंऩटु र् कयिे यहिे हं । ािे नेिाओं की पेहरयति भं रोबजतनि
तिाथि ििरऩरय होिा हक औय दे शिहि िफिे नीचे। िे िीतभि िा्कातरक राब के तरए
िृहि ् िहि का ्माग कयिे हुए ‘भेया बायि भहान ्’ कहने भं जया बी नहीं िहचकिे।
ऩांच-तििाया होर्र भं गयीफी ऩय चचाि होिी हक । नेिा, नौकयशाह एिं अऩयाधी का
अिांतछि अन्हिििफध
ं तचंिा का िफफ फन चुका हक । तनतिन्हदे ह, तिद्धािं की तिरांजतर
एिं िोर्फंक िे प्रेरयि अिियिािदिा को अऩनाने िारी आज की याजनीति धीये -धीये
अऩनी िाथिकिा एिं प्रािंतगकिा ही खोिी जा यही हक ।
18
मह आभ रोगं के अनुबि की फाि हक िक याजि्िा धीये -धीये याजनेिाओं
के हाथ िे तनकरकय िीन ‘एभ’, अथािि दृव्म (Money) फाहुफरी (Mafia) एिं फाज़ाय
(Markets)
के हाथं भं ियकिी चरी जा यही हक । इनका प्रबाि ि्िा के गतरमायं भं
बी भहिूि िकमा गमा हक । याजनीति का अऩयातधकयण, अऩयाध का याजनीतिकयण एिं
याजनीति भं क यऩोये र् क्षेत्र का िचिति फढ़िा जा यहा हक । मह याजनीति के तखरन का
ही द्योिक हक िक फहुि िे अच्छे याजनेिा िाइडराइन भं िदन गुज़ाय यहे हं रेिकन
कतिऩम तिाथन आधायविहीन नेिा भुतम भंच ऩय चरामभान हं , जो दे शिहि की
ऩयिाह िकए वफना केिर अऩना िथा अऩनी ऩार्ी का िीतभि िहि िाधने भं व्मति
हं । थिजि िीढ़ी िे चढ़कय ऊऩय आमे उिे तगयाना औय थिजि कुथि्िि िृवि के विरूद्ध
रड़िे आए उिे अऩनाना, उनकी िपियि फन गमी हक । अन्हमथा िाभन्हििाद मा
भ्रटर्ाचाय िे रड़िे हुए ऊऩय आए नेिा तिमं िाभन्हि मा भ्रटर्ाचायी क् मं फन जािे हं ?
तिमं भं जो कभजोरयमां तछऩी हं, उनके विरूद्ध िे जोय-शोय िे फोरिे हं । काभ, िोध,
भद, रोब, भोह एिं ईटमाि भानि के छ: शत्रु भाने गए हं । अि: भ्रटर्ाचाय तनयोध के
तरए तनगयानी के छाऩं िे अतधक प्रबािकायी होगा रोगं भं आथि्भक ध्ितन िुनकय
रृदम-ऩरयिििन के तरए िभुतचि प्रमाि। ये शभ के कीड़े की ब ंति अऩने ही फनाए हुए
तिाथि के अंधेये घेये भं फंद, आज के याजनेिा दीिायं, गतरमं एिं फाज़ायं भं अंिकि
रेखं को ऩढ़ने भं अिभथि प्रिीि होिे हं औय अगय मही िभ चरिा यहा िो बविटम
भं एक ािा िभम बी आने िारा हक जफ ऊिय हो चुकी याजनीति की बूतभ भं नेिा
िो हंगे ही, कुतििमां बी हंगी भगय चरिी उनकी नहीं फथि्क रव्म, फाहुफतरमं एिं
फाजा़यं की होगी। जहाज डू फेगा िो उिऩय िबी ििाय बी डू फंगे ही। ािी िंबाविि
थितथति आज तचन्हिनीम फन गमी हक । ािा रगिा हक िक आज ऩरयथितथतिमां ‘ददि की
हद िक गुज़यना िो अबी फा़ी हक ’’ की उवत को चरयिाथि कय यही हं । अथिन्हिभ
विश्रेर्षोण भं, वफखयी हुई आभ जनिा ही हय विकृ ति को दयू कय िकिी हक िशिे हय
व्मवत मह दृढ़ िंक्ऩ कये िक ‘भं न िो घूि दँ ग
ू ा न ही िकिी को घि दे ने मा रेने
दँ ग
ू ा।‘ थितथति भं िुधाय एिं िंबाविि विकर् ऩरयथितथति िे िंबरने का अतधकांश ्
िभम िो फीि चुका हक रेिकन अफ बी कुछ िभम शेर्षो हक जफ जनजागयण के
परतिरूऩ प्रिरयि प्रकाशयथिश्भ की प्रिीक्षा की जाए। अगय आज का िभाज रेकिंत्र
के िुदृढ़ीकयण हे िु इि अििय का राब नहीं उ ा िका िो उिकी चूक को इथिजहाि
िो माद यखेगा िकन्हिु आने िारी ऩीथि़ामां उिे क्षभा नहीं कयं गी।
मह दब
ु ािग्म की फाि हक िक आज की अतधकांश याजनीतिक ऩािर्िमां िही यातिे
19
िे बर्क गमी हं औय अऩने तिाथि के ऊऩय उ कय दे श, िभाज ि दफे-कुचरं का
िहि दे ख ऩाने भं अिभथि प्रिीि होिी हं । िे िंबिि: बूर चुकी हं िक दे शिहि के
कुछ ािे भुद्दे होिे हं थिजन ऩय ऩार्ी-ऩ तरिर्क्ि एिं क्षुर प्रिृविमं िे ऊऩय उ कय ही
विचाय िकमा जाना चािहए। भिरन विकाि, भ्रटर्ाचाय, आिंकिाद, उरेसिाद, याटरीम
िुयक्षा, गयीफी, िाक्षयिा, तिात्म, िििधभि-िभबाि मा धभितनयऩेक्षिा, आिद विर्षोमं
की गणना ािे भुद्दं भं की जा िकिी हक जो याजनीति एिं जाि-ऩांि की ऩरयतध िे
ऊऩय होिे हं । दब
ु ािग्मिश ािे भुद्दं ऩय बी वितबन्हन दरं भं भिबेद ऩामा जािा हक
क्मंिक िे दरिहि के िंयक्षण को दे शिहि के तनििहन िे ऊऩय भानिे हं । िोर्फंक की
याजनीति के अनुयक्षण ने याजनीतिक दरं को ऩथभ्रटर् कय िदमा हक । जाति, ऩकिे औय
धभि के आधाय ऩय िोर् भांगे ि छीने जा यहे हं । कई याजनीतिक दर अऩने को
िाभाथिजक-िेिा-िंमत्र की अऩेक्षा राब कभाने िारे व्माऩारयक िंतथान की ियह
िंचातरि कय यहे हं । थितथति भं िुधाय हे िु प्रफुद्ध एिं याटरीम याजनीतिक दरं की
विशेर्षो थिजाभेिायी फनिी हक ।
याजनीतिक दरं की तिाथिऩयक अदयू दतशििा को उजागय कयने हे िु जनिा
के ऩकिे िे िांिद-विधामक को खुश यखने के ध्मेम िे रागू की गमी तथानीम क्षेत्र
विकाि (Local Area Development) मोजना की चचाि उतचि होगी। विकाि के तरए
ियकायी िंत्र भं भुतििकर व्मितथा यहिे हुए, मह एर.ए.डी. की अनािश्मक व्मितथा
भ्रटर्ाचाय का एक प्रभुख स्रोोि, ईभानदाय िांिद-विधामक के तरए ऩये शानी का िफफ
एिं भ्रटर्ाचाय को कानूनन िंतथावऩि कयने का िंमत्र
ं फन चुकी हक । िंबिि: इिीतरए
दे श के व्माऩक िहि भं भ्रटर्ाचाय को फढ़ाने िारी इि मोजना को िभाप्ि कयने की
अनुशंिा रद्ी वियप्ऩा भोइरी की अध्मक्षिा िारे याटरतियीम प्रशाितनक िुधाय आमोग
ने बी की थी रेिकन विडं फना की फाि मह हक िक वितबन्हन दरं के दरीम िहि को
ििरऩरय भानिे हुए न केिर उक्ि अनुशंिा को नकाया फथि्क उक्ि मोजना की यातश
को औय अतधक फढ़ाने का भन फना तरमा! वफहाय भं विधामक मोजना िभाप्ि कय दी
गमी हक रेिकन कंर भं िांिद मोजना की यातश दो िे ऩांच कयोड़ कय दी हक , थिजिे
भ्रटर्ाचाय के विकाि की िदशा भं एक िकाया्भक कदभ ही कहा जा िकिा हक । अगय
भ्रटर्ाचाय तनयोध के तरए उ ाए जाने िारे कदभं भं िहाभि जुर्ाकय एक कदभ
िांिद-विधामक विकाि मोजना (थिजिके तरए ियकायी िंमत्र
ं भं आधायबूि तथामी
व्मितथा विद्यभान हक ) को िभाप्ि कयने का हो िो बरे िह एक-दो प्रतिशि आफादी
को नागिाय गुज़ये रेिकन उिे 98-99 प्रतिशि आभ जनिा इिका तिागि कये गी।
20
कवि दटु मंि ने ही मह बी कहा था िक ‘कौन कहिा हक िक आिभान भं िुयाख नहीं
हो िकिा? केिर एक ऩ्थय िो िफीमि िे उछारो, मायो!’ अगय आज की याजनीति
व्माऩक िहि भं िुधाय के इि अििय का राब नहीं उ ािी िफ िो ियज़भीन की
िच्चाई के भद्दे नज़य इि विकर् िभतमा िे तनदान के तरए बी उच्चिभ न्हमामारम
ऩय ही बयोिा िकमा जा िकिा हक ।
अऩयातधक छवि के िदग्गजं ऩय कानून का तशकंजा ाीरा ऩड़ जािा हक ।
भंने एक जगह तरखा हक , ‘जहां शवतभम होिा फाजू, िहां न्हमाम का तशतथर ियाजू।‘
ािे िदग्गज कानूनी प्रििमा का अनियि बँिय फनाने भं िपर हो जािे हं । ािी
थितथति कभोफेि ििित्र व्माप्ि हक । ििरच्च न्हमामारम के हार के कुछ तनणिमं िे उक्ि
बँिय अियोतधि हुआ हक , जो प्रिन्हनिा की फाि हक औय थिजििे बविटम के तरए आशा
फंध यही हक । आज़ादी के िुयंि फाद दर-फदरू की क्ऩना बी नहीं की जािी थी,
रेिकन आज दर-फदरूओं की राफी किाय दे खने को तभरिी हक । अहं की ऩूतिि एिं
तिाथििाधन भं वियि तगयतगर् जकिे यं ग फदरने िारे दरफदरू नेिा ही तिच्छ
याजनीति को योगरेसति कयिे यहे हं । उनहं् दे श औय िभाज के िहि िे फहुि कुछ
रेना-दे ना नहीं हक । याजनीतिक ऩािर्िमां जान-फूझकय तिद्धांि-विहीन नीतिमां अऩनाकय
एक प्रकाय िे आ्भघािी हभरा ही कय यहीं हं , थिजिका खातभमाजा बविटम भं उन्हहं
बी बुगिना होगा।
विकृि याजनीति का ही मह प्रतिपर हक िक कारेधन को रेकय दे श भं एक
िाभानान्हिय अथि-व्मितथा िशक्ि रूऩ िे चर यही हक । ितिुि: कारेधन भं गयीफं का
खोमा िहतिा बी िो होिा हक थिजिे उिके नुभाइं दं, व्मििाइमं, अऩयातधमं औय
अपिय ने मेन-केन-प्रकाये
ण छीनकय विदे शी फककं भं जभा कय यखा हक । तनिहि तिाथि
्
के कायण कारेधन को ियकायी ख़ज़ाने भं खींचकय राने का िाहि जुर्ा ऩाना
अदयू दतशििा के तशकाय आज के याजनीतिक िंत्र के तरए कि न प्रिीि होिा हक । िकिी
ज़भाने भं जभाखोयी, घूिखोयी, शयाफखोयी, आिद के वियोध भं िशक्ि आन्हदोरन
चरामे जािे थे। आज िह जयफ
़ ा कहां चरा गमा? वफहाय प्रदे श भं याजति फढ़ाने की
ररक भं िो गांि-गांि िथा हय गरी-कूचे भं शयाफ की दक
ु ानं खोरी गमी हं , वफना
इि फाि की ऩयिाह िकए िक मुिािगि, थिजिऩय दे श का बविटम तनबिय हक , उिऩय
इिका क्मा कुप्रबाि ऩड़े गा। वफहाय भं िुदृढ़ मुिा नीति की घोर्षोणा बी नहीं की गमी
21
हक , उि ऩय अभर कयने की फाि िो फहुि दयू हक । बूरं नहीं िक कच्ची तभट्र्ी को ही
िांचे भं ाारा जा िकिा हक , ऩकने ऩय नहीं।
ािे तनयाशजनक भाहौर भं बी आशा की िकयणं दे श की जागृि हो यही
जनिा एिं मुिािगि िे तनतिरयि होकय आ यही हं । आज बी ‘रयफ क’ के जूिे, ‘योफेन’
के चश्भं, ‘री’ के जीन्हि िथा ‘यकडो’ की घथि़डमां ऩहने हुए ऩाश्चा्म ि्मिा भं ारने
िारे मुिाओं की अऩेक्षा दे श भं िकिे मुिाओं की ही बयभाय हक थिजनकी बायिीम
िंतकृति एिं िंतकाय भं िघन आतथा हक । मुिािगि भं ही जनिा-जनादि न को जागृि
कयने की क्षभिा तछऩी हक । तििंत्रिा िंरेसाभ के दौयान िथा उिके फाद कई भौकं ऩय
जफ-जफ दे श भं विकर् ऩरयथितथतिमां ऩकदा हुईं, िफ-िफ भेधामुक्ि मुिािगि ने ही अऩनी
एकजुर्िा एिं उ्िाह के फर ऩय दे श को उनिे उफाया। छात्र एिं रेसाभीण मुिक
मुिािगि के प्रभुख अंश हं । मह िगि िफ ियह िे िक्षभ हक , ऩय रोकिंत्र के िुदृढ़ीकयण
हे िु उिे िििशवतभान फनाने के तरए केिर दयू दृवि का िंऩर्
ु उिभं बयना हक । अगय
फुजग
ु ं की ‘अनुबिनीि फुवद्ध’ औय मुिािगि का ‘अनुबिविहीन फर’ तभरकय िाथ चर
िकं िो दे श औय िभाज भं फहुि शीघ्र उिका क्ऩनािीि अिय दे खने को तभर
िकिा हक । मुिािगि को चािहए िक िह तनतिाथि बाि िे िशक्ि नेि्ृ ि प्रदान कयिे
हुए िाभान्हमजन को दे शिहि भं िही यातिे ऩय चरने को प्रेरयि कये । ािे िभुन्हनि
ऩरयिेश की प्राति एिं वितिृि भ्रटर्ाचाय िे भुवत के तरए याजनीतिक नहीं फथि्क
गांधीजी के फिामे शांतिऩूणि िाभाथिजक आन्हदोरन का यातिा अऩनाना होगा। इिके
तनतभ्ि िभाज को प्रििऩीड़ा के अन्हियार िे बी गुज़यना ऩड़े गा। तनतिन्हदे ह िभाज
के प्र्मेक फार-िृद्ध व्मवत के रृदम भं दे शबवत की याख भं दफी आग िो हक ऩय उिे
प्रयितरि कयने की ज़रूयि हक । औय ािा कयना िाभाथिजक, न िक याजनीतिक, िांति
के भाध्मभ िे ही िंबि होगा। माद यहे िक तििंत्रिा िंरेसाभ के प्रथभ प्रबािी चयण के
रूऩ भं िुतभृि गांधीजी का चंऩायण ि्मारेसह प्रायाब भं िाभाथिजक आन्हदोरन ही था
न िक याजनीतिक, बरे ही कारान्हिय भं उिका प्रचुय याजनीिक राब बी प्राप्ि हुआ
था। उि दौयान गांधीजी के िंफध
ं भं वििर्श अतधकारयमं के तरए मह कौिूहर की
फाि थी िक ‘एक अकेरा आदभी चंऩायण के धूर बये यातिं ऩय ईभानदायी, अिहं िा
औय फांि की रा ी के िहाये चरिे हुए उि िशक्ि वििर्श इाऩामय िे भोचाि रेने
तनकर ऩड़ा था थिजिभं िूमािति होिा ही नहीं था!’
22
आज आिंकिाद एिं उरेसिाद बी दे श के यिरंि भुद्दे फनकय उबये हं ।
िाभान्हम रूऩ िे आिंकिाद दे श के फाहय प्रतपुिर्ि होिा हक , जफिक बीियी ि्िं वाभाया
प्रामोथिजि उरेसिाद िंिध
क ातनक प्रशाितनक व्मितथा को िीधी चुनौिी के रूऩ भं प्रिरयि
हो यहा हक । कतिऩम क्षेत्रं भं उरेसिादी ि्िं
वाभाया चरामा जाने िारा िाभानान्हिय
प्रशािन इिका िफूि हक । अथिन्हिभ विश्रेर्षोण भं, उरेसिाद को िंिध
क ातनक शािनव्मितथा की खातभमं िे ही प्रतिििमा्भक फर तभरिा हक । अगय आज प्रशाितनक
भाहौर एिं अगुओं का व्मवत्ि त्रुिर्हीन होकय आदशि तिरूऩ रेसहण कय रे िो
भ्रटर्ाचाय, फेयोजगायी, जातििाद जकिे िाभाथिजक शत्रु तिि: िभाप्ि होिे जाएंगे एिं
उनिे अतबप्रेरयि उरेसिाद की जड़ं बी अतिंतचि यह जामंगी। विडं फना मह हक िक जहां
िाह्य िौय ऩय उरेसिादी िंग न ग़यीफं के ह़ की रड़ाई रड़िे हं , िहीं दि
ू यी ियप
तनदरर्षो जनं की जान रेने एिं याटरीम िाऩति विनटर् कयने भं बी नहीं िहचकिे।
बायि भं फहुि िाये ऩिि-्मोहाय रोग अिीभ रद्द्धा एिं उ्िाह िे भनािे
हं । प्रजािांवत्रक व्मितथा भं चुनाि बी एक भहाऩिि हक । प्रजािंत्र की यक्षा के तरए इि
भहाऩिि को उिी रद्द्धा, विश्िाि एिं उ्िाह के िाथ भनाना अतनिामि हक । आज रोग
अऩने अतधकायं के प्रति िजग हं ऩय कििव्मं के प्रति उदािीन। फहुि रोग भिदान
के अतधकाय को बी नकायने भं नहीं िहचकिे। ितिुि: जो रोग चुनाि भं बाग नहीं
रेिे िे ही प्रजािंत्र ऩय आघाि कयिे हं , मा मं कहं िक िे ही प्रजािंत्र को िाबाय
िूरी ऩय चढ़ािे हं । जहां कहीं 50 प्रतिशि िे बी कभ भिदान होिा हक , िहां मही
तनटकर्षोि तनकरिा हक िक िहां के रोग रोकिंत्र का िंऩोर्षोण कयने भं विपर हं । जफ
ऩुरुर्षो-भिहरा के भिदान का प्रतिशि फूथ-ककप्चरयं ग के फगकय 90 िे ऊऩय चरा जाए
िबी मह भाना जा िकेगा िक हभाया रोकिंत्र ऩूणि
ि : िंऩटु र् हो गमा हक । हर्षोि की फाि
हक िक हार के चुनािं भं भिदान के प्रतिशि भं उ्िाहिद्धिक इजाा ा हुआ हक । दे श के
ऩरयऩक्ि भिदािा की ओय िे मह बायिीम रोकिंत्र के तरए शुब िंदेश हक ।
तितथ रोकिंत्र के तरए चुनािी प्रििमा भं बी प्रचुय िुधाय की ज़रूयि हक ।
फकरर् ऩेऩय मा ईिीएभ भं प्र्मातशमं की िूची भं ‘नो िोर्’ का विक्ऩ बी भिदािा
को अिश्म उऩरब्ध यहना चािहए िािक िह प्र्मेक उाभीदिाय को नाऩिन्हद कयने के
थितथति भं ‘नो िोर्’ को चुन िके। ‘नो िोर्’ को ििाितधक िोर् तभरने की थितथति भं
िहां ऩुन: चुनाि कयामा जाना चािहए थिजिभं नमे प्र्मातशमं को ही चुनाि भं उियने
का अििय िदमा जाम। बरे ही ािी ऩरयथितथति िंबिि: एक मा दो प्रतिशि चुनाि
23
क्षेत्रं भं ही उ्ऩनन् होगी, रेिकन िपय बी दे श भं रोकिंत्र को िुदृढ़ कयने के तरए
इि प्रकाय का िुधाय कयना अतनिामि होगा। ईिीएभ वाभाया िोर् दे ने ऩय भिदािा को
िोर् डारने के िफूि भं भशीन िे तनतिरयि यशीद (Printout) बी दी जानी चािहए।
एक आशािादी के रूऩ भं हभ ािे िभम की प्रिीक्षा कय िकिे हं जफ
तिाथि के िशीबूि नेिाओं के फािजूद आभ जनिा िभाज भं नकतिक उ्थान िुतनथििि
कयिे हुए याजनीति को दरदर एिं दर-दर िे तनकार कय तिच्छ ऩरयिेश भं रे
आमेगी। एिभतिु।
भंने आज़ादी के ऩचाि िार ऩूये होने ऩय यतचि अऩनी एक कवििा भं
तरखा था:
होगा अय्माभ ा ज़ीरि का, गय ऩाक तिमािि हो जामे,
होगी ही अिाभ ा जीअि भं, गय चाक तिमामि हो जामे,
ा दोति! िदा़ि की ऑ ंखं की िो हक यानी माद आई,
गांधी का ज़भाना माद आमा, बायि की कहानी माद आई।
24
A Cold Autumn Morning
in Srinagar
K. Gajendra Singh*
It was early morning end October 1961 at the Tourist Reception
Centre in Srinagar. We were a bunch of hundred odd new entrants
called probationers belonging to the Indian Foreign Service and the
Indian Administrative Service undergoing training to man India's
diplomatic missions abroad and civil service jobs all over India. We
had arrived from Mussourie by train to Udhampur and a day long
bumpy journey in military trucks for attachment with military units
in Jammu and Kashmir for a feel of army life and its mission, learn
about the state's administration and savor its fabulous scenic and
historic sights. Reaching late the night before and fatigued we had
hastily washed up, had our dinner and went promptly to sleep. We
were now waiting for water to be heated up in tin canisters to
shower and cleanse ourselves.
We had completed a 16 week long common basic training course
along with entrants from other services like; Police, Railways, Audit
and Accounts, Customs, Excise and Income tax at Indian Academy
of Administration in the sylvan surroundings of Mussourie, a hill
station in Uttar Pradesh, built up by the British to escape the
sizzling heat of the plains. Apart from learning the basics of history,
law, economics and other subjects, this course provided an
opportunity to befriend other civil servants for possibly later in life
resolving problems involving inter-services cooperation and
coordination. Our class of 1961 remains close, meeting once a
*
Indian Foreign Service
25
month for lunch in Delhi or elsewhere, a practice still on after
retirement, though not that regularly.
There were only five lady probationers out of around 275, unlike
later batches with a larger lady numbers and no romance
blossomed resulting in matrimony. In the absence of much private
industry with most of the development undertaken by the state,
the civil services were the most sought after profession with senior
bureaucrats and well off parents turning up to bag bridegrooms for
their daughters. We were young, mostly between 22 years and 25
years, fresh from universities, uncorrupted and idealistic who could
be molded into upright servants of the state. As if a life long role of
a policeman, a diplomat or an administrator was allotted which we
tried to live up, to the best of our ability. Barring some black sheep,
most remained upright and honest civil servants unlike now when
the black sheep appear to be preponderant, with some states even
voting for the most corrupt officer.
Fortunately in 1960s the ruling political class was yet to be
criminalized or in collusion with money bags. Unlike today, there
was little presence of cine film stars or sportsmen who now
seamlessly move into politics turning politics into a Nautanki almost a charade. Barring exceptions, behind most frauds and
crimes in India now; from Telgi to Satyam there is a political hand.
With little statutory protection life is difficult for honest and
upright civil servants. An IAS officer from northern state told me in
1976 that ministers and other politicians at least showed some
sense of shame when accepting bribes but in ten years time the
officers felt embarrassed while the politicians blithely took bribes
or indulged in other wrong doings. Some two decades ago an
upstart loud mouthed minister in Delhi described the head of his
department as nothing more than a servant to obey his dictates.
26
Reportedly jobs are sold and promotions and transfers are
sometimes auctioned. So, many entrants into civil services today, in
a highly corrupted environment wanting to make a fast buck, join
the bandwagon of one politician or the other. Among the law
makers now there are many proclaimed criminals, village goons or
urban riff raff who pride in breaking the laws. A 1995 report by NN
Vohra, a former Union home secretary observed, "A network of
mafias is virtually running a parallel government in India, pushing
the state apparatus into irrelevance." The report recognized that "a
cancerous growth of criminal gangs, drug mafias, smuggling gangs
and economic lobbies in the country had developed an intensive
network of contacts with bureaucrats and politicians." The
lawmakers can be seen fighting in central and state legislature, a
habit fast spreading among other sections of the society. Election is
only a tool of democracy. Rule of law, equality of all before law is
the essence of democracy. Unfortunately even the judiciary has
been infected with many retired and serving judicial luminaries
bemoaning this fact corroborated by Transparency International
and Human Rights Watch.
Preoccupied with grabbing power and hanging on to it by hook or
crook, the barely educated ruling elite would hardly comprehend
that most nations or empires beginning from the Roman, then the
Byzantines or Arabs or the Ottomans had origins of decay and fall
in the corrosion and dismantling of the ruling institutions. The
Indian scene is reminiscent of the decaying Mughal era.
Unfortunately the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution,
straight jacketed a vast and diverse country like India into the
British Isles two party system with no possibility of review and
change. Having been ruled and educated under the British, they
knew no better. Many countries have chopped and changed
Constitutions when necessary to accommodate new facts and
problems or even jettisoned them. These include among others
France, Russia, Turkey, and Israel. But being worshipper of ancient
27
traditions we would if we could be governed by old scriptures.
Coalition regimes are being enshrined as another form of Dharma,
as if derived from Puranas or Vedas. It has made politics a daily
theatre with people’s interest a major casualty.
But let us revert to that cold autumn morning in Srinagar. There
were five of us sharing a largish room awaiting hot water to be
brought up to the bathroom. One of us would not wait. He
marched in, had a shower and came out muttering some mantras,
looking pink and fresh as daisy as if it was the most natural thing to
do. Almost shivering we were awed. Tall and wiry with shaven head
and a military gait he had a Brahmchari's (celibate's) gaze and halo.
Some of us wondered if he had not wandered up from the Military
Academy in Dehradun down below. With his abstemious and
austere habits some called him Buddha. His name is Tejender
Khanna, who now sports an aging matinee idol like elegant silvery
full hair, into his second tenure as the Lt Governor of Delhi state.
Yes, sometimes he gets into trouble for plain speaking. A successful
Punjab state officer, he retired as department head of the
commerce and trade ministry in New Delhi.
This nonchalant act of bravado inspired another probationer to do
like wise. So murmuring a Ghalib couplet, he duly entered the
bathroom while others watched for an encore. After some gurgling
noise of a running tap there was a shriek and then quiet. But soon
things cleared up. The bathroom door clanged open and coming
out completely dry, he mumbled, "the water is freezing cold ".”But
what was that shriek for", we asked. "Well, I was only testing the
water with my finger." Careful as if born with a goatee this was
Mohammad Hamid Ansari, who before being elected to the office
of the Vice-President of India, served as Chairman of the Minorities
Commission and Vice-Chancellor of his Alma mater at Aligarh. He
was a distinguished diplomat having headed Indian missions in New
York, Riyadh, Tehran, Kabul, Canberra and Abu Dhabi.
28
While all this was happening, another probationer, just coming out
of sleep, raised his head slightly, but still tucked under the quilt and
took in the whole scene in one swift glance. His eyes fell on the
adjoining bed which was already done nice and proper, everything
in order with slippers under the bed. Looking at the occupant of
this bed, irritated, he enquired, 'Perhaps you can also cook. You
seem to be so well organized, why would you ever need to get
married, you joker". This was Jimmy Lyngdoh, who after retirement
became the Chief Election Commissioner of India and established a
high bench mark for honesty and probity and took no nonsense
from interfering politicos, especially while supervising elections in
controversy riddled state of Gujarat in 2003. The one who received
a mouthful was gentleman diplomat Satinder Puri. He married a
Polish lady after overcoming many hurdles. He was last heard
having settled around Milan, where he was once posted, reportedly
running a restaurant.
29
A.N. Jha
Satish Kumar*
"Our Director AN Jha of the ICS stood out in his own right and
deserves a special volume to capture even fleetingly of all that he
did, but more of what he did not do. He was an over generous
delegator and strongly believed in not acting, unless he must. Tall,
hefty, healthy and handsome he was dressed immaculately in a suit
and necktie. Dr Jha always wore a crescent of a smile on his face,
usually sat in a chair in the front lawn with a pipe in his mouth
which he would not remove even while talking. He was usually the
first face you saw when you came out of the class room. When you
passed by him he would look at you directly in the eye with a most
inviting smile and you had no choice but to be drawn into a close
circle around him. He was fond of talking to the probationers,
telling anecdotes which he thought were humorous, and would
start laughing at his jokes first and with an intensity that increased
every few seconds. The probationers had but to join in the
laughter, the front liners in particular. One joke will be succeeded
by another, and one laughter by the other, each louder than the
previous one until our jaws really ached. Those in the front row
suffered the most as those in the back lines could bow their head
and still pretend as if they were laughing, but no such luck if you
were in the front row. Only a signal for the next class was able to
save the hapless front liners.
We had got used to a relaxing Director who seemingly did nothing
more than enjoying a retired life while still in service. One day I
think it was Asit Ranjan Bandopadhyaya, who always sprang
*
Indian Administrative Service, Rajasthan cadre
30
unusual questions, asked Mr Jha why he (i.e. ARB) never found him
(i.e. Jha) doing any work. Mr Jha replied with an anecdote. This
question, he said, was put by one of the passengers on a luxury
liner to the ship’s captain whom he found either loitering or
gossiping or performing the enviable task of being the host at the
captain’s table enjoying the best food the ship could serve. The
captain replied; “It is your good luck sir as much as it is mine, and of
the rest of us aboard, that you do not see me engaged in serious
activity. Usually the captain is active only about half an hour before
the ship is headed to go under.”
Mr. Jha added that in his two years at the Academy, he was active
only when dismissing a probationer from service or extending his
probation for poor performance. ARB stood rooted trying to figure
out whether there was some hidden message for him, but when Mr
Jha started laughing ARB had no choice but to join in."
31
A systems approach to
fighting corruption
B. M. Oza*
Corruption in politics and public life has spread to alarming
proportions. It should be an urgent task to address how to deal
with the monster of corruption. Clearly, parliamentary probe is not
an answer as the JPC probe in the Bofors business has
demonstrated. Parliamentary probe cannot be a substitute for an
investigation by a professional criminal investigating agency.
Parliamentary probes are relevant only for acts of omissions or
commissions connected with constitutional matters. I would
recommend a two-prong approach to tackle this problem. One is
the systems approach and, two, the institutional approach.
The systems approach should envisage a system of governance,
which will allow least opportunities for corruption. The real source
of corruption is power. Lord Action put it rather succinctly when he
said, ‘All power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.’
Today we have evolved a system in which there is too much
concentration of power without accountability. It is the result of
the politico-economic structure built by us in the last forty odd
years based on the Mahalanobis-Nehruvian model.
This strategy formed the basis of India’s Second Five-Year Plan and
subsequent years till the present times. It fundamentally changed
the structure of the Indian economy and the structure of
governance. It led to enormous expansion of the State sector.
*
Indian Foreign Service
32
Expansion of the State sector and State intervention in the
management of the economy was construed as enhancement of
socialism. This notion was based on the simplistic understanding
that socialism was synonymous with ownership and control of the
means of production and distribution by the State. Even today
anything being done by the government is regarded as in the public
interest. In actual practice, it meant only expansion of the power of
the handful of politicians and bureaucrats in the ruling class. That
has been the root cause of the growth of corruption in the last
forty years.
That growing State power leads to the growth of corruption was
visualized by a small group of economists led by Prof.Shenoy.
Prof.Shenoy was member of the panel of economists engaged in
drafting of the Second Five-Year Plan. He opposed this strategy of
development heavily dependent on the role of the State and State
intervention through controls and regulations. He forecast that it
will lead to rampant corruption. His views were recorded in his
Note of Dissent, which became almost a classical piece of economic
thought. It became a part of the second plan document. His
prescription was to adopt a strategy with minimum role for the
State and maximum role for the market mechanism and
competition. Unfortunately, he was in the minority of one at that
time. The mainstream economists in India and even in the West
were in favour of some degree of State control and State
intervention in the economy. An attempt is now being made to
engineer a series of reforms and reduce State control and State
intervention in the economy. Unfortunately, these attempts are
sporadic and lack a philosophical basis. Besides, vested interests
both in bureaucracy and politics do not like to shed power and
opportunities of using that power for amassing wealth. The real
remedy lies in adopting a system, which give least or no
opportunities for corruption. From that point of view, even if it
33
sounds like a cliché, the best government is the one, which governs
the least. This is the system approach to deal with corruption.
The institutional approach of dealing with corruption should
envisage setting up of an institution or an organisation outside the
government. We have seen that CBI, which is controlled by the
government, is inadequate to deal with corruption in the
government. It is like asking an elephant to fight against itself. CBI
will always be under pressure from vested interests. It will always
be accused of doing either too little or too much depending upon
the perspective of the accuser, character of the person in charge of
the CBI and the cross currents of vested interests. CBI will always
be caught in the cross-fire of diverse political interests.
The proposed institution has to be outside the government and
funded entirely from non-government resources. Organisation of
the Swedish Institute Against Bribes is a good example. Such an
institution can be a nodal point for bringing up to it all cases of
corruption from all quarters – something like the role being
performed by the consumers forums in India. It should have
available to it legal and professional expertise to do preliminary
investigation of cases of corruption brought to its notice. Some
alternative models of such an institute are also possible. Public
interest groups in India can give thought to it and evolve a proper
institutional framework for an institute to deal with corruption.
Financing of such an institute entirely from privately raised funds
should not be difficult.
Special public prosecutors can be designated to make preliminary
investigation of the cases referred to by such an institution or
forum against corruption. After due investigation, the public
prosecutor can identify the accused, collect evidence and decide
whether or not the case deserves bringing charges against the
accursed in a court of law. The authority to launch preliminary
34
investigation can be vested in the public prosecutor by law under
certain circumstances on the pattern of the Swedish law on
preliminary investigation. But then one has to guard against the
abuse of such an authority by the public prosecutor. This can be
done by the proposed institute, which will be a watch-dog against
corruption as well as investigators of cases of corruption. That way,
the innocent people in the government accused of corruption will
also have recourse to protection against fake cases against them
for reasons of vendetta.
35
Challenge and
Response: A
reminiscential account
about my service in the
Indian Police
V.Vaikunth*
I have titled this article as Challenge and Response because my
service in Tamil Nadu Police, right from the time I entered the Tamil
Nadu Police in 1963, after foundation training in Mussoorie along
with the members of All India Services and later the Police Training
at Mount Abu and in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, was full of challenges.
But then I suppose, the way I had responded to such challenges
had probably brought out the correct and wholesome results –
thanks largely due to the systems built up over the years by
successive Chiefs of Police of the State.
I have had the privilege of working with 12 Chiefs of Police, besides
six Chief Ministers including Mr. Kamaraj, and have had the unique
opportunity of observing at close quarters eight Prime Ministers
each of them having a distinct character of their own. The specific
reason for my mentioning this is that in the police as well as in the
Civilian Administration, in addition to discharging our duties
towards protecting the life and properties of the citizens, in a
democratic form of Government we have to manage our political
bosses as well. Our success lies in persuading them and convincing
*
Indian Police Service, Tamil Nadu Cadre
36
them that it is not in their interest to resort to wrong and short cut
methods and they would win public appreciation by doing what
was right. In this I have been fortunate enough to have had my own
way in adopting only the correct and legal methods in most of the
cases eg. the way I got through a fool proof recruitment of
constabulary and SIs in 1994 which was free from corruption and
based only on merit . This created for the then Government and for
me even now several years after retirement a lot of good will.
But then in some cases I could not. I stuck to my principles and the
result was that I was moved out even at the first subdivision I was
in charge. It continued even in the second subdivision where I had
to tell my own boss that it was not the job of police to canvass for
the individual candidates in a Panchayat union election no matter
how powerful they were. With the result I was shifted out and
posted to Himalayas – literally to a jungle, though on promotion as
Superintendent of Police. In both these cases, I have had reliable
information that it is not the political bosses who were at fault, but
it is the bosses in the department who would not project the case
properly and adopted, on the other hand, the line of least
resistance. My advice to my young colleagues as borne out by
these instances is “Please take these in your stride but never
swerve from your principles”. In the second instance of my shift to
the Himalayas, it was said that if I had continued in the state on
promotion on the eve of the 1967 elections it would not be good
for the electoral prospects of the then ruling party . That even
without me, they lost the elections and are still struggling to come
up is a different matter. I emerged the beneficiary, because I got
two Special Duty Medals from the President of India in recognition
of my outstanding work as a Commanding Officer of a paramilitary
force in the Himalayas as also a commendation from the Arunachal
Pradesh Administration.
37
From there again I was shifted to another deputation despite my
repeated plea to the boss that on grounds of my late brother’s
illness, I be brought back to the state along with the battalion
which in any case was moving back and that I will go for the
Advance course training for SPs for a later batch. In this case of
course, I was the loser as I lost my brother who died at a very
young age. I however made my boss repent for his wooden attitude
because I know as the Police Chief of the state that in such cases,
the political bosses never come into the picture. A lesson for my
young colleagues from this episode -Please do not be wooden and
without compassion when your officers represent their personal
grievance. By all means concede to their request if it is genuine.
Again in later years as a DIG and as IG, I was posted to Home
Guards thrice, which is considered as an unimportant posting. All
these postings were purely due to the proverbial intrigues in the
Department and had nothing to do with the political bosses. I
worked hard despite my initial mental set back and made the post
important by sheer innovative methods and won for the first time
the Distinguished service medal for Home guards and Civil Defence
– the first ever police officer in the country to get this medal. The
lesson for my young colleagues who are in the service is – Do not
ever get deterred by such postings, make them important and get
laurels.
I had quoted the above episodes only to show that if we stick to
principles we will learn to take things in their stride undeterred by
the so called unimportant postings and make them important by
sheer hard work and innovative methods and thus convert even
typhoons into tail winds. After all, the special units are not at all
unimportant. There is a lot of scope for one to do an extra bit to
create a niche for oneself. With the result at the end of my service
I had a rich tally of seven President’s medals. The powers that be
38
both in the Police hierarchy and in the political system could not
deny me those medals.
During my career spanning 35 years I have had many challenging
episodes but then I would list out only a few because each one of
these has a lesson for us to learn .
a)
The way in which the potentially communal situation
which developed on the sudden appearance of a Ganesh
idol in T.Nagar in the police land abutting the Mambalam
police station in Chennai City in 1970 had a lot of lessons
for us. It had to be established by Archaeological and
Geological evidence that the idol in question was a
planted one not a Swayumbu idol as made out. This was
done to thwart an attempt to build a Mosque in that land
as decided by the Government. The communal situation
likely to arise out of this was handled effectively, which in
fact earned the personal appreciation for me from the
Elder Statesman Rajaji who was then alive. The anticlimax
to this situation was the finding of the investigation that it
was planted by none other than the Head Constable of
that Police station, who was a rabid Hindu fundamentalist.
No wonder he was dismissed from service and the
Inspector was shifted out. As for the idol, since it was
established that it was a planted idol and a court property,
it disappeared the same way it appeared. The lesson from
this episode is that in such situations one should learn to
think out of the box and find out unusual solutions to
unusual problems.
b) As already mentioned the system based recruitment that
was undertaken by me in 1994 with the extensive use of
computer programmes amending rules brought out
excellent candidates based on merit. This recruitment by
39
the very systems introduced, did not admit of any
malpractice or corruption resulting in a lot of good will to
the then Government and to me personally even now
many years after my retirement. Though I faced a lot of
hurdles I came out successfully at the end of it all with a
lot of acclaim from all over.
I can go on and on but will conclude by touching on my perception
on the image of police. A lot of things have been said about police
image or for that matter the image of bureaucracy - The
police/bureaucracy in recent years have become so much used to
be examined by all and sundry, that we have developed a certain
amount of bemused tolerance of most of it. This state of affairs will
not do for a large body of people who see themselves and, rightly
so, as underpinning the society in many ways. It will not do if the
police or the bureaucracy confines their interests merely to their
own sphere of activities. They cannot afford to be ignorant of what
is happening around them.
They should aspire to understand the changes. However it will not
do if they merely aspire to understand the changes. It will not do if
the police/bureaucracy merely aspires for improvement in the
quality of their contribution towards the changes going on around
them. Neither can the police complain of people who are
interested in the cause of the police/bureaucracy since they are
misinformed about them through ignorance. This would only
worsen our predicament. This misinformation needs to be cleared
by us.
The police/bureaucracy has a duty to themselves as a group to the
public. Our leadership should begin to question their own principles
and practices which are historic and traditional and venture forth
with comments of their own, which will help to inform and
stimulate the debate which at present rages around them. Thus, in
40
short, I lay a lot of emphasis on self – introspection. One such
introspection should be in relation to what is meant by our image
and how we can go about creating it and maintaining it. Seminars
are being held and resolutions passed. Many a time we make some
pronouncements and proclamations but these certainly have not
made any difference.
I am aware that our image is not a fixed or tangible object that can
be erected as a visible monument to public service.
Instead it is the image each member of the public visualizes
according to his/her own perception – real or imaginary as being
the image of police/bureaucracy. Our image is many things to
many people and its changing hue can be buffeted by a hostile
press, tarnished by the members of the public and dulled by
inefficient leadership, but it can certainly be enhanced by a
professional approach to problems by officers with integrity and
sincerity of purpose.
In practical terms, having held charge of various positions in the
police force for well over three decades, I would like to say that, if
we do our job properly with an eye on justice and fair play and with
a touch of humanism, the goodwill of the public towards the police
will automatically flow. On this, it does not need and research to
say that in any society, particularly ours, a majority of the citizens
are law abiding, with law breakers forming only a microscopic
minority. Even with all the new dimensions added to policing in
modern days, in terms of the policeman having to tackle terrorism,
religious fundamentalism and inter- caste clashes , we must try to
energize the law abiding citizens and bring them within a frame
work of what one may call as self – policing; there is otherwise no
magic formula for this .
Police job or the job of a bureaucrat has become too complicated
and varied. Demands on them are on the increase incessantly.
41
A rainbow range of expertise is expected of us. The knowledge we
need should be accurate, infallible and multi – pronged procedural
matters, knowledge of law, medico- legal issues, mob psychology,
detective technology legal control of lawless situations and
constitutional restraints are only some of the factors we policemen
have to reckon with that way policemen/bureaucrats should know
things that the general people do not. The job of a police
officer/bureaucrat is too embarrassing, too technological and far
too complicated. His knowledge is crafted out of years spent on the
practical situations, sizing up and dealing with the volatile, cunning,
confused, comic, tragic and often goofy behavior of human beings
from every social, economic and mental level and it is knowledge
gained as a by – product of investigating a variety of crimes.
I would say, that way, the policeman/bureaucrat is a better social
scientist. The policeman//bureaucrat now –a-days should be a jack
of all trades and also a master of such trade. He has to deal with
peaceful religious crowds in temple festivals, which requires a lot of
patience, courtesy and politeness bringing out the humane and
compassionate behavior in him. Sometimes, policeman/bureaucrat
or police women have even had occasions to attend to delivery of
babies as happened once in Tirutani Railway Station. The
policeman/bureaucrat has to deal with terrorists which means that
the policemen/bureaucrat ought to have grit, determination and
courage. But even so, I feel that we policemen, have to set apart
time for attending to real problems of hapless people.
We talk of scientific aids to investigation. I do not know whether
we have thought about the extensive use of scientific aids in
investigation or scientific methods of interrogation. No wonder, we
have been hearing of complaints of violation of human rights often.
While on this, however, I must say that whenever the policemen
are assaulted or murdered, these activists of human rights however
are silent about it, which is very sad. On this occasion, my heart
42
goes out to any number of Policemen/bureaucrats of our country
who have sacrificed their lives and who have made our
police/bureaucracy what it is today – the bravest of the brave and
most generous of the generous.
During my service in the police force for well over three decades, I
think I have had enough experience in a variety of assignments
which made me a comprehensive personality. I look back on my
long years in the IPS with many happy and grateful thoughts and
recollections of all the knowledge and experience I have gained.
This is the greatest satisfaction for me. The Indian police force,
despite aberrations now and then, is still one of the finest forces in
the World. Even so, I may tell my colleagues- those in service in the
force that they have still promises to keep and “miles to go before
they sleep”.
43
Charade in
Churachandpur
Proloy Bagchi*
Fifty year ago when I left Gwalior on that hot May night for Delhi
on way to the National Academy of Administration; Churachandpur
was, if at all, only a feeble blip on my radar, somewhere from far
away – from the general direction of North-East. The region was so
fuzzy in my consciousness that I could not have put my finger on
the place on an atlas and, what’s more, would not have been able
to tell a Mizo from a Khasi or a Naga. It was only when in that
summer of 1961 I met in the Academy fellow-trainees –
Rominthanga, James Michael Lyngdoh, Thang Khuma Tocchawng
and many others – that I became familiar with the region and the
people who inhabited it.
The last named, Tocchawng (unfortunately, no longer around),
became a very good friend right in the Academy and also,
incidentally, a (Indian Postal) Service-mate when the services were
allotted. He was of Mizo parentage, though was virtually a Khasi
having spent most of his early years in Shillong, the most
cosmopolitan of North-Eastern towns. Endowed with a mobile
visage, he was urbane to a fault and was an excellent companion.
Having travelled outside his native regions, he could speak a
smattering of Hindi that enabled him to mix around easily with
those in the batch as well as in the Service. At Saharanpur, during
professional training at the Training Centre we played a lot of
tennis and badminton together. After the games he would regale
us with those 1950’s mushy, romantic Nat King Cole numbers that
continued to top popularity charts even in the ‘60s. He did not have
that “incandescent” voice “King Cole” was known for, but it was
*
Indian Postal Service
44
good and deep and he sang really well. Among his favourites were
“Mona Lisa”, “Love is a many splendoured thing” and “Rambling
rose,” all of which were (and even today are) my favourites.
Over time, as we went to hold field jobs in different states, the link
between us became a little tenuous, but the warmth endured.
Telephone calls, though few and far between, strived to keep the
relationship alive. At the middle level of our respective careers
both of us happened to converge at our departmental
headquarters in Delhi, making the old ties once again vibrant.
Years later, when we had made it to the Senior Administrative
Grade, it was he who informed me of my posting to Shillong even
before the regular orders arrived. I was to replace him as the chief
of the departmental outfit there. Around the late 1980s, Shillong
was considered a bad posting for a non-tribal, more so for a
Bengali. Thoroughly refined as he was, Tocchawng was quick to
commiserate with me, assuring me that I would not find it
problematic as, he said, “I was not that kind of a Bengali” –
knowing as he did, that I was offspring of a Bengali who had
migrated out of Bengal long years ago. Nonetheless, I was at once
reminded of Jimmy Lyngdoh, once jokingly asking me in the
Academy, “You are not from Sylhet, are you?” Sylhet, now in
Bangladesh, is only 60 miles away from the border town of Jowai in
Jayantia Hills. Apparently, most of the Bengalis settled in Shillong
hailed from those parts and, I suspect, for the ‘qualities’ of their
head and heart, were thoroughly disliked by the locals.
Having heard so much about Shillong from friends, acquaintances
and seniors in the Service, I looked forward to the posting though it
was a transfer that took me from the Western coast of the country
to virtually India’s far eastern end. Shillong was indeed a different
world, easily one of the finest places I ever worked in. I had six of
the seven north-eastern states in my jurisdiction, each different
from the other. I necessarily had to travel a lot and that was time
consuming, distances being long and roads mostly wretched.
45
One such trip took me to Manipur. At Imphal, one day finding
myself free, I decided to visit Churachandpur, a district town to the
south-west about three hours away, on a rather bad road.
Throughout my career I have had this penchant for visiting out-ofthe-way units, situated whether among the snow-laden conifers on
the heights of Kashmir or within coconut groves in the depths of
Konkan, which were hardly ever frequented by inspecting officers.
Accompanied by the local director and an inspector fluent in
Manipuri we decided to surprise our unit there.
Churachandpur was like the usual run-of-the-mill small towns,
inhabited predominantly by Mizos, perhaps because it was close to
the border of the state with Mizoram. While driving down the
bouncy road curiously, I was surprised to see Mizo women walking
about wearing fancy and delicate footwear despite the terrible
road condition. Somewhat gratuitously, I thought to myself that
shoe-menders had for them a great market in the town.
Finding the departmental unit doing well, we turned back for
Imphal. On our way back we came across a wayside part-time post
office and walked in to check out its operations. The postmaster, an
elderly Mizo, was assisted by his two young daughters, all looking
very vague and deadpan, wearing typical poker faces. While the
father answered all the questions the daughters looked for and
produced all the documents. The Q&A was, however, three
cornered as all of them were ignorant of both English and Hindi.
The inspector did the job of an interpreter. It was a torturous
process lasting about a couple of hours.
Everything seemed to be hunky dory. We prepared to leave and as I
conveyed our appreciation to the postmaster for his good work I
saw for the first time a faint flicker of emotion on his face. Soon, he
visibly relaxed. Thawing, his eyes brightened and his gait changed
noticeably. A bit of new life seemed to have been infused into him.
Quickly shuffling across from a respectable distance he had all
through maintained he came closer and asked “Sir, where is Mr.
Tocchawng these days?”
46
Aghast, we were all rendered speechless. The man spoke faultless
English – after feigning ignorance of the language for all of two
torturous hours. Seeing the shock on our faces the father and the
daughters burst into uncontrolled laughter. Even the two daughters
were fluent in English having been educated in a Christian
missionary school.
It was unbelievable – an incredible charade played out with
consummate artistry by each of the three protagonists without so
much as even a hint of a flap. The director progressively became
crimson with the rage that built up within him but somehow did
not go ballistic. Seeing the family having a good hearty laugh I could
not help grinning – marvelling at the facile ease with which a parttimer with two of his young off-shoots in a remote Manipur village
made suckers of as many as three of his departmental seniors.
47
Encounter with the
elite service - Clash of
cultures
Sharad Behar*
The Prologue
By coincidence, 50 year after I joined the Indian administrative
service, a boy who is not a relative through blood or otherwise but
nonetheless has become an integral part of the family, ever since
we brought him from the road construction site where he was
working as a labourer in the tribal district of Bastar is appearing in
the civil service examination while pursuing master's course in
computer application. This has initiated a train of thoughts taking
me back to the days I, from rural background, had my first
encounter with the Service which then primarily consisted of
persons from the urban background. I am wondering what is likely
to be his experience if he really succeeds. Does the change in the
composition of the service having relatively more persons from
rural background and the lapse of half a century going to make a
material difference?
I have witnessed many episodes highlighting the significance of the
name in Indian elite culture and the compulsive need to dissociate
from the name coming from a folk culture. Let me narrate only a
dramatic one in which an entire elite or aspiring- to- be-elite
student- community revolted against a name derived from folk
*
Indian Administrative Service, Madhya Pradesh cadre
48
culture. In 1983, I had the rare privilege of being appointed as the
founder Vice Chancellor for establishing a new University at
Bilaspur, named after Guru Ghasidas. He was a great revolutionary
folk- saint who, in the 18th century, had aroused the depressed
community -- the so-called low-castes, considered untouchable at
the time -- to challenge the Brahminical caste hierarchy. Adopting a
very interesting process of Sanskritization and by establishing a sect
--Satnam -- within the Hindu religious fold, he successfully claimed
a higher social status for, and more importantly, instilled a high
order of self-respect in, the Satnamis, the followers.
I had to face an agitation from the student community because
they did not want to obtain the degree from 'Guru Ghasidas
University ' on account of the name Ghasidas -- coming from the
folk culture which they thought was degrading and demeaning.
They wanted the degree to be awarded, by the parent university
which was named after the first Chief Minister of the state of
Madhya Pradesh -- a very elitist and in their perception a very
respectable name -- Pundit Ravi Shankar Shukla University as if
their achievement and competence was less relevant than the
elitist/folk nature of the name of the person in whose memory the
university awarding the degree is established. There is no need to
go into the details of how the situation was tackled and later
degrees were awarded by the new University in the convocation
where the then President of India Gyani Zailsingh, as the chief
guest, gave away gold medals and prizes to the meritorious
students and delivered a really inspiring convocation address
amidst repeated thunderous applause from over 10,000 students.
While the meritorious students were proud of their photographs
with the President, for me the satisfaction lay in the modest
success in retrieving the honour of the folk culture in its clash with
the elite culture. Incidentally, more than25 years after I had the
privilege of establishing it, it has been upgraded as a Centre
University.
49
A Caveat
The clash of cultures, I wish to portray, has been a very complex
phenomenon. Its genesis can be traced back to the Academy days
but has been flowing subaltern throughout the career It has not
been apparent to others; to be honest not even to me. It is only
when I start deeply reflecting with the wisdom derived from
hindsight that I have arrived at this interpretation of a part of my
being. In arriving at this interpretation that I present in the
following paragraphs, I have made use of psychological insights and
sociological analytical framework that have been a part of my initial
academic training and that have been further refined and
sharpened, without further academic training, but by continual use
and feedback in a very individual and idiosyncratic style.
Seeds of Encounter: My Ill-Preparedness
I was born, brought up and had school education in Sarangarh,
then a big village but also the capital and the headquarter of a tiny
princely state of the same name and comprising only 180 villages,
surrounded by the river Mahanadi from more than three sides
making it almost an island and highly inaccessible. It was, in a way,
far away from what is generally termed as 'civilization'. The
economic status of the family posed a serious challenge to match
the higher social status traditionally accorded because of the higher
caste. The mismatch, in the small community, invited not- soinfrequently veiled derision that I learnt to accept smilingly and
sportingly, a learning which stood me in good stead in my
encounter with the elite service. Higher education could and should
have brought me closer to civilization since there were two factors
in favour. Studying in Hislop college run by Christian missionaries,
located at Nagpur, the capital of the state of the then state of
Madhya Prant, that during the British days was Central Province
and that was governed by the British for close to a century. The two
50
combined should have imparted at least the rudiments of British
culture. Unfortunately, circumstances conspired against it. The
college was located in the midst of the old city dominated by
traditional Maharashtrian culture bypassing the urbanising
influence. Its hostel being far away in the vicinity of the civil lines, I
along with some friends from my hometown preferred to stay close
to the college in rented rooms. This was another opportunity lost
to be civilized! I was blissfully unaware of my failings on this count.
On the contrary my self esteem and self confidence got a
tremendous boost as from the very first internal examination I
established my reputation, reinforced by the results of the
university examinations, as the brightest student, (including in the
mastery of English language) of the college and the reputation
remained unrivalled and unchallenged for all the four years of my
stay there.
For my master's degree in psychology, the whole of central India, at
that time, did not offer any choice since there was one solitary
college at Jabalpur providing this facility, which I joined. As luck
would have it, it was a teacher's training college with no other
master’s course. The next two years, therefore were spent in the
college and the hostel with about 1000 teachers who used to come
for their training from rural schools. Very soon, I was the
uncrowned king of the college. Even some of my own professors
became jealous of me. While studying in the final year of the post
graduate course, I appeared in the civil service examination only to
test the waters, hoping that the next year I will take it seriously. To
my utter surprise, I not only succeeded but was within the first 20,
which could have been even better, if I had not offered mercantile
law (in which I got very low marks) as a subject under the influence
of my father who was practicing law even without having passed
his Matriculation examination, thanks to the liberal rules prevailing
in the princely state because of the paucity of persons even with
that qualification.
51
The net result was that while entering the service I was a welleducated, a well- read person with tremendous self-confidence and
very high self-esteem but very limited exposure to the urban life,
almost ignorant of the lifestyle of the elite, and oblivious of the
behavior- pattern, manners and etiquette expected in the Western
culture that was the model of the elite service. I was in this
manner, ill-prepared to join the service considered to be the most
prestigious at that time.
The Rustic and the Urbane Elite: the Entrant and the Service
The elite look down upon the rural folk as rough, unrefined,
unpolished, unadorned, awkward, uncouth as against refined,
polished etc that are desirable. They forget or are not probably
aware that the rural folk in their turn have negative feelings about
the urban elite who are considered to be crafty, undependable,
selfish, cunning and untruthful. While both the views suffer from
ethnocentric fallacies, the real differences in the culture of the two
cannot be ignored. The elite civil service that largely comprised, at
that time, the urban elite definitely provided a formidable
challenge to a few rustic who were able to enter the service on
merit. Its culture had undergone some change from the day British
withdrew. It, however, substantially reflected the strong imprint of
the tradition, manners, etiquette, norms and ethos and culture
established in the British days. The rural culture then represented
the vestige of the age-old Indian culture transformed over
centuries of interaction with diverse cultures that penetrated India
in different ways at different times. There was-- and continues to
be -- an inherent contradiction between the culture of the elite
service -- successor of British-constituted, originally largely Britishmanned Indian civil service, Indian police and the like – and culture
of the rural people with whom officers of at least some of the
services ought to most deeply engage and empathize for the
proper performance of their duties.
52
Paradox of Conflicts and Self-Actualization
My encounter with the elite service is probably only a case study in
the dynamics of this contradiction. The experience has been so
unique that it is extremely difficult to put in words. It has been an
extraordinary, rare, curious and strange blend of feelings and
emotions. While working in, and dealing with, the service
throughout, on the one hand, there was a kind of continual struggle
that the elite members cannot imagine, and on the other, a feeling
of being at home, of gratitude to have had the opportunity and
resources to be of some service to one's own roots as also the
more disadvantaged, depressed, underprivileged and underserved.
It also gave a deep-seated and enduring inner satisfaction and real
immeasurable happiness which, I wish and hope, all of us had, in
our own ways.
Formally and officially I have been in the Indian Administrative
Service for 36 years. Emotionally, there has been, and even now
continues to be, an exceedingly strange and paradoxical feeling of
total identification with the service on the one hand, and total
detachment -- even confrontation -- on the other, as if I never
belonged to the service and have been only creatively engaging
with it, all these years, from the outside as a critic. With a view to
convey a feel of this, I have been using the word ' encounter ' which
connotes a sense of engagement but separateness with a shed of
conflict. The other way to express this blend of belongingness and
confronting separateness is to say that I have always felt like the
incorrigible common rural folk being ' a rebel within the sanctum
sanctorum ' of the elite Service. It has however been, as a whole,
highly stimulating, remarkably uplifting, very invigorating and everenriching, providing deep sense of satisfaction to the every pore
and core of my being. This is what probably Maslow calls ' selfactualization ' in his classic ' Towards a Being '. Being in the service
could have given me at the most professional satisfaction; being
53
out of it and engaging in whatever pleased could have yielded only
personal satisfaction but this unique blend of simultaneously
identifying with and revolting against has gifted self-actualization
that is rarely achieved.
The Academy as the Lab: the Promised Land
The Academy was too soft and handled with great care the rough
and unpolished rustic. The ease with which the sprouting conflicts
got resolved gave me a false feeling that working in the elite service
will be equally easy. The experience in the Academy on account of
very magnanimous, kind and affectionate friends proved to be too
artificial a laboratory to provide even an iota of understanding of
the horrible landscape that I had to encounter.
It, however, had all the elements of a great drama portraying the
complex interaction between the elite or westernized urban
culture represented by the bulk of the probationers and the faculty,
and the folk or rural culture, which, I believe, I belong to and
represented without claiming any monopoly or exclusivity in this
regard because probably, there were a few others who hailed from
rural background. I thoroughly enjoyed playing my part in this great
drama and have the fondest memories thereof. It was also a great
and highly enriching multifaceted experiential learning in human
relations and engagement with a galaxy of bright and talented
persons—the “cream of the country”, an expression often used by
most of the guest speakers to the mirth of the probationers for
whom it was a cliché. If it were possible, I would love to undergo
the same exciting and exhilarating experience and play my role
many times over again and get further enriched.
The paradoxical feeling of simultaneously belonging and not
belonging had its genesis right there. I had no friends in the college
who had earlier experience of the Academy .Therefore I did not
have the slightest inkling of what to expect. There were also no
54
known persons who were selected with me and could therefore be
my companion, with whom I could share whatever I came across in
the Wonderland I was coming to. I had assumed that like me most
of the people will be strangers to one another and gradually social
networks will emerge. Very soon I realised that the assumption was
wrong. Most of the people were already networked, based on the
common educational institutions where they were contemporaries,
or formal/informal study groups are preparing for the civil service
examination or having been in one or the other service in the
earlier batch and so on. New networks quickly emerged based on
languages other than Hindi because it was too big, diverse and
amorphous group to become a compact network. I discovered that
I was not a part of any existing network nor could become a part of
the emerging linguistic networks because I belonged to the margin
and backwaters of the Hindi speaking region. During the foundation
course, in my room of the Guest Block, I had great company in
Ramchandra Jha was later allotted to Madhya Pradesh Cader and
we had a great time while managing a district together,
Parthsarathy whom I had the pleasure of meeting recently in
Bangalore, and R.R.Singh who had joined the central service but got
later transferred to the Indian police service, as his wife was in the
state civil service of Punjab state. They made sure that I did not feel
lonely. I still very fondly cherish their memories. I found that apart
from them, I was not an integral part of any network but was
welcome to join any and go for a walk to the library point or Kulri
with them or participate in any common activity. However I did not
belong to any of them nor any of them owned me up to involve me
the next day in their program. Thus I could be a part of any group
but was not a part of any. Within a few weeks I had effortlessly and
naturally become a part of a few new networks but the relationship
-- of being welcome but not invited -- with the existing networks
formed on the basis of pre-Academy relations remained unchanged
during the foundation course.
55
It seems that I also missed the company of common folk to which I
was so used to. That is why, I had become friendly with many of the
families of those employees who served us and more importantly
who served the horses. I was particularly mixing with their children
as also with the children of the Director Mr Jha and the Deputy
Director Jr Mr Sharif. This led two of my South Indian friends to give
me the nickname of Balkanjibari (I am spelling it in the manner I
used to pronounce but in the language from where the lexicon had
come it might be different) which I was told by them meant
nurseries for children. Of course, there was also an element of leg
pulling in this nickname through which a mischievous hint was
being thrown at my friendship with their young and youthful
governesses/maids. Spending not so inconsiderable time with them
also shows my initial discomfort in the company of some of my own
colleagues, until we became better acquainted and they found me
worth their affection and attention.
Has this initial experience contributed to the perpetual paradoxical
feeling of simultaneously being in as well as out of the Service!
The Deputy Director senior Mr Trivedi, who coincidently later
became adviser to the Governor in Madhya Pradesh when I was
education Sec during which period I developed a very close
relationship, gave us tips on the manners and etiquette expected in
the service. Totally ignorant in this area, I found them very useful.
Therefore, I tried to capture the lesson and behave accordingly but
I realised very soon that acquiring knowledge easier than its
transition to behaviour, a basic principle that is often ignored in our
educational system. Being completely novice, my compliance to the
tips learnt from the Deputy Dir must have been quite awkward.
Those adept and used to them must have found my behaviour very
funny. On the dinner table, 'yaar,jara aloo-matar pass on kar do’
came more natural to me than to formally request, "will you please
pass on such and such dish to me" which must have been appeared
56
as uncouth to, and annoyed , those who were used to the formal
courteous way. I have deliberately given this innocuous example of
mismatch between what is expected of a refined and polished
officer and my miserable failure. There must have been similar
unpolished behaviour in plentiful in numerous contexts and
situations. My self-confidence enabled me to accept all situations
sportingly and cheerfully. As we started knowing one another
better, the circle of friendship kept on widening. I was privileged to
earn the affection of so many friends despite being uncouth. The
professional course of the Indian administrative service and the
Bharat Darshan provided further ample opportunity to make
enduring friendship with many more. From the point of view of
widening and strengthening friendships my unwillingness, despite
being invited on four occasions, to work in Delhi was not very
helpful. This unwillingness also is indicative of the chasm between
the rustic common folk's culture I was unable to grow out of, and
that of the ruling elite class which was more pronounced in Delhi.
Conflict-Resolving Mechanisms
My choice to work in the area of agriculture, education,
panchayats, and development of the tribal communities, the
scheduled castes and backward classes also seems to have been
unconsciously or subconsciously influenced by my desires to
resolve my layered conflicts. In the first place, it avoided conflicts
with colleagues who wanted to work in ' prestigious ' and '
important ' departments like industries, commerce and the like, the
taste of which I unwittingly had when soon after I was considered
to be senior enough after handling three districts, to be a Head of a
Department, I was posted as Director of Industries. The order was
cancelled before it could be implemented because the incumbent
and the Secretary were old friends from St Stephens College and
wanted to continue to work together. Such persons had no interest
in the areas I had chosen and which were considered to be
57
unimportant. In fact I remember how a very kind and fair chief
secretary was taken aback when I chose the position of education
Secretary which was vacant at the time but which he was not
offering ,considering it not good enough for me and suggesting '
much better options '. Secondly, this provided me an opportunity
to have continuous interaction with and serve the common folk.
Thirdly, probably it enabled me to be amongst personnel of the
class to which I essentially belong. My choice to specialise in
education, not just as an administrator but one who should
understand the theory and practice of, the academic discipline and
art and artistry of education and pedagogy provided plenty of
opportunity to be in the company of, and interact with, the
teachers, bulk of whom belong to the same curious mix of
economic lower-middle-class and social upper-class, because of the
caste- class interaction and mix in Indian society, as what lingers
inside me and with which I feel quite at home.
In any case, whatever might have been the considerations at the
relevant time, the net result has been the avoidance of many more
dramatic occasions of clash of cultures -- my own culture acquired
during the socialisation in my pre-service background and the
cultural milieu of the elite service, like the one during the Academy
days, which now I proceed to narrate.
A Scene of the Drama: Clash of Cultures
The dramatic scene, I narrate below, concerns the dress code and
highlights my cultural background and the requirement of the elite
service. Our Deputy Dir Jr Brig Sharif coming from the background
of armed services where not only the Western dress code but also
other rituals and etiquettes, also applicable to the elite civil service,
are more rigidly followed, was the epitome and therefore found me
the most wanting, resulting in our clashes quite often on many
issues which I believe stemmed from what I have been calling the
58
clash of cultures. In the following incident, he is the hero with me
as the villain of the piece.
The 1961 batch of officers were together on their first pilgrimage.
The destination was Bhakhra-Nangal, which Jawahar Lal Nehru, the
architect of modern India and the Prime Minister at the time had
described as the modern place of pilgrimage. The special train
arrived in the highly oppressive humid and sultry weather. We
were all supposed to get ready quickly and leave for sightseeing.
Looking at the weather, I decided, after considerable thinking, that
the most comfortable clothes to wear would be pajama and kurta.
Attired accordingly, I came out and looked at other friends with
some pride and satisfaction on my innovative solution to meet the
challenge of the weather. Chatting happily our group gathered at
the appointed place and was waiting for the bus to arrive. Neatly
attired in a suit and tie, the Deputy Director Jr, Brig Sharif joined
our group. In a chorus we all wished him a very good morning, little
realising that within minutes the wishes will have just the opposite
effect. For just a little while he became a party to the small chat
going on. Quite suddenly, I met his glare and found him shouting. It
may have been too sudden for me but it was probably the very first
moment, he noticed me, as I was to discover immediately.
Gesticulating angrily he asked me, "What is this?"
'What is what, Sir?" I very innocently asked, quite genuinely
perplexed and unable to understand, both his cause of anger and
what he was referring to by the pronoun ' this '.
Furious, he almost pinched my clothes and shouted, "how dare you
come in the pajamas? Is this how an officer should be dressed?"
It had fuelled his anger further and made him raise the pitch of his
voice which drew the attention of the other smaller groups of
officers in the vicinity, similarly waiting for the bus. The spectators
of the drama suddenly became many-fold. The two of us were the
59
actors and the centre of attention. He ordered me to go back,
change quickly and come back properly dressed. Genuinely
believing that what I was wearing was a very appropriate dress for
the weather, I tried to argue, which made the situation only worse.
Some of the friends standing close by, (if my memory does not fail
me, Vijai Kapoor, in particular) quietly advised me to obey.
Understanding the futility of any further argument but quite unable
to see the justification for the anger or the order to change, I
sheepishly went back to my railway compartment and after a few
minutes came back ' dressed, officer-like '. I was too deeply
involved in the altercation to judge the responses of the Spectatorfriends. As I recollect for myself, I did not feel humiliated. The selfconfidence and a kind of pride in my own cultural values never
made me feel small or inferior. Even today I cannot recollect even
the slightest bruises that remained with me on account of such
incidents in the whole of the long professional career. I ignored
them cheerfully and sportingly, further reinforced in my
understanding that the concept of right and wrong, good and bad,
appropriate and inappropriate differ according to the socio
economic backgrounds, and understanding and insight firmly
ingrained in me since my study of sociology and social
anthropology in the undergraduate classes when, incidentally, I had
just graduated to wearing pajamas.
While I was still in the final of my MA, I had to come to Delhi for the
interview of the civil services. Until then I had never worn a suit or
a tie, which were considered necessary by some who advised me. I
borrowed them from a friend who was of my built and studying in
the medical College where this high-class dress was probably more
common.
Being in the first 20 of the merit list, I was also required to spend a
few days, even before coming to the Academy, in the external
affairs Ministry for joining the Indian Foreign Service. On the first
60
day I was in cream colour suit but, being totally ignorant of the
concept of proper match between the suit and the tie , with a very
gaudy tie. Sunnu Kochar, the undersecretary in the ministry,
befitting a diplomate, so diplomatically and softly pointed this out
after everybody had left and gave a few tips on the dress code but
unfortunately it did not include considering pajamas as forbidden
outside the bedroom. Out of the 10 friends who were there, three
of us including Ajeet Kumar Mukherjee and Vineet Nayyar were
quietly allowed to opt out, although it was frowned upon by the
Prime Minister Nehru. It is very interesting to speculate and
imagine the kind of total transformation I would have to undergo, if
I had continued. Although I opted out because of certain pressing
domestic circumstances, this choice may also be interpreted as a
subconscious attempt to evade the more acute clash of cultures
that may have accrued if I were to join the service.
The Epilogue: Towards the Indian Civil Trust Service
14 years after my superannuation from the service and 50 years
after joining it when I honestly look inside me for an identity tag, I
find IAS officer written too boldly to be missed. What an irony! For
more than 36 years I have tried not to be co-opted by the service
but today I find myself fully identifying with it along with the fire of
contradiction as alive as ever. I have been living with two different
personalities within me, fortunately as parallel, never
schizophrenic.
Although Brig Sharif attempted to shape me as an officer, I seem
to have failed him. My failure to be an officer has been too
noticeable to be denied.
The best possible resolution of the contradiction or the synthesis of
my living as two parallel personalities was achieved within the
conceptual frame of Gandhiji's trusteeship, which he had
propounded in the context of industrialists. I firmly believed that
61
there should be no identification of the person with the office.
They are two different identities. There is an inverse relationship
between the two. The more a person, a human being identifies
himself with an office, the more he becomes an officer and less of a
human being. The more of a human being he wants to remain, the
less of an officer he will have to be. This is possible when you hold
office as a trustee. A trustee may be managing a fabulously rich
trust, but his economic condition remains what his income and
savings accord him. Similarly the holder of the office can never
have the power the office enjoins. He is to manage the office and
its powers in trust. This enables the coexistence of the human
being and a trustee of the office without the inverse relationship
operating. Probably that is the real excellence one can achieve in
the office. The formula for success is to never become an officer;
always remain the most of human being looking after the office as
a trusty. To me this understanding and insight, achieved very late,
gave considerable solace and satisfaction.
It is necessary to seriously explore the possibility of using Gandhiji’s
extremely powerful concept of trusteeship for conceptualising,
designing and setting up alternative to bureaucracy which will have
all the merits of Max Weber’s ideal type but will avoid all its
demerits and will have inbuilt provisions and mechanisms to
prevent the kind of distortions bureaucracy suffers from not only in
India, not only in the government but in every bureaucratic
organisation world over to varying degrees with different
configurations . To me it appears to be a compelling idea that
should be pursued further. It is likely to be a humane, trustworthy
and truly people oriented setup. Provisionally, until the blueprint
and contours are clearer, let me call it ' Indian Civil Trust Service'.
62
Fifty Years Later
K. Ramamoorthy*
Fifty years is a pretty long time, even though it is still fully twenty
years short of the biblical age of three score and ten. It is only
proper at such a Meet as this, one takes stock of the passage of
time. There is also another reason for putting one’s thought on
record, as the size of our batch has started shrinking. We have
already lost almost one third of our original strength.
When we joined the Service, the career in the Civil Service had still
a great deal of sheen. Already exciting and more remunerative
careers were opening up in industry, technology, in multi-national
and international fora. The academic world abroad was also
offering great opportunities for research and innovation.
Nevertheless a tradition of civil service had also been built up in
India during the first half of the twentieth century, lending it status
and value as an instrument of aid and assistance to achieve
progress in the country.
However, with the political machinery coming into its own, the
strains of a federal system with multi-party functioning later
developing into coalition politics (with its flip side of Aya Ram and
Gaya Ram factors) resulting in inroads into the concept of civil
service neutrality, the public sector began to come under critical
scrutiny. The spreading nature of functions had also raised
questions of validity of an overweening generalist cadre. By the late
Seventies, both the competence and effectiveness of the Civil
Service to deliver the goods had become a matter of general
*
Indian Administrative Service, Gujarat cadre
63
discussion and calls for administrative reforms had become
strident. According to one writer, at least 600 Commisssions,
Committees and Task Forces have so far gone into the question.
Veerappa Moily’s Report is the latest in this tradition.
The present writer had also raised the question of relevance of the
Civil Service in a discussion forum in 1984. Responses were
obtained from two eminent persons, one in the field of politics
(former Chief Minister) and the other, an academic, a senior
Professor in the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad.
While Shri Babubhai Patel stated: “If for no other reason, at least
for the reason of continuity, civil service has to be there,” and
further stated: “I have found the Civil Service can be speedier and
improve the implementation of the programmes determined by
the Government.”. Professor Dwijen Tripathi expressed the view:
“There are sufficient reasons to believe that the Indian Civil Service
has moved considerably away from the values and ethos that
governed its functioning and attitude during the colonial period. As
the socio-economic compulsions become more favourable, the civil
service should become a still more efficient vehicle of
development”. This hope has been borne out by the excellent
stewardship of such institutions as Reserve Bank of India, or S.E.B.I.
during the recent economic crisis, when developed economies
were tottering. The transformation of Railway administration in
matters such as Ticket reservations, or modernization of salary and
pension payments, is due to the efforts of the civil servants in
applying modern technologies in administration and such other
initiatives. For sheer commitment or innovative ideas in matters of
socio-economic programmes including land reforms, the role of
civil servants has been of no mean merit. Just as one instance, we
can cite the name of late Shri S.R.Sankaran, who left behind ‘a
legacy of goodness’ “He conceived of the Tribal sub-plan and
special component plan to compel governments to set aside
significant proportions of the State budgets for the welfare of the
64
Scheduled Castes and Tribes. He designed many programmes for
justice and welfare of the socially most deprived communities
including a number of residential schools for the education of tribal
boys and girls. It was he, who helped draft laws to release bonded
persons (Harsh Mander – Hindu Magazine of 31.10.2010). Each
one of the state cadres can boast of such a legendary figure in
some area. Having been a civil servant has also been a matter of
satisfaction, without doubt.
When, therefore, I look back, what strikes me as the greatest
benefit of my career, is the opportunity it gave me to be a ring side
participant in some important events, and to win friendships and
be associated with some of the best minds in varying spheres.
To begin with, it is just and proper that due acknowledgements be
given to the institutions that have made it possible to enable me to
join in this journey and contribute one’s little mite.
Credit has to be given unstintingly to the Union Public Service
Commission for giving an opportunity to one and every Indian with
requisite qualification (without reference to his birth or the
institutions or places he visited) to get selected for all of its
recruitments. There are enough checks and balances so that
anonymity is preserved and the institutional arrangements are such
that one can justifiably boast about minimum external influence
being brought upon it. There has been a criticism about the
recruitment system not being able to attract the best talent. For
the generalist cadres, the accent is on all round knowledge and
competence, seeing merit on a broad range and not in a specific
range or speciality, to provide a counterbalance to the
shortcomings of our academic system. In a review of a book
dealing with the Civil Service, the reviewer has stated the book
reveals that “nearly half of those selected have mediocre academic
records with a second, - sometimes even a third – division
65
university degree. This negates the commonly held view that the
civil service attracts the best talent.” What the reviewer has
overlooked is the fact that he looked at the selectee and not the
qualification of all the applicants. That some of the so-called first
divisioners failed to make it, is due to their failing in their overall
knowledge, or apathy later during the competitive examination
time. The present writer has been a great beneficiary of the
competitive examination system, and I have been able to get into
various Union cadres as Central Secretariat Stenographers Service,
Central Secretariat Service, Central Services Class I, and finally
Indian Administrative Service, step by step, though competitive
examinations. That the Constitution of India has specifically
devoted a chapter for this Institution is only proper. One hopes that
it grows in strength maintaining highest standards of integrity.
The National Academy of Administration had also a role to play in
one’s development of the right attitudes and approach. I had the
good fortune of two stints at the Academy, once in 1960 at the
Foundational Course, and again in 1961 as IAS probationer. I had
another opportunity for a brief period as a participant in a seminar
on Modern Aids to Administration twenty years later. My stay at
the Academy is not so much memorable for the intellectual or
training
inputs (though it had an excellent library and
knowledgeable staff) as for the air of freedom and openness and
exposure to a totally different ambience of chatter, activity and
relationships that have stood me in good stead as a life value.
Civil Service as an institution also has had its value. A certain coordination, co-operation and at times even camaraderie, has
helped in efficient discharge of duties. Nevertheless the existence
of a strong esprit-de-corps is likely to be overstated. Apart from
inter-service rivalries, intra-service bickering is not unknown.
Though in the initial years, some closeness lasts, later emergence of
clash of interests (not of any real significance such as a particular
66
posting, change of cadres, or getting a deputation post) brings forth
the factor of self-interest as an overriding consideration. Over the
years this concern for one’s ‘progress’ shows itself in only too ugly
a fashion, more so at higher and higher levels. But the general
expectation, peer regard and concern for peer acceptance has
enabled maintenance of certain decorum. The three or four letter
suffixes after one’s name, is still regarded of some value, despite
some glaring examples of misconduct and corruption which have
been exposed. Seniority also helps in one’s self-estimate.
However, one should bear in mind what The Hindu columnist
Ramchandra Guha had written in one of his despatches, regarding
the fact that as one’s superannuation date approaches, one can
perceive a distinct fall in behavioural norms and this applies to
levels of even Additional Secretaries towards his own Secretary
level colleagues. Though merit is supposed to be the idol of
worship, in the real world, ‘nothing succeeds like success’
overtakes one’s faith, and snobbery based on worldly success and
pelf infect bureaucracy also, slowly but surely. Integrity and
commitment are ultimately individual traits. Nevertheless as an
institutional support, civil service association has a role in one’s
make-up.
At the higher level of civil service, association of political machinery
as an institution has also been a factor which shaped our attitudes.
In the years of our entry into the Service, particularly in a cadre like
mine (Gujarat), the political executive had something to offer us as
guidance. In fact, some of the political masters had far better
experience, intuition and even better ability in dealing with
particular situations, and it is to their credit that the political
machinery adjusted with Civil Service, to give better direction and
results.
Apart from institutional contact as listed above, the contact with
major events of the Times that Civil Service has to cope with, gives
67
unique value to enrich civil service career. Two such major events
can be cited in the writer’s career. The writer was a close witness
to the Nav Nirman Movement which rocked the State of Gujarat
during the mid seventies. The movement was a kind of popular
rising against what was perceived as corruption in public places.
The high regard that the public had at that time for the civil servant
working within the framework of law was evident and the way the
civil servants handled the situation was a satisfying experience.
Another major event was the declaration of Emergency by Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi. The role of the civil servant to uphold the
law and act with his conscience intact in those difficult days was no
mean achievement. There were many other localised instances of
administrative decisions, which gave pith and substance in making
civil service career memorable.
But more than the above, it is the opportunity that the Civil Service
offers in coming into contact with some outstanding individuals,
which contact blossoms into life-long intimacies that can be ranked
as the biggest dividend. Here again, the writer had the good
fortune to be closely associated with leading men and women of
letters, law, medicine and people engaged in social service. The
little that one could do as a civil servant when these persons came
first in contact became instrumental in development of closer
contact and enrichment.
Life in general also offers opportunities to meet great individuals,
be part of a great event and also getting moulded by institutions.
Civil Service provides a sure shot chance of confluence of all these
factors at an enviable level to make the career a life-fulfilling
experience. There are also enough institutional safeguards to
prevent things going far too wrong. Adequate signals also guide
one during one’s career.
68
US President Obama made a valid point during his interaction with
students in Mumbai, that preservation of democratic values
necessitates large number of young persons entering the public
sector. Apart from the political parties, civil service is another entry
point for public service. With our country having emerged as an
important economic power house, the distinction between
permanent and temporary executives has got erased. (Today’s
many union ministers were erstwhile civil servants). Shri Babubhai
Patel, former Chief Minister succinctly stated: “The dichotomy is
unreal. The fact that the political executive works on a different
contract as a trustee with a limited tenure of office – as against the
civil servant who work on remuneration with guaranteed tenure,
should not blind us to the fact that the work is essentially the
same.” Good governance alone can ensure sustainable human
development.
Now, when one is looking forward to quietly and properly wind up
one’s affairs, the following words of Pico Della Mirandola come to
mind:
“Man should study in three schools… He should send the elemental
or material body to the elemental school, the sidereal or ethereal
body into the sidereal school, and the eternal or luminous body to
the school of eternity.
For three lights burn in man, and accordingly three doctrines are
prescribed to him. Only all three together make man perfect.
Although the first two lights shine but dimly in comparison with the
brilliant third light, they too are lights of the world, and man must
walk his earthly path in radiance.”
69
Grandma
Sitakant Mahapatra*
The bus packed with people like matchsticks in a box of
matches,
and the bumpy road, the ferry on the river Mahanadi,
hovering clouds, an unending drizzle,
brambles, the narrow way through the snail and crayfish
filled paddies;
dark by the time we get through
and the journey is done.
I recall she would say, even Yama,
god of death, gets to our village late.
Yes, very late, and by then everything was over.
Pallbearers had seen to the funeral rites.
Her second long journey was about to begin
on our shoulders to the cremation grounds at the
riverside.
Once, long ago, bathed in turmeric, as a new bride
she had ridden here in a bullock cart
from her father’s house.
“I’m eroded like a river bank; come visit from time to time,
my son. Who knows if I’ll see you again?”
The tree at the edge of the eroded bank
floats off, swept helplessly along by the blinding current.
What good are words?
*
Indian Administrative Service, Orissa cadre
70
In the middle room, I lifted a white sheet,
gazed at the face of history—
vacant as the sky, speechless as the earth.
Silence sighed deeply once more.
Night and crickets, fireflies in the bamboo groves,
a few stars twinkling in the sky.
Everyone had nibbled a piece of bitter herb.
Shadows played on the dung-washed wall.
Face to the wall, back to us,
Father wept. It was the first time
I’d seen him cry. What could I tell him?
Out in the front yard, I glanced at the sky
where she was a new star.
When we cry in this life, I understood that day,
it has to be in private, alone.
71
Kargil-Returned
Sitakant Mahapatra*
1.
He carried in his breast pocket,
when he went, many things:
from his mother, a packet
of sacred nirmalya rice,
a small, framed photo of Jagannath,
and from their garden, in a handbag,
eight half-ripe mangoes and ten pieces
of cheese-molasses rice-cakes his mother
had stayed up late making for him.
He kept also in his breast pocket
two treasured pictures—of Sumitra,
long haired and dreamy eyed before
their marriage, and of Sonali on his lap.
He took as well Sumitra’s kiss, planted
stealthily as a lighting strike on his cheek,
and from inexperienced Sonali, after
much persuasion and a KitKat bribe,
a shy kiss too—both warm until he reached Kargil.
He carried countless sobs in his breast
and suppressed tears, till their faces
disappeared like stars in the distant sky.
*
Indian Administrative Service, Orissa cadre
72
2.
He returned in a wooden box
covered with a tricolor, eyes closed,
cheeks ice-cold, face pale as dried flowers.
This time he carried nothing, not
chocolate for Sonali, nor toys nor clothes;
nor a sari for Sumitra, nor a shawl
or eyeglasses for his mother.
He retuned empty-handed. Like a bird,
sinless but struck by a lethal arrow, he
circled and in a plane, plummeted
to the ground, to Sumitra and Sonali
on his birthday.
73
Epitaph
Sitakant Mahapatra*
He was always less
than a blade of grass,
from childhood
hungering for affection—
was sensitive to the smallest
of things, without reason.
He remained that way forever,
like a child knowing
he couldn’t walk in step
with the rest of the world,
couldn’t protect himself
form the smell of marigolds,
the call of stars, the wave
of the evening breezes’ flute voices
that forced their way
into the dark corners of his heart.
(Translated by Mark Halperin & Sura P. Rath)
*
Indian Administrative Service, Orissa cadre
74
Gulf crisis: Lessons
from 1991
K Gajendra Singh*
Dinner on January 15, 1991, at the Indian embassy residence in
Amman, the capital of Jordan, turned out to be a much bigger affair
than I had bargained for. On January 1, I had casually asked US
Ambassador Roger Harrison if he would be free for dinner on the
15th, the deadline given by the coalition led by US President
George H W Bush to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to withdraw
from Kuwait, which he had invaded in August 1990.
When Roger said yes, apart from senior Jordanian officials,
journalists and others, I also invited ambassadors from the
countries represented in the Security Council, my human shield
against the coalition attack, as I jokingly remarked. Soon word went
round and everyone wanted to join in, and suddenly 70 guests
were expected.
I had to dust off ceremonial and personal crockery and cutlery, and
set up bridge tables and garden chairs to seat them all. I also had to
borrow my cook's TV so that guests could watch King Hussein
deliver a stirring speech on Jordanian TV as many were already
watching the latest news from Israeli TV. CNN had not yet reached
Amman. Guests were sprawled on sofas and wandering through my
study and bedrooms. When King Hussein heard about this unusual
get together, he remarked that only an ambassador from India
could have thought of such a dinner. A great compliment indeed.
*
Indian Foreign Service
75
Most embassies in Amman had already sent their families home
and were functioning on skeleton staff. The cook at the Chinese
embassy, though, was considered essential, and understandably, as
I have never eaten such tasty Chinese food. There were regular
meetings among ambassadors. Tony, the British envoy, would turn
up on odd occasions for a spot of bridge to take our minds off the
mounting tension. No politics, we had agreed. Once, he got me
three down doubled (a rare thing). Tony was delighted, "I do not
care if Saddam wins now," he teased. His armed bodyguard would
watch TV with my cook, sharing samosas. The Romanian
ambassador handed out gas masks designed for oil drilling while
the Chinese loaded me with various safety devices to counter
poisonous biological attacks. But I used to show them the strong
life line on my hand and say that nothing untoward was indicated.
The worst case nightmare for the coalition was that a few germloaded Iraqi Scuds (which we could see over the Amman sky
cruising towards Israel) would kill a few hundred Israelis, and even
the presence of senior US officials stationed in Israel to restrain
them would not have stopped the Israelis from joining in the fray
and directly marching to Iraq, the first stop being Amman. In the
event of that happening, the coalition, almost a mini-UN force, with
Pakistani, Egyptian and even Syrian and other Muslim troops in it
for the money and other considerations, would have been
impossible to hold together.
In this contingency, Western diplomats were to rush to the desert
southeast of Amman, from where helicopters would ferry them to
war ships positioned in the Gulf of Aqaba, cruising there to enforce
the embargo against Iraq. The embassy Indians, though, were to
remain in Amman as the ministry in New Delhi could not
accommodate the families in its hostels. So our plan was to get into
our cars and speed north, if we could, for shelter with the Indian
ambassador and his colleagues in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
76
Having seen rich Indians from Kuwait reduced to sharing or fighting
for food or a bottle of water with their workers in the infamous
Shalan camp on the way from Kuwait to Jordan via Iraq, the only
thing worth saving, I used to say, were my 10 favorite and priceless
long-playing records. Only Jordan had kept its borders open with
Iraq, so Amman was the only point for entry and exit from Iraq.
Meanwhile, during the evening of January 15, there was an
atmosphere of great gaiety and excitement, with adrenaline levels
running high after months of anxiety. Apart from sharing an historic
evening and exchanging the latest news, everyone was dying to see
my collection of LPs. Among them were; Bade Ghulam Ali Khan,
Amir Ali Khan, Beethoven, Strauss, Chopin and Mozart. But only
Lata Mangeshkar had two LPs in this set, and people were asking
who she was. I had to tell them she was one of India's all-time great
singers and she had sent me two autographed records (Geeta and
Ghazals) after a meeting in 1974 in Paris, where I was then posted.
My family and I, aware that she sang only light music, and fearful
that thousands of people might be about to die, put on the
funereal Requiem. But animated and absorbed in conversation, few
heard it. But Roger did, and we both became very sad.
The grand coalition attack on Iraqi forces did not begin that night. It
came the next day, January 16, actually in the early hours of the
17th. Despite requests to all journalists to inform us immediately,
and a pact with other ambassadors to inform each other, my son
Tinoo from New York was the first to telephone me at 00210 hrs
(LST) on January 17, and tell me that the attack on Iraq had
commenced. Only just woken up, I queried how the hell did he
know. CNN, he said. Soon journalists from the Jordan Times and
others followed with calls. No wonder that world presidents and
others confess that they learn about world events first from CNN. It
takes too long for secret messages to be coded and decoded in the
chancelleries.
77
August 2, 1990: The Gulf crisis begins
It all began on August 2, 1990. A day earlier, I had been in the
Nabatean pink city of Petra, in the south of Jordan, some 262
kilometers from Amman, once the stronghold of the gifted
Nabateans, an early Arab people. The Victorian traveler and poet,
Dean Burgeon, gave Petra a description that holds to this day,
"Match me such a marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose red city half
as old as time."
After a morning visit to the sprawling ruins, just before going for
lunch at the hotel restaurant, as per habit, I switched on the BBC
news. The news of Iraqi troops entering Kuwait shocked me out of
my reveries of the magnificent pink Hazane (treasury ) monument
that suddenly comes into view as one rides through a narrow
gorge. Truly a marvelous sight. Although Baghdad was 1,200
kilometers from Amman and Kuwait even farther, after three
decades in diplomacy I instinctively felt that something was
seriously amiss. The next morning I returned to Amman, although I
had planned to explore Petra at leisure.
Yes, tension had been building up between Kuwait and Iraq, but an
invasion was not on the cards; after all, inter-Arab tensions are not
exactly uncommon. The last round of negotiations between Iraq
and Kuwait in Jeddah over disputed territory had collapsed on
August 1, and Saddam Hussein was incensed, feeling squeezed.
Instead of being grateful, Kuwait, with encouragement from the
West, was insisting on the repayment of "loans", and it was
flooding the oil market, thus lowering the price of a barrel of oil
from US$18 to $12 to $14, which hurt Iraq the most.
Saddam also felt that he had saved the Arab Gulf states, many with
large Shi'ite populations, from the fury of the Shi'ite revolution in
Iran, for which he had been lauded by the Arab masses and
governments, and gifted billions of dollars and friendly loans.
78
Western nations, notably the United Kingdom, France and even the
US, granted him credit, dual use of technology, chemicals and
machinery and even aerial intelligence on Iranian forces.
And of course there remains the mystery and enigma of the full
details of the last meeting between the US ambassador to Iraq,
April Glaspie, and Saddam in Baghdad on July 25, when she told
Saddam that his dispute with Kuwait was a bilateral Arab matter.
Glaspie then disappeared from public view, and was barred from
giving interviews or writing a book. The Western media did not
pursue her as they do others, and with a few exceptions the media
have subsequently functioned as a handmaiden of the Pentagon
and Western spokesmen.
In the first week of August, there were hectic international political
developments, with King Hussein of Jordan playing an active and
constructive role in trying to defuse Iraqi aggression with an Arab
solution, with help from Saudi and Egyptian leaders. There have
been various versions of these events, but it appears that the US
finally prevailed on President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, so
dependent on US aid, and he fell into line.
On returning to Delhi in 1984 after six years, having headed
missions in Dakar (Senegal) and Bucharest (Romania), I served as
chairman-managing director of the Indian Drugs and
Pharmaceuticals Company, with 13,000 personnel in five units, and
established the Foreign Service Training Institute in New Delhi. So
my posting in July 1989 to Amman, with only a first secretary and
an attache, was considered a light mission. So in Amman my bridge
game improved, but I was getting distrait - bored - as the French
would say. But this was only the lull before the storm.
From India's point of view, the serious issue was the safety of its
foreign workers - about 180,000 in Kuwait and 10,000 in Iraq. By
early August they had started to trickle into Amman as refugees.
79
The earliest batches were mostly Indian Hajis - pilgrims to Mecca - a
thousand odd, who had been stranded as Air India flights to Iraq
and back had been cancelled after August 2. After Mecca, many
Hajis, specially Shi'ites, go on a pilgrimage to the holy cities of Najaf
and Karbala in neighboring Iraq.
But soon the numbers of refugees from Kuwait reaching the
Amman embassy started growing. In the beginning, whatever the
time of the day or night, the small Indian staff of half a dozen
would rush to make tea or buy food to make the tired Indian
arrivals feel at home. In the evening, the embassy would telephone
that two or three more buses had arrived from Baghdad - 100 or
150 Indians. This meant arranging places to stay, and providing
food until air transport to India could be arranged. Soon the staff
was exhausted, but their dedication and that of others who were
deputed to help the embassy later, barring a few black sheep,
never flagged.
There were more frequent meetings between ambassadors. I
would see Crown Prince Hassan and other important persons to
assess the political situation and its likely impact on the influx of
refugees. In between, I made a few trips to the Jordan-Iraq border,
where there was little in terms of facilities and infrastructure. But
we had still not envisaged the deluge that was to hit us.
Soon, Amman became vital as it was the only point of access to
Baghdad by air, road or telephone. Apart from short telephone
contacts allowed between me and the Indian ambassador in
Baghdad (the Indian ambassador to Kuwait had shifted to Basra),
Iraq and Kuwait were effectively cut off from the world. So, with
other countries closing their borders, apart from the refugee flood,
Amman became the staging point for international politicians and
others visiting Iraq. Soon, too, Amman was crawling with
international media.
80
Because of more than half of Jordan's population being of
Palestinian origin and Yasser Arafat's full reciprocal support to
Saddam, and Amman's close relations with Iraq, there were regular
demonstrations in Amman in support of Saddam and Iraq. Jordan
TV gave the Iraqi viewpoint, which was drowned elsewhere by antiSaddam rhetoric spread by the Western media. For us, the Western
viewpoint was available from Israeli TV, across the Jordan Valley 40
kilometers away. It was necessary to keep a watch on political
developments to help assess their impact on the influx of refugees.
Jordan had only a small Indian community, mostly workers earning
barely $75 to $100 per month, hoping to migrate to better-paying
Gulf States. We hired some of them to help us out. Only a few
families were well off, but I regret to say that we were let down. In
the first week of refugee arrivals, before we had assessed the
situation, we requested one family completing a big project to put
a van at our disposal. This was refused. We requested another
Indian who had an empty warehouse to let us use it to temporarily
house the refugees. He also refused. In countries like Saudi Arabia
or Iran or Turkey, where only a few thousand refugees in all went in
the first few days, there was full support from the well-organized
and large Indian communities. Soon, we started hiring whatever
accommodation we could find in hotels and flats, and making
arrangements for food.
Nearly a million refugees, a majority from Egypt, mostly working in
Iraq, and Yemenis and others transited through Jordan, a country
of less than 4 million. It was the equivalent of 200 million refugees
wading through India and using its infrastructure. There was
pressure on accommodation, food and transport and decisions had
to be taken on the spot. Apart from morning and evening policy
sessions with my colleagues, I would invite them by turn for a meal
to maintain espirit de corps and I tried to make their living
conditions as smooth as possible. They were working 14 to 18
81
hours every day, many even when ill and down with fever. The
main stress was on patience against all provocation from the
refugees, who, while they had been silent while in Kuwait or Iraq,
started shouting and abusing once they saw Indian embassy
personnel. As the majority of the refugees were from Kerala in
India, four officers who had come to assist us had to pretend that
they did not understand the abuses showered on them in Malyali.
Some of our personnel were even assaulted and embassy cars
stoned by tired and jittery Indian refugees. On many occasions the
Jordan police had to step in.
The Indian government did not appreciate the gravity of the
situation and gave us too little too late. In a fast-changing situation,
when I requested Delhi to depute more staff, they quoted back the
previous week's telegram. They even sent a junior officer to study
the situation, who, on arrival, appeared more interested in visiting
Petra. We had to carry out the evacuation as per normal rules
designed for a few or 50 or even 100-odd stranded Indians abroad.
We had to follow them, even though three to four thousand
Indians per day were flying out on 10 to 15 Air India and
International Movement Organization (IMO) flights. This included
making them sign indemnity bonds and providing individual tickets.
Despite my pleas, these superfluous formalities were not done
away with. It meant queuing up for registration, air tickets and the
return of forms etc, by tired and hungry refugees, even when there
were up to 8,000 of them in Amman.
Once the evacuation was over, the government of India did decide
to waive the indemnity ie repayment of the cost of the ticket. In
106 charity flights organized for Indians by the IOM, the only
formality was the registration of the passengers in the flight
manifest with passport details, etc. Without time-consuming and
unnecessary formalities, the refugees would have been saved much
stress and strain and my colleagues (15 to 25 at the peak ), who
82
had to be at the embassy, hotels, apartment blocks, airports,
border points and even in no man's land, could have devoted more
time to looking after the comforts of the evacuees.
External Affairs Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, during his transit stay
in Amman in early August 1990 on the way to his famous hug with
Saddam Hussein in Baghdad and the "Millionaire's flight" in an
Indian Air Force aircraft from Kuwait, as the media described it,
appeared curiously reluctant to meet King Hussein and Crown
Prince Hassan. They received him with great warmth and brought
him up to date on the situation, of which he appeared to have little
grasp. Later, a non-professional Indian diplomat was sent to
Amman by Gujral, who wanted to be included with King Hussein
and King Hassan of Morocco, then planning to take a peace mission
to Saddam. The Hashemite palace was most embarrassed. Gujral
made extravagant promises to Indians in Kuwait, such as flying
them out from Basra and Baghdad, with planes waiting for them. In
my office, Gujral told waiting Indian refugees that they would get
air tickets for their home towns on arrival in Bombay. All they got
were the lowest class train tickets. He was making extravagant
promises as if he were fighting a parliamentary election.
To overcome the staff shortage problem at the embassy on a
permanent basis, Gujral, in consultation with the Foreign Secretary
Muchkund Dubey, selected an officer. But that officer never
reached Amman to assist "people like us". Gujral kept shouting at
everyone in Amman until he left for Baghdad, much to the disgust
of the officers and staff who had just started trickling in from India
to assist us in our monumental task, which even we had not
envisaged. Gujral appeared to be edgy, short-tempered and rude.
But much worse was to follow. Except for Civil Aviation Minister
Arif Mohammed Khan, who flew in with the first Air India plane on
August 12, who was a gentleman of the old school.
83
It speaks volumes for the Indian government's perspective and
contingency planning under I K Gujral and the foreign secretary
that it held the only conference of Indian ambassadors in the
region to discuss the refugee problem and international political
developments just a few days before the deadline for Iraq's
withdrawal on January 15.
Now the US, with support from the UK, is threatening a war and
regime change in Iraq. If it takes place, it will be a terribly messy
affair, overflowing if not involving neighboring Turkey and the Arab
states, including Saudi Arabia, which is also under scrutiny and
attack by the hawks in the US administration. Unlike 1990-91, when
they were enthusiastic allies, these states are now reluctant to
support the US' unilateral action. The gulf region has nearly 5
million Indian workers. The question is, has the Indian government
learned from its mistakes, and is it prepared this time around?
84
In fond memory of
Shri A. N. Jha
K. S. Ramakrishnan*
As we can all fondly recall, Shri Adhitya Nath Jha, ICS, then Director
of National Academy of Administration, possessed a great sense of
humor, and we had the initial taste of it at our very first encounter
with him.
The occasion was when we had all assembled for the first time in
the lecture hall after reporting at the Academy. Shri Jha was on the
dais flanked by Shri R. K. Trivedi (Deputy Director - Senior) and
Brigadier M. K. Sheriff (Deputy Director - Junior). Having introduced
himself and his two Deputies to us, Shri Jha asked us to stand up
one at a time and introduce himself or herself, giving his or her full
name.
And so it went - Somnath Som, Bhupatray Oza, Ramadhar, Ramesh
Chandra, Vineet Nayyar, Lata Gupta, Sadanand ....
But we South Indians have rather longish names. So, when my turn
came and I stood up and introduced myself with the long name
Karungulam Sundaram Ramakrishnan, I could hear a mild giggle in
the hall. The same was the audience reaction at the names Eekadu
Srinivasan
Parthasarathy,
Pazhaiyanur
Venkataraman
Venkatakrishnan, Pillaipakkam Bahukudumbi Rajagopalan,
Then stood up a very orthodox-looking probationer with a very
conspicuous South Indian Vaishnavite caste mark of two white
*
Indian Administrative Service, Tamil Nadu cadre
85
vertical lines with a red line in the middle prominently displayed at
the center of his forehead, and he introduced himself in a sing song
voice as Thirumalai Cunnavakkam Ananthanpillai Srinivasa
Ramanujam, the longest name yet. And the whole assembly burst
into loud laughter.
And when it subsided, Shri Jha feigned an intense look at this very
conspicuous South Indian Brahmin probationer, and asked him,
"But, among all that, which is your CHRISTIAN name?” And that
impish query brought the roof of that hall down.
Shri Jha had a fund of funny anecdotes about political leaders and
civil servants. He was also a great mimic and raconteur. Basking
under the sun on the lawn outside the main building, he would
invite those who were rushing late for the first lecture of the
morning to sit with him and would engage them in interesting
conversation. In fact, we learnt more from these encounters with
him than from sitting in the lecture room.
I still remember his story about Shri Kailash Nath Katju, the first
Chief Minister of Central Provinces after independence. Katju was a
veteran Congress leader and had been subjected to police
brutalities during the freedom struggle. So, at his first interaction as
Chief Minister with senior ICS and IP officers, he told them, "You
people had been trigger-happy during the British rule, and were
prone to open fire on crowds at the slightest provocation. Now that
the nation is free, there shall be no more police firing under any
circumstances. And that is my strict order". The Chief Secretary, a
veteran ICS hand, politely explained to him that, even in free India,
a crowd could become violent and unruly for various reasons and
that it would sometimes become necessary to open fire in order to
avert a greater loss of life, and that outright banning of use of force
would seriously hamper the maintenance of law and order. And the
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same view was reiterated by other senior civilians and police
officers.
Shri Katju reluctantly relented from his earlier rigid stance and said,
"Well, I concede that opening fire may become necessary in
exceptional circumstances but, before any such order is given by a
local officer, he must take my prior permission. For this purpose I
can be contacted over the phone at any time of day or night". The
Chief Secretary knew the impracticability of Shri Katju's order, but
was content with the partial winning of the battle on that day.
Orders were issued to the district officers accordingly.
Sure enough, within a few days, there developed a serious
communal tension in a remote district town and the situation was
fast getting out of hand and would become totally unmanageable
unless fire was opened soon. Recalling the strict orders of the Chief
Minister, the hapless Sub Divisional Officer frantically tried to
contact him on the phone. With the relatively primitive telephone
infrastructure of those days, he succeeded in getting the
connection only after many attempts, and started describing the
situation to the Chief Minister. Shri Katju was hard of hearing
(which had been caused by earlier police brutality) and the fact that
the Sub Divisional Officer was speaking amidst the din of a
clamouring mob around him made matters even worse. Satisfied
that he had explained the situation to the Chief Minister
adequately, the Sub Divisional Officer frantically asked, "Sir, shall
we open fire? Shall we open fire?” Shri Katju, who had heard little
of what the Sub Divisional Officer told him, wanted the field officer
to talk louder and shouted, "Zor Se, Zor Se". And the Sub Divisional
Officer, greatly relieved, replied, "Thank you, Sir. Thank you, Sir",
disconnected the phone and promptly ordered the opening of fire!
In relating this story, Shri A. N. Jha would expertly mimic both the
Sub Divisional Officer and Shri Katju to great effect.
87
His account of his return to India after his ICS training in Oxford was
quite hilarious. His old Vauxhall car which he wanted to sell before
his return to India fetched an offer of only 3 pounds in the
University town. Since his trip to the port city of Plymouth by any
other mode of transport would cost him not less than 6 pounds, he
travelled to Plymouth by his own car, abandoned it outside the
docks and embarked on his voyage. Three months later, he got a
letter from the British police telling him that his car was found
abandoned in a public place, was sold in public auction but fetched
only 9 pounds. To the letter was attached a cheque for 7 pounds,
being the balance of the sale proceeds after the deduction of the
expense on auction and postage!
I remember the annual cricket match on the Happy Valley ground
between the Director’s XI and the Deputy Director’s XI. The Deputy
Director’s team, batting first, scored something like 145 runs. The
Director’s team, struggling for runs against the ace bowlers of the
other team, was 48 for 8 when play had to be stopped because of a
sudden downpour. Since the cup had to be awarded to one of the
teams, it was decided to determine the result by toss of coin, and
the Director’s team captain called it right. While handing over the
cup to him, Shri Jha said that this was the most satisfactory match
he had ever witnessed because “One side won the match but the
other side won the cup!”
Shri Jha's parting advice to the probationers at the valedictory
dinner was pregnant with practical wisdom. He said, "When you
complete your training and start your practical career, you will tend
to place two imaginary bowls - coloured white and black - on your
table, and you would tend to put every person and every
circumstance that you encounter into either one of them. But soon
enough you will face a person or circumstance which would defy
this simple dichotomy, and you will realize the need to introduce a
third bowl, which is somewhat grey, between the first two. And,
88
before long, a further circumstance will arise when you would need
to introduce a fourth bowl to be placed between either the white
and the grey bowl, or between the grey and the black bowl. And so
on and on ..., and, when you get older and gather more and more
experience, you would realize that you have accumulated a large
number of bowls of various shades of grey between the initial
white and black bowls. And that is what administration is all about understanding the real nature of each person or circumstance that
you encounter, recognizing its correct shade, and dealing with it
with wisdom".
Surely each officer of the 1961 batch would have collected his or
her own large set of such bowls in the course of his or her career.
Talking about myself, somewhere along the way, I came face to
face with a bowl which was much darker and infinitely more
sinister than my initial samples, and I chose to call it quits and
opted to voluntarily retire from service at the age of 43!
Incidentally, I drew salary from government for 20 years (including
my stint of one year in Indian Revenue Service as an officer of 1960
batch), but have been drawing pension for the last 31 years!
89
Lessons Learnt from
Training at Mussoorie
I.C. Kumar*
Capacity Building of Coordinating Agencies:
In early sixties of the last century, either the Chief Executive Officer
of Zila Parishad or the District Collector functioned as the main
coordinating link among district technical heads responsible for the
formulation and implementation of development programmes.
Members of IAS cadres were occupying those positions. So the
study of different aspects of coordinating competence was
identified as an important component of our training programme.
In his inaugural address our Director Sri A.N. Jha ICS also referred to
the significance of capacity building of coordinators.
Other public administration specialists like Sri R.K. Trivedi, IAS, the
then Senior Deputy Director of our Academy, and the guest faculty
such as Professor V.K.N. Menon, former Director of IIPA, Delhi and
Professor Avasthi also invited our attention to different aspects of
the crucial topic referred to above. They emphasized the
importance of leadership qualities, multidisciplinary knowledge,
expertise in handling the experts of the other specialized
disciplines, negotiating ability, public speaking skill and techniques
for securing the involvement of all stakeholders.
In course of my long association with development administration,
I observed that overall incompetence including coordinating and
*
Indian Administrative Service, Bihar cadre
90
leadership incapability of the implementing agencies accounted for
poor quality of implementation of development programmes. Their
poor performance widened the gap between promise and
performance and eroded the credibility of administration. The
number of those deprived of the benefits of our growth strategy
has been overwhelming and that demonstrated our utter failure in
translating our promise of equitable and inclusive growth in reality.
Several factors were responsible for our dismal performance in
bridging the gap between Rich and Poor, Rural and Urban,
Developed and Under Developed Region.
Important causes of our failures were fragmented approach to
development, excessive reliance on quantitative achievement,
grossly inadequate training facilities for block level functionaries
and above all lack of mutual trust among public representatives
and public servants. Fragmented approach was responsible for our
failure in eradicating poverty. For example, the beneficiaries of
employment generation programme were often deprived of the
benefits of an integrated package consisting of skill development,
productive assets, literacy and health care facilities and awareness
about the benefits of alternative sources of energy. Lack of
participatory approach also adversely affected our developmental
efforts. Another shortsighted approach was over enthusiasm to
achieve the physical targets at the cost of quality and that
perpetuated poverty.
As corrective measures, it is essential to provide in-service training
facilities for block level functionaries. Their training schedule
should cover different aspects of coordinating competence
referred to above, time and cost management, participatory
culture and skill for handling the political masters with integrity and
transparent honesty. Our training programme must give due
importance to attitudinal change so that in place of power and
money, service to the people should be main motivating force of
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the public servants. In fact government jobs must be considered as
a golden opportunity to serve the people. Such attitudinal change
will inspire the confidence of the public in public servants and
eliminate the evil of politicization of bureaucracy. It will also help in
eliminating the role of brokers, middle man and the other
intermediates, responsible for siphoning off the public fund at the
cost of the poor.
In democratic polity, the significance of mutual trust and
understanding between public representatives and public servants
is well recognized. Misunderstanding and lack of co-operative spirit
have adversely affected the quality of implementation of
development programmes. Both must recognize the limits of the
respective role and responsibility of each other. Political masters
should be persuaded to respect the cardinal principle that public
servants are bound by the rules and regulations and they should
not be ill-treated as personal servants. Similarly public servants
must recognize that in democracy, sovereignty is vested in the
people and as such their elected representative deserves due
regard and respect. Cordial and harmonious relation between
public servants and public representatives will go a long way in
improving the quality of implementation of development
programmes.
Techniques of Interview:
Human resource management is an important component of any
administrative or managerial system. District collectors played an
important role in selection of subordinate staff. So I was interested
in understanding the objectives and the other basic practices of
interview system. I consider myself fortunate to get an opportunity
to learn the fundamentals of interview techniques from stalwarts
like Sri A.N. Jha, ICS-our Director and the guest faculty–Sri KSV
92
Raman, ICS–former Chairman of the Bihar Public Service
Commission.
Sri Jha was an expert member of our Interview Board of the UPSC. I
was also aware of remarkable depth and breadth of his knowledge
and rich administrative experience. So in course of an informal
discussion at his residence, I ventured to ask about the objective of
interview and other basic practices related to interview system. He
was a large-hearted affectionate person, so for the purpose of
educating me, he explained in detail the various aspects of
interview system. He clarified that the basic objective of any
interview is to test the strength of a candidate and his suitability for
a particular job. To test his strength he is asked questions related to
his favorite area of knowledge. About suitability for particular job,
efforts are made to know the depth of his interest related to that
job. To place him in comfortable position, initially easy questions
are asked. To judge the level of his socio-economic awareness,
questions related to his local social and economic environment and
current affairs are also asked. For aptitude test he is asked about
his hobby. These general questions are invariably asked in any
interview. Sri K.S.V. Raman was equally famous for his encyclopedic
knowledge and had pleasant personality. Knowing his amicable
temperament, I discussed this matter with him. He also endorsed
the views of Mr. Jha.
It was a coincidence that in my service career, I was closely
associated with recruitment of personnel for a large number of
institutions and important among them were Bokaro Steel Plant,
Vizag Steel Plant, SAIL, MECON, HSCL, Bihar State Electricity Board,
Power Grid Corporation and Veer Kunwar Singh University, Ara. I
was responsible for recruiting more than twelve thousand persons
for different post under BSL where I served as Chief of Personnel
Department. In other undertakings I was associated either as a
Director or chairman or vice Chancellor. Everywhere I followed the
93
guidelines enumerated by Mr. Jha. It is matter of great satisfaction
that we could not get any complaint against our decisions regarding
the selection of candidates referred to above. It is worth noting
that the level of productivity of work force of those undertakings
has been quite high. The work force recruited by us, have
contributed a lot to improve the profitability of their Companies. I
am grateful to Mr. Jha whose guidance has been of considerable
help to me in discharging my onerous responsibility.
Judgment Writing Skill:
A study of law was an important part of our training programme. In
my student days I was not a student of Law. Luckily, one of our
Professors of Law–Sri Pathak - a retired District and Sessions Judge
of Central Provinces was an excellent teacher of law. His method of
teaching was superb. Based on his own experience, he explained to
us the art of Judgment writing.
He mentioned the fact that he used to consult the exact provisions
of law before writing any judgment. For example, as a Session
Judge in a Session case of an accused facing charges u/s 302 IPC, he
consulted IPC even on 40th occasion before writing his judgment.
He advised to remember main ingredients of important sections of
IPC, Cr.PC and Evidence Act. He further advised us to consult the
book for refreshing memory about the exact legal provisions before
writing the final order.
I faithfully followed his advice in my service career as a SDO,
Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner. I was posted as SDO and
Deputy Commissioner in tribal Districts of Singhbhum and Ranchi
[now in Jharkhand state]. In our days we were expected to hear the
cases under Cr.PC, Revenue laws and in exceptional cases civil law
disputes also. As Food Commissioner, I enjoyed the power of
appellate court in cases related to Essential Commodities Act and
the other related laws. I was richly benefited by my law training
94
and none of my orders was overruled by superior courts in appeal
against those orders.
Awareness About Project Planning Skill:
Planning was regarded as an important tool for liberating our
society from the crushing burden of poverty, ignorance,
malnutrition, disease and unemployment. District administration
was the main agency of District planning and implementation of
development programmes. In those days, the concept of planning
from below was gaining momentum. So in our training syllabus for
Economics, awareness about project planning skill was given due
priority. In course of deliberation about the planning process,
Professor Rama Swamy and the other economists who addressed
us as guest faculty emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary
planning team, strong database, identification of thrust areas,
relevance of participatory culture, adoption to local conditions,
resources and material planning, time and cost management,
sound monitoring and evaluation system and above all socio
economic impact studies of the concerned programme.
Undoubtedly these fundamentals of planning process are of crucial
significance. However, in my service career and even thereafter,
the goal of planning from below remained unrealized. Several
factors are responsible for that. Our data base is weak. For
example, due to conceptual confusion, there is lack of unanimity
about the number of families below the poverty line.
Multidisciplinary planning teams are not available in most of the
Districts.
In theory, Gram Sabha is expected to approve the village plans, but
in practice, due to ignorance and poor attendance of villagers in the
Gram Sabha, only formality of approval is complied with. In
operational terms, the spirit of participative culture is missing.
Most of the impact studies have also brought out several
95
deficiencies in the implementation process. As a result, the goal of
inclusive growth has not been realized.
As corrective measures, awareness drive should be launched to
educate the Panchayat representatives about the planning
fundamentals referred to above. Block planning team deserves
appropriate strengthening. State level training Institutions should
be adequately funded to meet the cost of in-service training of the
Block Development Officers. Mr. P.S. Appu, the Former Chief
Secretary of Bihar and the former Director of LBSNAA has
recommended the induction of Block Development Officers of
higher caliber. He thinks that the responsibility of the BDO is so
onerous that it should be held by an officer of a much high caliber.
Government may wish to consider the merit of the valuable
suggestion of Mr. Appu.
Panchyats should be given special incentives to augment their local
resources. Flow of untied funds to grass root institutions should be
increased and the number of centrally sponsored schemes should
be drastically reduced. Unless the gap between the availability of
resources and the requirement of funds to meet the basic needs of
local people are bridged, planning from below will not be
materialized.
96
Jamedar Nawal
Singh-the Riding
Instructor
Satish Kumar*
For some, a miniscule minority, it was the most exhilarating
experience of our stay in the Academy but for most it was an hour,
three days a week, one would rather pass in hell than hear the rant
and raves of our riding instructor, the acid-tongued Jamedar Nawal
Singh. He was military from head to foot, rather to his very shoe
laces and behaved like a sergeant on the parade ground, instructing
the newly recruited infantry soldiers. Nawal Sigh undeniably had a
good physical personality. Of very fair complexion, he would have
easily passed for an Angrez as long as he did not open his mouth. In
looks, he was even more Angrez than some of our Englandreturned brown sahib probationers.
Nawal Singh was the bête noir (pet aversion) of the vast majority of
our batch, but at the same time the most dreaded of all our
teachers, even more feared than the other military man on
campus, the Deputy Director junior. The maximum number of
feigned illnesses took place on the riding day, so much so that we
received instructions to report to the dispensary and obtain a
certificate if anyone fell ill between 7 am and 9 am.
As my ill luck would have it, Nawal Singh took an instant dislike to
me from Day 1. He would give me the worst horse, would start
muttering adjectives even before I had mounted the horse and his
*
Indian Administrative Service, Rajasthan Cadre
97
expletives would continue throughout the riding lesson. Saheb,
Ghoda seekh gaya par aap nahin seekhey.
Saheb, samne dekhiye, samne! Neechey kya zamin mein sona pada
hai?
Ghode ki gaddi kyun pakad rakhi hai sahib? Chor do isey, bichari ka
dum ghut raha hai. Ud kar kahin nahin jayegi yeh.
I would be waiting for the moment when he would pick on
someone else in the group because I rode much better when NS
directed his gaze somewhere else. But he had a habit of continuing
to bestow his attention more on those whom he disliked, and he
would visit me at least half a dozen times during the hour, and at
least three times he would berate my riding with acidic remarks.
Once in the midst of a lesson, he asked me to fall out of the group,
called me to the starting line, asked me to dismount and declared
his verdict “Sahib, aap nahin seekhengey. Aap na dekhte hain, na
sunte hain. Aap jayey aur ja kar breakfast khaye, lagta hai aap
bhookey hain. Mein koi tarquib sochta hun ki aap ko kaise sikhaya
jaye.” That day and that incident was the lowest point in my riding
career. I never felt as dejected and as put off as on that occasion. I
can remember no other time when I felt so small and so ashamed
of myself in my own eyes. But to myself I thought NS was being
unfair and I half suspected that the guy took a sadistic pleasure in
your woes. I may be wrong there, because he had only one interest
ghoda and ghudswari. Good riders had no problem with him. But I
never saw or heard him ever praise anybody, although we did have
some good riders amongst us like Jaibharat Reddy, Jim Lyngdoh,
even reed-like Ramamurthy rode well.
However, even the riding hour was not without its lighter side.
Nawal Singh’s proficiency in the English language was rather
limited. Once he gave a command “sahibs hardly kick, hardly kick”
and to his astonishment majority of the class stopped kicking the
98
horses, with the exception of Haryana and Punjab probationers.
Their language proficiency was not in question, but they
understood what the Jamedar really meant and continued to kick
the horse to the astonishment of the rest of us. Nawal Singh then
raised his voice and shouted, “You sahibs, look at these hoshiar
sahibs (Haryana/Punjab fellows), they are hardly kicking, so you
also hardly kick.” It was only then that the non-Hindi belt crowd
understood the meaning of hardly kick and started kicking the hell
out of the horses but only managed to hurt their own legs, as many
horses refused to take note of the kicking. It was only when NS said
trrrrrrrrrrr--------ot that the horses began to trot. And when he
uttered the word canter, the horses would just take off whether
the rider was ready or not. Some would find themselves slipping off
the horses at the change of Nawal Singh’s command.
The trouble was, that the horses over the years had become too
used to his commands. No matter what the riders like us said or
did, the horse would not budge a bit. If it was standing and you
mounted and kicked it gently to move it forward it would not
move; if it was walking or trotting and you wanted to stop it and
pulled the reins it would not stop, even if its neck went 90 degrees
up. But as soon as it heard the command of NS, it would obey
instantly. I feel NS was to some extent responsible for it, as he
never tried to make the horses listen to the rider instead of to him.
At this distance of time, I recall with relish the sights and sounds of
our riding classes. I wish I had the courage to enjoy those scenes at
that time. Ganga Vishnu Gupta was a sight to see sitting on a horse.
It appeared as if a hedgehog had been attached like a limpet on the
horse back. GVG held the horse with his legs like dear life and
detached himself only at the end of the lesson, all the time being
most mindful of not getting detached, while the horse was in
motion. He looked neither left nor right, only about 20 feet ahead
of him on the fast moving ground under him, and perhaps never
99
used his legs except to hold the horse tightly. Chakravarthy (we
used to call him Chakray) had established a record of sorts in the
matter of crossing the hurdles. He would invariably cross the
hurdle, but usually his horse would not! How Chakray survived
those falls is a real surprise to me. No doubt Chakray had strong
bones and an even stronger spirit.
As soon as we returned from Bharat Darshan in late January 1962,
our last term began and we started thinking of the approaching
examinations. My worry was the riding test as I was not sure
whether I would pass it, given the attitude that Nawal Singh had
displayed vis-a-vis me, those past seven months. But then
something most unexpected happened and from the hunted, I
found myself transformed into a hunter. Praised be the Lord, as
inscrutable are His ways of helping the helpless. How did it
happen? Here is the story.
Some of my close friends and some of my not-so-close friends set
me up to contest the PMC election which had become due. I
declared my candidature and after a few days KLN Rao jumped into
the arena. Until a few days before the election date, I was very
hopeful of wrapping it up, but soon politics came into play and we
became less sure. My supporters and I convened our war council
and went over the entire list of probationers, ticking those who
would back us, crossing out those who would vote for the
opposition and in the third category went those about whom we
were not sure. The end result was that we came short of a certain
majority. Meanwhile KLN had also done this exercise and he
approached us with a deal-he would be the PMC and I will get to be
the Secretary. As we were on a weaker wicket, I agreed and we
were deemed elected unopposed.
I hope all of you remember KLN Rao and his penchant of
highlighting his achievements as PMC. During a formal dinner, he
100
was delivering a closing or welcoming speech and described the
difficult times the mess committee was passing through. It had
been snowing for days and supplies had become hard to bring in.
“Last night we discovered” he recounted in a loud shrill voice, “that
the mess had run out of eggs but I did not give up heart. I worked
overnight and overtime and by morning had produced enough eggs
for two, three days worth of supply.” Instead of clapping there was
uncontrollable laughter and one voice was heard above the din
asking, who was the unlucky cock who partnered in this
stupendous achievement! By then KLN had realized the import of
what he had said. He then started to clarify his remark but that only
made matters worse for him and brought forth more hooting and
laughter.
The morning after the election, my room attendant Ranjit Singh
brought the morning tea and as was his custom, gently tapped the
side table to wake up this sleepy unwilling probationer. When I
raised myself against the pillow, I found that Ranjit Singh was still
around holding a chit in his hand which he gave me. On it was
written Nawal Singh-your obedient. Unbelieving I asked who is he
and Ranjit confirmed that the riding instructor wanted a few
minutes of my time. Although his Queen’s English on the visiting
card gave NS away, but this level of politeness was most
unexpected and made me wonder if it was some kind of a pre-April
fool joke, given that Lord of ghosts, Padmanabhaya lived not far
away. I called him in and Nawal Singh gave me a smart army
salute befitting of a sepoy to a general. He was formally attired in a
ceremonial dress with shoes gleaming, and after saluting, he
continued to stand at attention without speaking. When I asked
what had brought him to my room that early, he asked permission
to state his problem. To my mounting surprise, Nawal Singh was
setting an example in correct military etiquette coupled with
humility. Using a most humble tone, so ill-becoming to his
personality, he told me in brief his story. He ate in the mess (in the
101
kitchen) and was being charged a token sum of Rs 50 per month.
This special dispensation had expired a few months back, and he
had been handed two months’ bill totaling close to Rs750, the
same amount as paid by the probationers. He elaborated that he
was a vegetarian and ate two chapatis with either a dal or one
vegetable, establishing a credible case for a concessionary tariff. He
threw in one more sympathy-igniter, namely that he suffered from
blood pressure and a weak heart (my foot!), and literally begged for
the continuation of the concessionary rate.
I had not forgotten my own heart-aches in his class which had
continued for months. I told him that I would look into his case and
asked him to see me in a week. He squirmed as he was hoping for a
quick decision. But seeing my rather serious demeanor, and he well
knew the underlying cause of it; he withdrew but while at the door
summoned courage to ask me if I had a preference for any
particular horse. I looked at him sharply and he disappeared behind
the curtain to make a quick get away. His ploy to please me had not
succeeded.
The next day was our riding class and when I reached the riding
ground Nawal Singh was waiting with a horse in his tow. “Sir, I have
selected this horse for you to ride today.” And then he personally
adjusted the stirrups for me and was at his politest, while dealing
with me. If the horse I was riding misbehaved, Nawal Singh would
come running and soothe the frayed nerves of the horse. From that
day, my riding class woes were over and I was confident of passing
the riding test, which I eventually did, with distinction.
I kept him on the tenterhooks for some more time and finally
restored his concession. After all, Nawal Singh was doing his job to
the best of his ability and his limited understanding; which clearly
had been strongly shaped by the army. His only flaw was, and many
of us have it, that he did not know when to stop his diatribe against
102
particular probationers.
But then that was Nawal Singh, the
tormentor of many as we then knew him. The fact, however,
remains that if we learned horse riding it was because of his
unremitting zeal and efforts and we do owe him a vote of thanks.
103
Look before you Leap
S.V.M. Tripathi*
After doing a stint as the Assistant Inspector General of Police, who
acted as the principal staff officer to the Police Chief of the state,
from January 1976 for over two years I joined the post of Senior
Superintendent of Kanpur in early 1978. Janata Party had been in
power for sometime now in Uttar Pradesh and Kanpur Dehat had
been reunited with the Metropolitan City forming a huge district
having the most populous city of the state and a big rural area, with
high density of crime, as its constituent. Problems relating to crime,
politics, labour, students, traffic and communalism were generated
in ample measure and with sickening regularity.
For a police officer the only redeeming feature for Kanpur City was
its comparatively strong staffing pattern. Although Kanpur did not
have a Commissioner of Police, but police allocation had been
made keeping in view the requirements of a big industrial
Metropolitan city. It was better staffed at all levels as compared to
other cities of the state and a Superintendent of Police had been
exclusively posted here to head the city police, much earlier than
elsewhere in the state. The investigating staff had been earmarked
in fairly sufficient numbers and they were realistically segregated
from the law and order staff posted at the reinforced police
stations and City outposts headed by sub inspectors. A centralized
reserve police force was also provided at the City police control
room at Kotwali police station. The strength of district armed
reserve at the police lines and Traffic Police, in a separate traffic
*
Indian Police Service, Uttar Pradesh cadre
104
lines was, for practical purposes reasonably adequate.
Reinforcements by state armed police were also readily available.
Common to all Metropolitan cities of the country, one of the most
acute problems in Kanpur was the shortage of housing and
consequent disputes arising in this area. There were a large
number of complaints relating to forcible and extra legal
occupation of houses by individuals who sometimes obtained the
help of known toughs of the locality. It was the endeavour of
almost all applications given to the police authorities to somehow
bring in facts, real or contrived, which would necessitate police
intervention. This practice arose out of the realistic perception that
going to the civil courts would be counterproductive as it would
involve considerable delay and expense. On their part a number of
police officers also encouraged such application for ulterior motives
so that they could intervene.
In any case a very large number of complaints landed at our desks
which alleged that police officers had got houses vacated wrongly,
or had permitted ineligible persons to occupy houses or had even
interpreted civil courts’ orders wrongly. In the four districts where I
had been posted earlier also there were sporadic complaints of this
nature but here, with a police force numbering more than six
thousand, and with a high premium on scarce accommodation, the
volume was disconcertingly large. Quite a few of these complaints
were substantiated on enquiry which resulted in punishments to
sundry police officers. I, therefore, decided to discuss the matter in
the monthly crime meeting which all station house officers, local
intelligence staff head, fire station officer and all gazetted officers
attended. When I found no legitimate reason for undue
interference of police in a matter which was essentially of a civil
nature, I gave strict instructions that no police action would be
permitted except in cases where breach of the peace appeared
imminent, in the eyes of the next supervisory gazetted officer, or
105
the competent courts gave specific instructions to police to take
action. Complainants in other cases should be directed to the
approach the appropriate courts for orders.
On the Independence Day 1978 I, along with a number of other
police officers all over the country, was awarded the Police Medal
for Meritorious Services. Kanpur had a strong press corps and the
next day a number of news paper correspondents descended at my
office. After the pro forma congratulations they started asking
some questions about whether I liked the police service and
whether there are any factors which gave me unmitigated
satisfaction. I gave vague and non descriptive affirmative answers
to both these queries. One press correspondent was particularly
persistent and kept asking which is the one fact which gave me real
satisfaction considering all the ready made negative factors in the
perception of public, which plague the image of police? Here,
apparently, I shot off my mouth. I said that “sometimes, I feel that I
may be able to help a person in real need, when no other person or
institution, including the courts, could. These occasions may arise
only rarely but they do”. The next day, most of the local and some
local editions of the national news papers carried large headlines to
the effect that I had promised to help persons whom nobody else
was able to help!
Only a couple of days later, when I was meeting members of the
public at the confidential office at my residence, a lady in her late
thirties, was ushered in. She informed me straight away that her
husband did not come as he had never visited any police unit and
was apprehensive about the treatment which may be meted out to
him. She mentioned that her husband was the owner of a house in
Transport Nagar area which he had given on rent about five years
back while he was posted in another city in a private firm. The
tenant was not vacating the premises which her family needed for
personal residence and was not even paying any rent for the last
106
couple of years. When I said that she should approach the
concerned court, she showed a sheaf of papers containing various
court orders passed during the past two years. The last one was
passed only a week earlier upholding the claim of the lady. I said
that as it was a ‘declaratory order’ and did not direct the police to
get it implemented, it would not be possible for us to take any
action immediately. If she was able to get any court order directing
the police to take action I would ensure swift action. The lady said
that the tenant, who was a wealthy owner of several goods
carriers, was able to checkmate her husband in courts at every
step. She then took out another sheaf containing all the earlier
cuttings from the various news papers almost giving me the role of
a Robin Hood!
When I tried to prevaricate by saying that the newspapers had
written about what transpired in a sensational manner her grief
broke through. Weeping bitterly, she mentioned that she had two
teen aged daughters and the family was staying with a relative for a
long time. They had outstayed their welcome. Some young toughs
of the locality were harassing the girls whenever they stepped out
of the house. The family had nowhere to go. Her family had pinned
their hopes on me after they saw the press report. If I did not fulfil
my promise, she and her family simply did not know how they
could carry on their life. They were at the end of their tethers.
I was in a fix. Like all government functionaries, who are unsure of
their immediate course of action, I decided to advise her about the
rules. I spoke about the cognisable and non cognisable crimes and
told her about the aberrations which would creep in if police
started interfering in matters which were essentially of a civil
nature. This cut no ice with her. Her grief was simply
overwhelming. I, therefore, advised her to see me in the district
police office the next day along with her husband.
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I called the Station House Officer of police station Transport Nagar,
and instructed him personally to speak to the tenant of the house
in question. He may be advised to comply with the order of the
court. Also one month’s time may be given to him for finding an
alternative accommodation. The Inspector said that this
arrangement may give time to the tenant to approach a superior
court and obtain a stay. However I insisted that this time may be
given to the tenant, otherwise he may be put to unnecessary
trouble. If any reluctance was visible in his behaviour he may be
brought before me. I was not sure about my line of action but felt
that perhaps this may somehow help. The SHO was asked to be
present the next day in the police office with his report when the
couple visited me.
The Inspector came to me in the police office first and reported
that the tenant had agreed to vacate the house in the stipulated
period and had given it in writing. The police officer was somehow
able to give me an impression that the tenant was actually happy
to do so! The only condition he put before us was that I should
personally convey my congratulation for this good deed. I called
the lady and her husband in and informed them of the latest
position. I also called in the tenant, who was waiting outside, and
gave him a pat on the back. I insisted, however, that as soon as the
possession was restored to the lady and her family, both parties
should come together again and confirm this fact to me personally.
The story had a happy ending. In three weeks time the house was
vacated by the tenant and this was confirmed by both these
parties. Two packets of sweets brought by them were distributed
to the staff in the office of Kanpur Police. Is there a moral to the
story? There must be. But I hesitate to spell it out. These days any
exceptional action by the officers on the spot is looked upon with
great suspicion and motives are freely attributed. If the present
young officers follow their heart instead of the head, as I did, they
108
are likely to be embroiled in unsavoury controversies with no
chance of explaining their actions. I have, however, no doubt that
such actions can give a lot of personal satisfaction.
109
Looking back: Face off
with a swashbuckling
District Judge
R.J. Khurana*
It is good to be good,
Nice and gentle with every one
But let them not treat you as ash
To trample on without being burnt
“Hitoupdesh”
Truth is often stranger than fiction. What follows is not a piece of
fiction, though it may sound as one. The narrative dates back to the
period 1967-69, when I was posted as Superintendent of Police
(SP), Bhind, MP - a district that has been notorious for centuries for
its baghis (rebels), dacoits, robbers, revenge murderers and
kidnappers. I had done a stint here in 63-65 as Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP). The outgoing SP, Mr. M. Natarajan,
who had been transferred to a very important charge after a highly
successful 5-year stint in Bhind, had put in a good word for me to
the range DIGP who in turn had recommended my name to the
IGP. The IGP accepted his recommendation and was good enough
to call me and let me know why I had been selected for this
“sensitive and demanding assignment”. While wishing me all the
best, he had advised me to strive to maintain cordial relations with
the District Magistrate (DM) and the District Judge (DJ) as “much of
your success or failure would depend on their goodwill or the
absence of it”.
*
Indian Police Service, Madhya Pradesh cadre
110
The first 9 months passed off without any major strike by any of the
20 odd inter-district and inter-state dacoit gangs. It was at this
juncture that a new DJ joined his post in Bhind. His jurisdiction
covered the adjoining district of Morena. Within a week of his
arrival, I paid a courtesy call on him. He, an elderly person, struck
me as a lip loose, dandyish, patronizing and pompous individual
with a roving eye. He did a lot of name-dropping. He told me that
SP Morena was his nephew, he was all by himself as his wife was in
his home town, he loved to go for “shikar” etc He didn’t say
anything about other members of his family nor did I show any
inquisitiveness.
All in all, he was very much unlike the judges I had had chance to
interact earlier. I got up with the impression that he would be a
difficult person to work with for I had felt very uncomfortable in his
presence.
At the Officers’ Colony, the DJ and SP happened to be neighbours. I
had very good relations with his predecessor, who was a rather
retiring type and kept a good distance from other district officers.
We were on visiting terms, though rather infrequently. He never
made any request for anything. The new DJ was at once the very
antithesis of his predecessor. The very next day he dropped at my
place to return the call. He extended an invitation to me for a
shikar expedition which I politely declined pleading that I was a
vegetarian. “Vegetarian and in Bhind?” he had a hearty laugh.
A fortnight later, the ASP, Arun Babbar came to me to ask my
permission to accompany the DJ for shikar. He told me that the
request had come from the DJ who had also asked him to bring his
wife along “to enjoy the thrill and adventure of a hunting
expedition.” “The DJ seems to be very friendly with you. Where did
you meet him? I asked. “The DJ had come visiting us and had
dinner with us,” he said “Was he reciprocating your call or he was
111
the first to call? I asked “One evening he just strolled in and we
had drinks together and then I asked him to stay back for dinner
and he readily agreed, After the dinner, while leaving he said that
he was fond of shikar and would like him and his wife to
accompany him”, the ASP said. A DJ calling on an ASP and that too
when the ASP had not paid a courtesy call on the DJ and staying
back for dinner? I found it hard to digest.
I told the ASP that while I had no objection to his joining the Judge,
I would like him to consider the fact that friendship could only be
between equals and since he was a relatively junior officer, he may
refrain from accompanying the DJ on a shikar expedition, Also,
since DJ’s wife would not be accompanying him, it would not be
appropriate for him to take his wife with him. I also could not allow
him the use of official jeep for shikar. He had also to weigh the
likelihood of running into a dacoit gang hiding somewhere in the
jungle they would be entering and if there was exchange of fire, it
might turn very messy. All in all, I would appreciate if he could
consider declining the invitation.
I could guess from ASP’s facial expressions that my advice had not
gone down well with him. But, I knew that he was a very loyal
officer and would not go against my advice. I came to know later
from him that he had met the DJ and, told him how the SP felt and
in sheer innocence blurted out all that I had said to him.
The DJ was on fire for my advice to the contrary to the ASP but
didn’t show it. Later, he invited the ASP and his wife a couple of
times for drinks and dinner. At one of the dinners, the ASP told him
that he had bought a gun at an auction of the stock of confiscated
arms at the police lines. The DJ immediately asked him to arrange
to get one revolver and one 12 bore gun for him from the
confiscated stock of arms. The ASP brought his request to my
notice. I told him to check with the Reserve Inspector about the
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next date of auction and inform the DJ accordingly. The ASP
checked with the RI who told him that no auction was scheduled in
the near future and that it might take a year or more before the
next auction notice was issued. The ASP informed the DJ
accordingly who was visibly upset. He said to the ASP, “Your SP is
acting rather smart!”
A month later, on one particular evening as I and my wife were
about to sit down in our Bungalow lawn for evening tea, I was
taken a back when I noticed the DJ angrily walking to the common
barbed wire fence and shouting at the top of his voice, “Sale apne
aap ko samjate kya hain? Char-panch saal ki service ke lounde hain.
chale hain hum ko samjhane ki imandari kya hoti hai. Aisa sabak
sikhayon ga ki zindgi bhar yad rakhein gey.”
The outburst was not unexpected. By now I had known the man
well and I could guess the reasons for his fury. He was in the habit
of going to the police stations, asking for the police station firearms
and ammunition and going into the nearby jungles for shikar. On
the completion of his hunting expedition, he would bring the shikar
to the police station and direct the Station House Officer (SHO) to
arrange for the cooking of the meals for him and his party. He had
done so at a number of police stations. A couple of SHOs had
brought this habit of the DJ to my notice. I asked them not to give
in to his demands and if he got angry to tell him that the SP had
instructed them neither to hand over the police station firearms to
him nor arrange for the cooking of the shikar.
On this particular day he had been to a police station and had
demanded a firearm and been told by the SHO that it would not be
possible for him to meet his request. This reply had infuriated him.
His venomous outburst was the direct result of the perceived insult
allegedly hurled at him at the behest of the SP.
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I didn’t react. We folded up and moved inside the bungalow. I was,
however, apprehensive that the DJ was going to take it out on me
one day or the other. And, yes, he did. He instructed all the judges
and magistrates under his control to impose fines on those police
officers who were late in attending the courts. In about a month’s
time almost every SHO had been fined for late attendance in
different courts. And the fines were rather heavy, sometimes half
of the salary of Rs. 250-300 a Sub-Inspector got in those days. The
Police Prosecutor and the SHOs brought this action of the courts to
my notice and the demoralization that had set in.
I thought over it and decided to share the information with the
District Magistrate, A.S. Das, a very fine and understanding officer
and a batch mate. We decided to visit the DJ and mollify him and
request him to withdraw his penalty orders or impose smaller fines,
for if the practice was allowed to continue, one and all police
officers would be forced to pinch others’ pockets and that would
be a bad day for the criminal administration.
Das asked for an appointment with the DJ which was granted and
both of us had a long meeting with him in his chamber. Repeatedly
addressing him as “Sir”, Das proceeded to explain why heavy fines
on police officers could spread disaffection in the force and sought
his indulgence. He in turn harped on SHOs humiliating him on SP’s
instructions. I refrained from saying anything in defence. I knew the
moment I opened my mouth, he would pounce on me with his
litany of complaints. “Silence” a savant has said “is the best form of
scorn.”
Das tactfully countered him by asking as to what was the need for
him to go to the police stations and if he needed anything he could
pass on his request to him or to the SP. “We would be happy to be
of some help to you, sir,” he said again and again. “Help me?” the
DJ chuckled. All through the meeting the DJ sounded tense and
114
angry and determined to tell me as to what a DJ could do to an SP.
Our being extremely humble and respectful to him seemed to have
no effect on him. As we were about to leave, he sarcastically
recited the following Urdu couplet:
Ibtadaye ishk hai rota hai kya
Age age dekh tu hota hai kya
“Why do you cry, dear? It is only the beginning of love.
Wait a little; there is a lot more trouble in store for you”
We left the DJ’s chamber rather shaken. Das told me that he would
bring the matter to the notice of the Commissioner and the Chief
Secretary, both orally and in writing and advised me to bring all
that had happened to the notice of the range DIG, who in turn may
be requested for appropriate advice in the matter. Both of us did
what had been decided. A week later I received a call from the DIG
that the Commissioner had summoned the DM and SP to his
Headquarters for a discussion. Both Das and I apprised the
Commissioner and the DIG of the developments. They appeared
sympathetic to our plight. The DIG had worked in Jabalpur, where
High Court of Madhya Pradesh was and is located and had
developed very good relations with the Chief Justice (CJ). He
briefed the CJ about the ongoing spat.
One day, when I was absent from the District Headquarters on
tour, the DJ called up the SP’s office. When he was told that the SP
was not in, he asked to speak to the ASP. Once the ASP was on the
phone, he started pulling him up as to why a particular warrant had
not been served even though a month had passed.
Being a novice, the ASP said that the SP’s office didn’t keep a
record of this nature and that the Police Prosecutor who had a
chamber in the court’s premises might be able to give an answer to
his query. He should, therefore, refer the matter to him. The DJ was
furious and threatened to issue a contempt of court notice to the
115
ASP for showing disrespect to the DJ. When I returned to my
Headquarters, I found a contempt of court notice in the name of
the ASP on my table.
I brought this development to the DM’s notice, who said that he
would call on the DJ and request him to withdraw the contempt of
court notice. He did meet the DJ to persuade him to withdraw the
contempt notice. He requested him not to make mountain of a
mole hill for such actions had a habit of boomeranging as also a
contempt of court notice based on a telephonic conversation
would sound ludicrous. The DJ didn’t relent.
A week after the issue of the contempt of court notice, I received
summons from the court of one of the ADJs to appear in his court
as a court witness in a case of kidnapping that had taken place a
year back in the jurisdiction of PS Pawai. I called the case diary of
the case to familiarize myself with the details of the investigation. I
attended the court on the appointed day. The ADJ tried his best to
provoke and berate me by making uncalled for observations on my
lack of knowledge of law and police regulations, as also my failure
to supervise the investigation of an important case. I requested the
Public Prosecutor who was appearing on state’s behalf to tell the
court not to make uncalled remarks and he did point out to the
judge but he didn’t care. In his judgment, he let off all the accused
blaming poor quality of investigation and passed strictures against
me running into a page and more. I later came to know that all this
was fixed and he had done so at the behest of the DJ. I handed over
a copy of the judgment to the DM with my comments, who
informed the commissioner and the Chief Secretary. I also informed
my superiors in the Police Department.
As luck would have it, one day while driving down from the court to
his residence, this ADJ; hit a daily wage earner, seriously injuring
him. Besides other injuries, the victim had sustained a couple of
116
fractures. A police Head Constable on beat duty learnt about the
accident and reached the spot. Before a mob could collect, he
made the ADJ to sit in a rickshaw and requested him to leave the
spot. The ADJ insisted on going in his car which he refused, citing
the need for taking pictures of the scene of accident. He sent the
injured to the hospital for medical examination and treatment.
Back home, the ADJ called me up and bitterly complained about
the shabby treatment meted out to him by a petty police official. I
heard him patiently and promised to look into the matter. The SHO
later told me that on investigation they had found that the ADJ had
not renewed his driving licence, car insurance and the registration
that had expired years ago. Not doing so was both legally ethically
wrong, more so if a Judge was involved. It was a strong case for
launching prosecution. When the ADJ learnt about it, it made him
nervous. I informed the DM and DIG. The latter advised me to let it
hang on and that he would get back after speaking to the Chief
Justice.
Meanwhile, the ASP brought to my notice that the shikar loving DJ
habitually borrowed licensed firearms of the lawyers practising in
his court and one such lawyer had confessed this fact to him, which
he had tape-recorded. I heard the recorded conversation. The
concerned advocate had spilled the beans on many aspects of the
DJ’s personality and character.
A case was registered at the Kotwali Police Station under the Arms
Act against the advocate. The lawyer who had loaned his gun to the
DJ informed him that a case had been registered against him and
that he had named the DJ, in whose custody his gun was. The DJ
panicked. He left for Morena to consult with his nephew on the
issue.
It was past 11 PM. I was about to go to bed that my telephone
rang. It was SP Morena on the phone. After exchanging
117
pleasantries, he said, “I hope you are not an unmitigated rascal as
to arrest a DJ under the Arms Act. I understand that a case has
been registered against the DJ.”
I kept my cool and said, “He is a DJ. He should know whether a
police officer, howsoever, high, can order arrest of a DJ or not for
whatever offence.” “ Well, he is damn scared. I have assured him
that he will not be arrested. He is here with me. I have asked him to
go back and explain to you the facts of the case and apologize for
his mistake. I hope you will not disregard my request and let the
matter rest here,” SP Morena pleaded.
At 5.30 AM, the next day, the DJ and 3 ADJs landed at my
bungalow. The DJ had brought all the ADJs with him to intercede on
his behalf. He straight away admitted that the lawyer’s gun was
with him and he was sorry for all that had happened. He gave me a
solemn pledge that it would not happen again and requested that
the case may be dropped “That’s fine, sir, but how about the totally
uncalled for strictures passed against me by your ADJ in a case with
which I had no connection at all, except that I happened to be the
SP of the District in which this case took place? The government
takes serious notice of the strictures by courts against police
officers. He tried to ruin my career. I am sorry I cannot step back.” I
protested.
One of the ADJs who had accompanied the DJ volunteered that if
the DJ permitted, he would expunge the adverse remarks, in case
the SP filed a review petition in his court for their expunction.
Before I could say anything the DJ said that it was OK with him. I
knew that it was ridiculous to make such a suggestion but I didn’t
want to prolong the fight and so I said, “It is fine with me” Next
morning; I filed a review petition in the court of the ADJ. In a ruling,
he held that the adverse remarks passed against SP by the brother
Judge were “uncalled for, unnecessary and unwarranted” When I
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invited the attention of the DIG to the latest development, he told
me that the CJ had conveyed his very strong displeasure to the DJ.
On getting a stinker from the CJ, the DJ underwent a complete
metamorphosis. He was all honey and sugar and started behaving
as if nothing had happened. The next one month passed off
without any unpleasant incident. In fact, the DJ started publicly
praising me for my qualities of head and heart. At times it was
rather embarrassing to hear him publicly praising me.
I had done a year and a half at this station. My transfer orders
arrived. The DJ was one of the firsts to throw a farewell reception
in my honour. Within my hearing he told the ADJs, “Arrey, itna
nafees insan ja raha hai aur tum in ko vidai party ke liye invite nahin
kar rahe ho kya?”
I must confess that it was an extremely trying period not only for
me but for the entire police department. I had spent many
sleepless nights brooding over the possible consequences of
picking up a fight with the DJ. I came out unscathed because I was
convinced that I was not in the wrong and the DJ was being unjust
and high handed. This thought had boosted my morale and had
kept me afloat. I was thankful to my batch mate AS Das (Alas, he
died on the operation table in the year 1984. It was a great
personal loss) and the DIG late Mr. G.W. Deshmukh who stood by
me like a rock.
119
Mandi, Kulu and
Manali: A trip down the
memory lane
(Jottings from my diary – April, May 1962)
S.N.Mathur*
th
25 April
This is the first and the only official tour from our Training School at
Simla. Treasury training forms are an integral part of our curriculum
at the Accountant General’s office where we have been sent for a
four month training course. For the Treasury training, the batch of
eleven IRAS probationers was split into four groups. Sanyal and I
happen to be one group (the third member had feigned illness),
and have been asked to proceed to Mandi.
We set out for Mandi by bus at 9 0’clock this morning. The very
beginning of the journey did not bode well for us, for the quality of
the fellow- travellers in the bus was some kind of a cultural shock.
Used to travelling with a more urbane citizenry in the trains, we
found to our utter dismay that most of the passengers in the bus
were unclean and shabbily dressed, emitted foul body odour, and
smelled of nicotine, making us squirm in our seats with great
unease. Very soon, however, another form of discomfort overcame
us. The bus – the ramshackle condition that it was in - began to
jump and roll on the highly undulating and dust-laden, road and
*
Indian Railway Account Service
120
our bones began to rattle. Sanyal’s face was a picture of agony and
regret at having agreed for this trip. Perhaps he was visualizing how
other groups would have been enjoying themselves at that
moment: one may perhaps be relaxing in the coffee house at Simla,
the other strolling at Connaught Place at Delhi, and the third
comfortably sleeping in first-class coaches in the train on way to
Dharamsala. And here were two of us inhaling dust on a hot, sultry
day getting tossed up now and then by the unfriendly road below.
The next six hours appeared as bleak as the two that had gone by.
To make matters worse, the lady sitting in the next row, and just
behind me, began to vomit. She continued to throw up all the way
up to Mandi and I was wondering if she would ever reach alive at
the destination.
After about an hour’s drive through some greener areas, the bus
reached Bilaspur which appears to be an old antiquated township.
Most of the houses were in half-demolished condition, and there
was hardly any sign of human activity. However, we were
pleasantly surprised when we reached the new Bilaspur township,
which is springing up fast. Modern buildings, very much akin to
Chandigarh structures, have come up and I feel in about two years
it should develop into a very good urban centre. The roads leading
to, and away, from this new city are also very smooth and in
excellent condition.
A few miles away from Bilaspur, we also spotted several sign
boards of the Forest Department, the Agricultural department, the
Animal Husbandry Department, etc. a pointer to the
developmental projects even in these distant and unfrequented
regions of Himachal Pradesh. We also came across several camp
sites of P.W.D. engineers and workers engaged in the Beas Link
Project.
121
Mandi is a small town that nestles in a green valley; there are no
appreciable signs of a modern civilization, but it is a District
headquarters and therefore, some government offices are located
here. There is a fairly good market place too. The restaurants and
hotels are, however, of a distinctly poor quality. We could hardly
get anything to eat when we entered the one recommended by the
Treasury Accountant, who had informed us proudly that “we have
very good hotels here in Mandi”.
th
26 April
We left for the Treasury office at about 10:30 a.m. and reported to
Mr. Sohan Singh, the Treasury Officer, who did not forget to remind
us that he was also a class I magistrate. He is a man about forty
years old, and though of an amicable nature, did not brook any
leniency as far as our training was concerned .He had drawn out an
elaborate training schedule .To start with, he took us to the Strong
Room of the Treasury, showed us the safes, described the various
security arrangements within the building, and briefly explained the
working of the Treasury. Very terse and crisp, he was. We were
then left in charge of the Treasury Accountant who it appeared was
just waiting for the opportunity to take over. Indeed a worthy
assistant to his master. He certainly meant business and started
narrating the working of his office in detail. It so happened that I
had browsed through some portions of the Treasury Manual only a
few days back, and was therefore emboldened to parry his thrust
by asking some difficult technical questions hoping this will unsettle
him and that he will let us go sooner than later . But to our chagrin,
we noted that far from being ruffled, he became even more
animated, and we remained the captive listeners to his long
exposition on the role of a Treasury in the government accounting
framework. Soon he started shoving before us heaps of files and
Registers to study with an expression of unreserved joy. The
allotted half hour turned into two, and only after we hinted that we
122
were getting late, that he cut short the session. But the ordeal was
not over yet. We were asked to follow him to the State Bank where
we must learn the accounting procedures prescribed for preparing
various statements that are being transmitted to the Bank.
The State Bank building was a non-descript small structure, more
like an outhouse of a big city bungalow. The Agent was a kind,
gentle soul (“I work hard and have faith in God, he told us) and
chatted pleasantly for about twenty minutes. He said he was not
too happy with the functioning of the democratic government that
we have in India today, since there is too much work to do in the
offices, merits are not recognized and nepotism rules the day. We
left him to his personal views and came away to have our lunch.
Before that I had to purchase some postal stationery, and the
Accountant led us to the post office which we could reach only
after negotiating a maze of narrow lanes, more like as if we were
approaching the den of some secret organization that cannot be
easily accessed. Post offices are rarely so situated.
The Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Shri Mahajan had also desired
to meet us. The Treasury Officer, therefore, took us to the D.C.’s
chamber. He appeared to be a keen and smart officer with that
glint in his eyes typical of a young and efficient administrator. He
went up in our esteem even more, when after chatting with us for
a while, he suggested that we visit Kulu and Manali over the next
two days which happened to be holidays. He also directed one of
his officials to provide us all assistance in arranging our
accommodation at these two stations.
th
27 April
The road from Mandi to Kulu is in excellent shape and the bus
moved fast. Though there are quite many sharp curves, the skilled
drivers manoeuvre them well and the speed of the vehicle rarely
slackens. The scene that met our eyes throughout the route was
123
absolutely magnificent and I have yet to see a more pleasant motor
route. The river Beas flows by the side of the road almost the entire
distance, and the green vegetation which surrounds it is equally
soothing to the eyes. The river flows through a narrow gorge for
some distance, and then as we proceed towards Kulu, it begins to
widen. The hills which rise into the blue sky all around looked
magnificent and we could see the snow-bound range that sparkled
in all its splendour in the bright sunlight.
Nearly 11 miles from Mandi, we came across a hanging bridge
called Pandoh Bridge. It is suspended by wire ropes, and the
vehicles are not allowed to pass over it with their loads. So, we had
to get down and cross it over on foot, while our bus followed at a
slow speed. The bridge has a span of 288 ft. and was built in 1923.
We reached Kulu at about 11:30 in the morning. Tall, pine trees,
wide sprawling grass fields and high mountain ranges make the
place appear very enchanting indeed. There is a small market place
just as we step out of the bus. Pavement vendors were squatting by
dozens displaying their handmade articles, though these items did
not contain any work of outstanding merit.
The portion of the Dak Bungalow where we were putting up, was in
fact the Civil Rest House, with rooms there attractively furnished.
One wishes, however, that a decent restaurant and a hotel could
be opened up in Kulu to make the place really attractive for a
tourist. There is more of advertisement than any substantial work
in this direction. If efforts are put into it, Kulu can compete with
any hill station in India, but the government appears to be
neglecting the task.
th
28 April
The bus journey between Kulu and Manali was another unpleasant
experience. The crowd with us was disgustingly dirty and unclean
124
and if that was not enough, more and more passengers were being
allowed inside the bus on way, regardless of the space limitations
and the inconvenience caused to other passengers. A hefty Pahari
woman with a child wedged herself between Sanyal and another
person; and pushed Sanyal with all her force towards me. Inch by
inch she started gaining ground till Sanyal was badly sandwiched. I
retaliated by pushing back whenever the bus took sharp curves.
The lady gave up after some time, but Sanyal’s face was worth
looking at.
th
29 April
Manali is full of Tibetan refugees who have camped on either side
of it, live in tents and lead the life of gypsies. They must have
entered through the Rohtang Pass, when trouble started brewing
up in Tibet a few years ago. In itself, Manali is a very small place,
with little sanitation and hardly any population. It is the smallest
place I have ever visited.
Natural beauty is however, at its best in Manali. The entire
landscape is green and the snow peaks shine gloriously on the
distant mountain ranges. River Beas flows in its earlier stages at
Manali, and we went up the river for about a mile and a half where
it became a very narrow stream, leisurely winding its way over
pebbles, stones and rocks. Its water is of a greenish hue and when
it flows over white rocks, it presents an exceedingly charming sight.
It was a picturesque view that one could watch endlessly and never
get tired of it. It looked like some poet’s dream or a painter’s fancy.
th
30 April
We left for Mandi at 6:30 in the morning. Every two minutes
someone would hail the bus to board, and as if this was not
irritating enough, the road was blocked at several places by the big
herds of sheep and goats which were being taken to the pastures
125
by their owners. The driver blew the horn often, and for about ten
miles we had the constant din of the horn in our ears. Mules also
provided another road obstruction and we proceeded at an
extremely slow pace. Some distance later we had another trouble:
the road was blocked due to a landslide and it was half an hour
before the obstruction could be removed by the P.W.D. men who
were working there.
Reaching Mandi, we went over to the Treasury Office but
discovered - to our great relief - that the entire staff of the Treasury
was out on election duty, which meant that our training period in
Mandi was virtually over. There were only two raw young lads left
to do the Treasury work and when one of them was asked to
explain things, he initially hesitated and when he did pick up some
courage to speak, it was in the local dialect which neither of us
could follow. We gave it up as a bad job.
st
1 May
We decided to meet the Treasury Officer before lunch. The
Treasury Officer never had much work on his table: in fact, we had
always found him either sitting idle or trying to force business on
himself by looking at a file or two or giving some passing
instructions to his steno-typist. Yesterday we had seen him tackling
two cases that came up before him, and he delivered judgment on
both in less than two minutes. One person was acquitted on the
grounds that there was not sufficient evidence to warrant
punishment, though the face of the accused was sufficient to place
him behind bars. He looked a scoundrel through and through. The
other case was also dismissed, and the accused bowed out of the
room with folded hands. The person who presented himself before
the Treasury officer today pleaded that his monthly income was
only Rs.60.The Treasury officer, acting with some intelligence, told
him that the latter should not expect him to believe that a family of
126
four could survive on Rs.60 a month and what is more, wear and
clothe themselves as decently as he did. The accused shuffled his
feet with a guilty conscience and pointed to his shirt which he said
could hardly be called decent. The Treasury Officer retorted that it
was costlier than what he himself was wearing. This silenced the
offender, and he was asked to pay a heavy fine. The Treasury
Officer looked at us with an air of superiority, half-expecting the
two Class 1 officers from Indian Railways to acknowledge the
power and authority of a Class 1 magistrate. It was an interesting
finale to our training programme.
(We returned to Simla the next day, to resume our leisurely tutorial
sessions in the Accountant General’s office, where newspapers
were distributed and tea served to keep us occupied for most of
the morning sessions!)
127
Management of Change
– Sine Qua Non for
Civil Service
Dr. S. Chakravarthy*
At the pivot of most economic activities is the human being. It is
the human beings who make things happen and bring change.
They need to be developed to initiate change, participate in it,
facilitate it and manage it in desired directions.
Everywhere, all over the world and all the time, one cannot but
notice the challenge of change. To change or not to change is not
the question because change is inevitable. Challenge of change is
faced by the Society, organisations, families and individuals. The
extent, nature and willingness to respond to change determine
whether they will survive and prosper or face the consequences of
status-quo. One is free to ignore the need for change or decide to
do little about it but reactive and inactive orientations do not
generally enhance the ability to manage change. Change itself may
bring about new challenges and therefore there is an inevitable
need to manage the change itself. Those who fail to provide
leadership for change or to manage change may very well become
the victims of change.
Like the biological processes, changes may be evolutionary in
nature but can also be revolutionary in nature, largely pushed by
strong external forces. Management of change therefore has to be
understood in the sense that change can be managed, initiated,
*
Indian Administrative Service, Andhra Pradesh cadre
128
planned, directed and controlled. It cannot be gainsaid that the
imperative for developing proactive and interactive orientation for
redesigning the future and managing change to reach the desired
destination needs to be underscored.
The focus of this Article is that the civil service needs to be the
architect of the said imperative.
While the challenge of change is continuing and universal, the
speed and direction of change are creating an environment of
unprecedented and discontinuous change. New opportunities and
threats emerge every day with great speed and even surprise. In
various fields and in particular, computers and electronics,
technological innovation and obsolescence are taking place at a
speed beyond easy comprehension. A new order is emerging
everywhere. It is in this context, it is important for Society,
organisations, families and individuals to not only develop the
ability to manage change but also to build systems and people to
cope with the management of change.
Civil service needs to be the lodestar and fulcrum for developing
the ability to manage change.
Every change necessarily involves a change of behaviour of people.
Without behavioural change, nothing changes. That’s the reason
why as noted earlier, people represent the key focus of change as
actors, beneficiaries or victims of change. Those who may stand to
lose in the new order of things are likely to resist change.
Bureaucracy (read civil service) is generally regarded as being
resistant to change. Management of change therefore involves
identification of winners and losers and developing strategies for
building and managing coalitions.
129
Four Major Challenges
At an International Conference of the National HRD Network held
*
in Hyderabad , four major challenges were identified for the
management of change. The major challenges and the themes that
are subsumed in each of them can be seen in the following exhibit.
Table
Sl.
No.
1.
Major Challenges
Globalisation
2.
Growth and
Turnaround
3.
Technological
Change
4.
Quality and
Productivity for
Competitiveness
Themes
A.
B.
C.
A.
B.
C.
A.
B.
C.
A.
B.
C.
Strategic Alliance
Export Culture
Transnational Management
Family Business
Turnaround Strategies
Acquisitions and Mergers
Research and Development
Technology Transfer
Automation,
Computerisation and
Robotics.
Total Quality Management
Labour-Management
Cooperation for Productivity
Skill Development
In this Article, it is not proposed to deal with each individual
component theme listed above against the four major challenges.
But as the four major challenges can be reckoned under one broad
umbrella which we may call – LPG – Liberalisation, Privatisation and
Globalisation – this Article will address the salient elements of the
*
The Conference was held in Feb 1991. Though 2 decades ago, discussions
thereat are relevant even today.
130
said LPG and what modern civil servants may have to do to cope
with the challenge of change.
LPG – A Brief Over View
The fundamental change, the world is witnessing and living through
is the liberalisation of the hitherto controlled, semi-controlled and
closed economies. The erstwhile communist economies have
undergone a relatively more dramatic and chaotic change in
comparison with other economies with different ideologies. India
has a mixed economy with a big private sector and a very large
public sector with both competition driven markets and monopoly
dominated markets. With the ushering in of LPG, a two way access
for foreign inward investment and imports on the one hand and for
exports, global sourcing and outbound foreign investment on the
other, has been opened up or enlarged. Another dimension of LPG
is the privatisation of State investment in marketable products and
services. In politically sensitive democracies like India, privatisation
may be a long drawn process and may be very difficult to achieve
within a specified time frame.
The LPG paradigm not only comprises market led strategies but
also market driven strategies. Essentially, the strategies seek the
objectives of:
i.
Widening and deepening the virgin Indian market.
ii.
Securing a higher share of the world market where India
has comparative and competitive advantages.
LPG – Some Vignettes
1.
India, since Independence, adopted the socialistic pattern
of society as an ideology for social and economic growth.
131
Due to political factors and the external environment (cold
war etc.) the country entered a bureaucratic, socialist and
low growth path. Emphasis was more on procedure than
substance. Over a period of time, attempts were no doubt
made to remove the shackles and unproductive fetters on
the Indian entrepreneurship, management and the
market. It was in mid 1991, that a bold reform
programme was ushered in with its main features still
intact despite changes in successive Governments.
2.
The LPG paradigm cannot be regarded as just a crisis
management response. The Government of the day in
mid 1991 felt convinced of the economic logic of the
benefits of freer investment, imports, exports and flexible
markets. Perhaps one could add that the paradigm was a
reactive response, no doubt a sovereign decision, to the
unsatisfactory results of the policy frame of the previous
past. The break-up of the Soviet Union, the end of the
cold war, the reunification of Germany, the Uruguay
negotiations and like factors and the refusal of the Indian
populace to live on empty slogans and promises were a
trigger for the LPG paradigm.
3.
LPG comprises reduction of tariffs, delicensing of industrial
investment, capacities and locations, reforms of capital
markets, encouragement of foreign direct investment, and
resort to external commercial borrowings.
4.
LPG, though sound in its concept, has been spasmodic and
hesitant in its implementation. Privatisation is halting, if
not absent. Right sizing of Government departments and
agencies is still a dream. Disinvestment has all the
trappings of directionless approach. The claim of building
the country’s infrastructure in power, roads, ports and
132
telecommunications is no doubt demonstrably visible but
the demand – supply gap is yawning more and more,
thanks to the burgeoning population. Explosion in vehicle
population is aggravating the gap, namely, demand –
supply road gap.
5.
LPG has as many proponents as opponents. Many a
reform bill has been stalled because of the absence of a
clear majority for any political party in the Parliament.
Often times, the statements of spokesmen of some
political parties result in raising apprehensions in the
minds of would-be investors abroad.
The civil servants have before them positive and opportunity
related implications in the context of the LPG paradigm at play
which is bringing about significant changes in the administrative
economic polity of governance. There are also implications which
could be unpleasant and threat based. A brief look at these
implications has been attempted in what follows.
(i)
The civil servants need to be proactive to the new
environment. As the whole world is moving towards a
market driven economy and India is no exception, there is
the need for the civil servants to not only familiarise
themselves of the contents of the LPG paradigm but also
get exposed to its ramifications, constituents and
implications. The conundrums that surface from the
constituents of the LPG policy must be precisely
understood. For example, while competition is very
important in the market in the interest of the consumers
(better quality, reasonable prices etc.), it can directly run
into conflict with the interest of the domestic industries,
133
given that there is adequate capacity in the country and
*
freer imports can cause material injury to them .
(ii)
Despite the LPG paradigm and its vocal support from the
affluent sections of the society and the higher middle
income groups, there is a need to take into consideration
the needs and aspirations of the remaining sections of the
society, a large part of which is vulnerable and
impecunious. The civil servants need to empathise with
the vulnerable groups and ensure that the LPG policies are
so implemented that they result in a better quality of life
for them.
(iii)
In delineating the LPG policy and in directing specific
sectoral implementation, it is necessary that the macro
interests of the country and its mission and objectives are
not lost sight of. India has set for itself the goal of
achieving an egalitarian Society, of discouraging
concentration of economic power, of providing equality
and equal opportunities for its citizens and of protecting
the weaker sections of Society. Essentially, this implies
that blind adaptation of the policies of some of the
developed countries should be avoided if there is a
likelihood of detriment to the interest of the vulnerable
sections of the Indian Society.
(iv)
The civil servants need to develop an approach which can
be likened to their assuming trusteeship of the resources –
physical, financial and human. In other words, in the
changed and changing scenario, it will be desirable that a
big attempt is made by the civil servants to deploy the
*
The author was Member, MRTP Commission, the then Competition Law.
Hence the illustration.
134
resources in an optimal manner to maximise the goals and
objectives the country has set for itself and at the same
time, to maximise specifically the quality of life of the
weaker and impecunious sections of its Society. As there
has been a change in the economic ideology brought
about by the LPG paradigm, it is important that there is an
appropriate management of such change to ensure that
the betterment cake is availed of by all sections of Society
and not merely the top affluent few.
(v)
The LPG plan of organising economic activity can be
looked at as a welcome change, a positive discontinuity in
the direction of higher growth through the release of the
people’s energy from the shackles of bureaucratic selfimprisonment. It is a true, epochal paradigm and in terms
of macro economy, this constitutes a move away from the
rigidities of a fixation on capital, and from allocation and
physical targets by central planning to the use of demand,
supply, prices, profits and other such flexible parameters.
For the public sector and the Indian private corporate
sector, this means a shift from a “regulated” to a
“competitive” environment. As noted earlier, there could
be threats from global competition but if the opportunities
can be taken in time, the threats can be faced.
(vi)
The public sector and even the private corporate sector as
a whole cannot afford to be introverts preoccupying
themselves with the interest of only the share holders,
employees and union concerns. They have to be sensitive
to the expectations of stake holders, of whom, the
customers are at the top of the list. The customers of
today have expectations of better quality and availability
of goods, price and service.
Their relationship with
dealers and vendors is changing from one of feudal
135
relationship into one of strategic partnership. The public
at large expects jobs with benefits in the catchment areas
of business.
The country desires growth, exports,
technology development, price stability, job creation,
reduction if not elimination of pollution, etc. Employees
want competitive compensation, career prospects, job
satisfaction and dignity. The civil servants, whether they
work in the Ministries or the public sector have to
harmonise these varied and high expectations and meet
them optimally through strategic management, human
resource development, live systems etc.
(vii)
Choice of goals needs to be more driven by opportunities
and less by threats.
More by strengths than by
weaknesses. Exploitation of opportunities and utilisation
of strengths will create the energy and resource to
overcome the negatives. Each opportunity has a window
which is narrow and shuts fast but it is that civil servant
who will be successful who can identify the opportunities,
look at the global environment particularly the business
and the technological environment and avail of the
opportunities while not underestimating the social and
political forces at work.
(viii)
Liberalisation has implications for the way departments,
public sector organisations and firms are organised and
run.
Transformation in the three dimensions of
organisational effectiveness is needed.
The three
dimensions are - structure, processes and culture. In
terms of behavioural processes, there is a need to tap the
self actualising potential of employees through
empowerment,
participation
and
ownership.
Interpersonal relationship, team work and shared vision
and values are the need of the hour.
136
(ix)
Liberalisation demands institutionalized systems and
reduction in the dependence on personal proclivities. The
focus needs to be on strategic and operating systems. In a
liberalised competitive environment, planning is necessary
but it should be based on internal dynamism and self
generated changes.
(x)
Feed back is a learning orientation. The civil servants will
do well to develop four kinds of feed back related skills:
(a)
How to give feed back
(b)
How to receive it, especially, corrective feed back
(c)
How to invite it
(d)
How to perceive it
(xi)
India has the unenviable and unfortunate distinction of
having a corrupt administration and low level integrity of
those involved in governance. The civil servants have to
lead from the front in taking the bull by the horns and
impart into the governance system, a high level of ethics,
reward systems for performance and integrity and
deterrent consequences for the corrupt and the
indisciplined.
(xii)
Throughout their career, civil servants need to update
their skills and knowledge and avoid professional and
knowledge obsolescence.
Ten Commandments
The following profile is suggested for the civil servants, particularly
the younger lot:
137
1.
Proactive to the new environment and the changes
2.
Empathy with the weak and impecunious
3.
Commitment for the country, its constitution and its
mission, goals and objectives
4.
Trustee of all resources – physical, financial and human
5.
Avail of opportunities and utilise strengths
6.
Transform organisational
processes and culture
7.
Strategise planning with emphasis on internal dynamism
and self generated changes.
8.
Maintain a high level of integrity
9.
A governance system which rewards performance and
integrity and deters the corrupt and indisciplined
10.
Update skills and knowledge and avoid obsolescence
effectiveness – structure,
Finale
Osborne and Gambler in their book titled "Reinventing
Government" listed 10 principles for developing the correct spirit
in governance. They are:
1.
Catalytic Government: Steering Rather Than Rowing
2.
Community-Owned Government: Empowering Rather
Than Serving
3.
Competitive Government: Injecting Competition into
Service Delivery
138
4.
Mission-Driven Government: Transforming Rule-Driven
Organisations
5.
Results-Oriented Government: Funding Outcomes, Not
Inputs
6.
Customer-Driven Government: Meeting the Needs of the
Customer, Not the Bureaucracy
7.
Enterprising Government: Earning Rather Than Spending
8.
Anticipatory Government: Prevention Rather Than Cure
9.
Decentralised
Government:
Participation and Teamwork
10.
Market-Oriented Government:
Through the Market.
From
Hierarchy
Leveraging
to
Change
The Ten Commandments listed earlier and the ten principles of
Osborne and Gambler are more or less the obverse of each other.
They constitute a kind of rule of thumb for civil servants in their
endeavour to manage change.
The MAN/WOMAN behind the wheel is the civil servant. It is
he/she, who has to steer GOVERNANCE. For doing so, the civil
servant needs to update his/her skills in the context of changes
taking place and avoid obsolescence.
Chang Su, Chinese philosopher (4th c obsolescence. To quote:
b.c.) aptly portrayed
“How shall I talk of the sea to the frog, if he has never left his
pond ?
139
How shall I talk of the frost to the bird of the summer land, if it
has never left the land of its birth ?
How shall I talk of life with a sage, if he’s the prisoner of his
doctrine?”
Civil servants would do well to remember the aphorism in Chang
Su’s quote.
It is apposite to end this Article on MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE with
the observation of
Lee Iacocca, author of his famous book “In Search of Excellence”:
“THE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IS STRONG TODAY, NOT BECAUSE IT
STANDS STILL IN THE PAST, BUT BECAUSE IT HAS ALWAYS
ADAPTED TO CHANGING REALITIES”.
MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE IS SINE QUA NON FOR CIVIL
SERVANTS.
140
On Being Correctly
Secular
J.C. Pant*
It was one of the early balmy days of December, 1973, when Ali
Akbar Khan, Governor of UP was lounging in the Circuit House of
Meerut and the District Magistrate (JC Pant) & the SSP RP Mathur
were conversing with him on wide ranging subjects of development
activities in the district at about 4.30 in the afternoon. The DM
received a wireless message that a communal riot had broken out
in Gudri Bazar and that the situation was getting out of hand.
There was alarm in the eyes of the Governor who felt that his
presence in the district at such a moment could be embarrassing
for him. However that may be, he asked us to immediately rush to
the spot and take necessary action to control the situation. SSP
Mathur was one of the gentlest police officers I had seen till that
date and I could see him perspiring in spite of the cold of
December. I thumped him on the back and assured him that he
need not get alarmed and that together we would handle the
situation as it would develop. We reached the opening in the
market place where the police force was on one side and the
rioting mob on the side opposite to them at a distance of about 150
yards, with the DSP in charge, Chandola, bleeding profusely in the
head, hit by stones thrown at him by the mob. The blood of the
DSP was infuriating the police force and as I looked at the mob on
the other side carefully, I was astonished to see the white ashen
faces of the people in the stone throwing mob of about 500 people,
*
Indian Administrative Service, Uttar Pradesh cadre
141
showing their hatred and their intent to further attack the police
force. The entire middle ground was strewn with stones of all sizes,
which could be thrown easily.
I had never seen or realized what hatred could do to the face of a
human being and I was shaken to my bones. I asked the DSP to
warn the crowd through the loud haler that if they did not disperse
immediately, the police would be compelled to open fire. This
warning had no effect on the unruly mob and the DSP asked me
whether he should order the police force to fire to stop the
advancing mob, getting closer to aim their stones. I nodded and as
far as I remember five rounds were fired at the feet of the mob as
ordered by me. With our police being famous for their aiming high,
a few of the mob got a few rounds in their vital parts and they fell.
The effect was electrical and the mob dispersed like the smoke of
the firing. We had to immediately take stock of the damage done
and to impose curfew in the Police Station, Gudri Bazar and some
neighbouring mohallas to prevent any reprisal stabbing by the
offending mob. The situation under control, we rushed to the
Circuit House to apprise the Governor of the situation report. He
appeared in panic and expressed a desire to return to Lucknow
immediately, for which necessary arrangements were made.
It must have been midnight by the time we were able to send a
detailed wireless report to the Home Secretary regarding the
proceedings of the day. Prior to this, the imposition of curfew
legally, which implied a detailed order under 144 CrPC and
dissemination of, orally through loud haler, the message in
understandable Hindi to the people to stay indoors for their own
safety in the dingy, poorly lighted criss cross by lanes of the market
places, was yet another tedious chore that had to be ensured to
make safe patrolling by the police effective. I had to take a cold
shower in the cold winter after all this hectic activity, to cool my
head and body and to have my dinner and to take some sleep,
142
before the Home Secretary woke me up later in the night. A few
hours on and the Home Secretary was on the line making anxious
inquiries and giving his pep talk.
Day One had passed anxiously, but the mess that has to be handled
in such cases thereafter is a story by itself. The leaders of political
parties calculating their gains from such a riot then began to
descend on the district in droves. The protocol department of the
District Magistrate's Office is manned by the same magistrates,
who have to be on their toes to maintain law and order. Day Two
had to have curfew to continue with a break of two hours for
people to do their shopping, which time becomes another
opportunity for the offenders to go on their prowl to relocate
themselves strategically for the next bout of killings during the
curfew hours. Suffice it to say, that national and state leaders of
nearly all political parties want to appear as God Fathers of their
respective constituents and they leave no stone unturned to make
life hell for the district administration, demanding all the
formalities of protocol too.
The DM has to get active to marshal the saner elements of all
communities in such eventualities to seek their cooperation to
inculcate communal harmony in a fractured environment, which is
easier said than done. Mobilizing such small mixed groups
accompanied by armed police personnel to visit the affected
mohallas, is yet another tricky exercise that needs to be
undertaken. All this was done with meticulous care day after day
with all other activities of the district administration reduced to a
minimum. The daily report to the Home Secretary every night was
a rigorous routine, to be done carefully to avoid mistakes of facts,
specially reporting the incidence of stabbings and the arrests made
during the previous 24 hours. After a few days of reporting, I got a
call from the Home Secretary that my reporting be better than here
to fore, that the number of arrests made and stabbings reported be
143
equal as far as possible, community wise to be treated as Correctly
Secular. I was aghast. There was no question of my taking the
Home Secretary's friendly advice seriously. A fortnight on, I
received my transfer orders to the Lucknow Secretariat. TN Dhar
who was posted to succeed me as DM, remarked a few days after
taking over, that the state government had clearly over reacted to
transfer me out. A judicial inquiry was ordered by the state
government to be done by the District Judge PN Harkauli, whether
the police firing was justified. The judicial inquiry concluded after
six months establishing that the police firing was justified.
144
Reminiscences
Joginder Singh*
Unexpectedly surprised, when as a total fresher almost just after
B.A., I made it to the Indian Police Services in the first attempt. My
marks, in the college examinations did not indicate any likelihood
of my becoming more than a primary school teacher. I took my
entire stay in the college and the hostel only as a great fun. The
hostel mess did not provide for the breakfast. For breakfast we had
to depend on the hostel canteen. Once in a while I would enjoy the
luxury of eating an omlette at a cost of four annas. But this I could
afford only once or twice a month as I had to balance my entire
budget with Rs. 125. It remained my allowance for almost six years
from 1955 to 1961, that is, from my first year in the college to my
M.A.
I noticed that every year a number of students would appear for
the All India Services Examinations and some would be selected. I
had no plan to appear for any examination, but seeing a few friends
making it to the top services; I decided to try my luck also. So, I
appeared for the All India Services Examination, in the year 1960.
Honestly I did not expect even to pass the written examination
because compared to myself, others who had appeared for the
examination had put in as much as 18 to 20 hours a day in the
studies. The serious mannerisms of those who had appeared for
the same examination were almost forbidding as compared to my
happy-go-lucky approach. In December 1960, I received a letter
from my father informing me that "You would be glad to know that
*
Indian Police Service, Karnataka cadre
145
you have been called for interview for the Indian Police Service." I
could not believe that I had passed the written IAS examination,
especially when nobody else had passed from my college. I could
not convince myself that I had qualified in the written
examination.The receipt of the letter from the Union Public Service
Commission on the 15th or 16th December, three days after the
receipt of express letter from my father, set all doubts at rest. I
started hoping that I might finally be selected. I became an instant
celebrity in the college and my stock went up just for having
qualified in the written examination. Even those who were always
disdainful towards me starting giving me smiles and those who
could not qualify in the written examination became less sarcastic.
There were six person called for the morning session of the
interviews, starting at about 10 A.M. I was called for interview by
the full Board of the U.P.S.C.One of the members asked me as to
why I wanted to join the IPS. My reply was that every young man
would like to have a good job. This service offered excellent
prospects and also gave an opportunity to serve the country. I also
said that I liked the IPS. The member asked me as to why I liked the
IPS. This was a tricky query but I replied that "Liking is something
which cannot be explained in terms of the reason. When you look
at a rose flower, you like it and you cannot say that you like it for its
colour, or petals or smell. Liking is the result of collective
impression." The interview lasted about 15 minutes in which I felt
that I had the upper edge. Finally, the Chairman said that in case I
am selected will I leave the IPS to join the IAS" I said "No I will stick
to the IPS”.
My parents very thoughtfully had the recitation of Holy Granth
Sahib started on 28th May, 1961 so that it could conclude on the
day of my departure for Mussoorie. The "Akhand Path" was over by
10 A.M. on 29.5.61. The same day I left for Ferozepore at 3.30 P.M.
by the train going to Ferozepore en route to Dehradun.For the first
146
time I travelled in First Class. At Dehradun station I spotted a
number of young men belonging to various services on their way to
Mussoorie, to join the National Academy of Administration. In an
impromptu fashion, three of us going to Mussoorie joined and
hired a taxi. After having reported, we were told that we had to
share the room with another probationer preferably from a service
other that our own. I was asked to share room with another
colleague by name S. Sathyam (allocated to Madhya Pradesh Cadre
of the Indian Administrative Service).The first few days appeared to
be a kind of big Mela or Fair as the process of settling in was to take
some time. It took us quite a while to get acquainted with each
other. I specialised in learning the full names of the South Indians.
It was a revelation to me that some of the names of the South
Indians contained their full address. It started with their village
name, father's name and then their own name. I would repeat the
full name of the person and most of them looked it as a light
hearted banter. Since the last batch of 1960, the Government of
India had started a combined Foundation Course at the Academy
for all the class one services for which the recruitment was done
through the All India Services Examinations. 1961 was the second
such batch to have all services together. The duration of the
foundation course was about four months and after that except
IAS, probationers from all other services would go to their
specialised training institutes.
As all the classes were held together, this gave a chance to bunk
classes with impunity, as long as you had a friend who could shout
"Yes Sir" in response to your name call. The matters one day came
to head when out of 270 not even 65 persons were present. The
then Director, late A.N. Jha, ICS took adverse note of it and
personally interviewed all the absentees and threatened that he
would recommend to the Government of India, to terminate their
services and re-employ them after giving one day's break.
Ultimately, as a matter of punishment all those who were absent
147
were asked to contribute their one day's salary to the Prime
Minister's Relief Fund.
The training at the National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie
was an opening of new vistas in Public Service by the young
entrants, who would occupy the top rung of civil administration in
the years to come. We had a fine Director in the late A.N. Jha, who
would mingle with us informally and clarify all the doubts. One day
at an informal tea get together, I asked him as to how tough will be
the end of the term examination and what was the general pass
percentage. He gave a very reassuring reply that generally
everybody passes, because "you are the cream of the country and
by failing you, the examiners would be condemning themselves."
Day to day running of the training programme was left to the two
Deputy Directors, one incharge of the indoor studies, R.K. Trivedi,
and the outdoor to Brigd. Sheriff. Whereas Trivedi was affable, the
Deputy Director in charge of the outdoor training, though a good
man at heart, would keep a tough exterior. The reason was
obvious. Most of the probationers, found outdoor activity,
especially horse riding and P.T. too tough and by cultivating, the Dy.
Director would hope to escape its rigours. Also the congenial
climate of Mussoorie would tempt us to lie in the bed far too long
and this naturally came in the way P.T. and horse riding. While
some proxy was possible in the case of P.T. where the instructor
would leave the register to our mercy to mark our attendance, in
the case of horses, it was not possible to show ten horses having
been ridden when there were only two horse riders.
Only once, all 270 of us belonging to all services including the
Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police
Service, Audit and Account Service, Income Tax, Railways, Defence
Account, Customs, Defence Ordnance, and Postal Service, were
taken to Delhi on the 15th of August, 1961. The highlight of the visit
148
was a meeting with the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal
Nehru and the President S Radhakrishnan. It was a rare privilege to
have come face to face and hear the architects of the freedom
movement. Jawahar Lal Nehru exhorted us to build a new India and
give a clean and efficient administration to the country. As it was a
formal occasion and there was a drive to popularise Khadi, each
one us had to stitch a Khadi coat and a pant. The coat was
buttoned up. .
Horse riding was one item which would be the bug bear of many. In
fact some probationers could never mount the horses and this
antipathy was mutual between some horses and the riders. Once, a
tall handsome South Indian Officer was taunted by the riding
master for his failure to mount the horse. In anger he jumped over
the horse only to fall on the other side. This provoked laughter and
he made another furious effort to mount the horse. This time
instead of putting his left foot in the stirrup he put his right foot. He
mounted the horse alright, but alas this time he was facing the tail
of the horse instead of the neck. It provoked a giggle and he sighed
and quickly replied "what can I do? Your north Indian horses have
their necks in the wrong side."
Some of us decided to go for trekking from Mussoorie to Chakrata.
It involved taking a bridle path of more than 30 miles. The party led
by J.C- Pant, who later rose to become Secretary in the Agriculture
Ministry, had a very delightful stay in the night en route. Not having
been able to find any place to stay, the probationers entered a
building which was dark and dingy for stay. Only in the morning
they discovered that they had spent the night in a cowshed, when
the stench of the cow-dung and noise of the cows and calves woke
them up. They had with them a member of the Royal family of
Bhutan, Dasho Naungyl Wangchuk, who also shared the cowshed.
149
Another prank played by one of the probationers was spreading a
rumour that a ghost existed in Charleville. This was provoked by the
presence of lot of snow outside the room, and the rumour was rife
for a week. The result was that all residential rooms in the Happy
Valley (residential portion of the academy) were vacated posthaste.
As part of the training, IAS probationers were taken for Bharat
Darshan. They were divided into groups. One group going to North
India and the other to the South. Each was accompanied by a
Professor from the Academy. One of the probationers sent a
telegram to the Director of the Academy seeking instructions as to
the disposal of dead body of Professor In-charge, who it was said
had died. Prompt came the reply 'cremate the body and bring the
ashes'. Of course no ashes were brought, but the Professor in the
party returned alive to the Academy. The mischief makers were
traced out and suitably advised not to play such jokes as it affected
the life of the family of the concerned.
The Dining Hall of the National Academy of Administration could
accommodate atleast 200 persons at any given time for a meal. A
colleague, who is unfortunately no more, had an eager desire to
test his capacity for consuming omelettes. This stemmed from the
fact that during his college days, he could not afford to eat more
than one omelette per week. But after joining the IAS, he went all
out for the breakfast and on an average consumed at least five and
maximum of seven breakfasts of fried eggs, omelettes, poached
eggs, boiled eggs and half fried eggs. The modus operandi was
simple. First he would go to the farthest end away from the
entrance. Second times he would come near the entrance, third
time in the middle row and so on. Keeping the seat changed for
each meal was his forte. This he continued till he found that heavy
meals had made him heavier in his gaining ten pounds in a month.
The breakfast was the only eatable meal in the Academy. The
150
preparations of other meals left much room for improvement. One
reason was that the paid mess staff, in spite of an elected mess
committee by us used to pilfer the food stuff. The vigilant eye of
K.S. Bains who was President of the Mess Committee led to the red
handed catching of the Mess Manager. It put an end to the scandal.
As the shopping plaza was at least 4 km away from the Academy,
the next popular stop was the Academy canteen which sold the
letterheads and other paraphernalia for declaring to the world that
"we had arrived". We would write letters on the letter head of the
Academy sold by the canteen and prominently indicate the Service
to which we belonged.
A part of the training consisted of rock climbing course. The course
was conducted using the rocky portion of the Academy and the
high light was the visit of Tenzing, the climber of Everest.
The Academy life had its lighter moments with some of us having
fun at our own costs. In one case a fair IAS probationer from North
had to share room with an extremely black official from a different
service. This officer had a massive build. The North Indian who was
short statured would say that whenever he and his roommate left
the room together, the people around were bound to say that a
cow and buffalo were moving together. In another case, one of the
probationers belonging to an All India Service observed that "All of
us are a bunch of mediocres". To this, a smart lady probationer
replied "Mister, speak only for yourself." Again, during a formal
dinner one of the probationers put half of the butter plate in his
soup. A senior officer of the faculty looked smilingly and said "I
would like to tell you that butter is not the main dish here." The
Academy had its share of bullies also. Once, a tall probationer after
washing his hands in the wash basin could not find a clean towel. In
the meantime another young and a skinny probationer came to
wash his hands. When he was halfway through, the tall probationer
151
patted his back and affectionately slapped him. In the course of
doing so, he wiped his hands clean with a grin. There was nothing
the other could do. One of the probationers was in the habit of
carrying tales against others to the Director. The Director got fed
up with this and told him. “This is not a school where you back bite
each other. If I find you doing it again, I will have you thrown out."
The persons complained against came to know about this. The next
day when it was biting cold and there was snow all around, the
backbiting probationer was stripped and thrown on the ice. This
marked the end of his career as a back biter.
While we were at Mussoorie, the IAS probationers got their cadre
allotment, which brought its own quota of joys and tears. In one
case, a South Indian probationer started crying uncontrollably
when he was allotted a North Eastern state.I asked him the reason
for his breaking down. He said that in the state of allotment, he will
be either drowned in Brahmputra (there used to be heavy floods in
the river), or a snake will bite him to death, or he will be killed by a
Naga (there was the problem of insurgency in Nagaland at that
time). Alas, he was killed in the battle against insurgency about
twenty years after, but not by Nagas. Another probationer from an
Eastern state who was given a North Indian state remained
depressed for a long time and even after thirty years in the cadre;
he was not reconciled to this allotment.
The time from the 1st of June to October literally flew and soon we
found ourselves at the end of foundational course term
examination. It was an excellent idea to have a combined initial
training of all the services at Mussoorie enabled us to form
ourselves into a cohesive group and the working of the government
has been made easier. Batchmates may not have gone out of the
way to accommodate each other while conducting government
business and inter-service dealings, but definitely, the coordination
and cooperation was better when there were officers of the same
152
batch. Of course, those who joined Mussoorie late had to be
accommodated away from the main campus of Charleville. Still
meeting at meals, games, sports and classes was a good experience
to mix with each other. In many cases the officers of 1961 batch
belonging to the different services the meeting at Mussoorie was
the last and final one as the postings were done at far off places
and in different States. In Mussoorie, we had the first taste of the
government red tape. We were told not to expect any salary at
least for the first two to three months. Before the present system
of separation of accounts from the audit came into existence no
salary could be drawn except on the authorisation of the
Accountant General. In the case of people located in Mussoorie, it
was the AG UP at Allahabad who had to authorise us to draw our
salary from the local treasury. In this connection I am reminded of a
fun, which I must share with you. Once somebody asked a question
"What is an Accountant General? A wag replied, "He is an
Accountant who draws the salary of a GENERAL."Fortunately, we
had been advised prior to joining the Academy about the likelihood
of not getting our salary for the first few months. So in the bargain
our parents/families had to support us for a few months more.
We were required to stitch the buttoned up black coat for formal
dinners. There used to be at least two formal dinners every week.
The idea was to perhaps drill some formality into us as in few
months we would be out in the field heading out respective
charges. Our starting salary was Rs. 350 only. Plus, we were given
an allowance of Rs. 40, taking the gross emoluments to Rs. 390.
Our mess bill alone used to be in the region of Rs. 325. Still, we had
to pay income tax. May be the deduction of Rs. 25 or 30, I do not
exactly remember. Fortunately, the probationers of the Indian
Revenue Service were as resentful about paying the income tax as
we were. We felt that it would be worthwhile to cultivate the
probationers of Indian Income Tax Service as they could guide us as
to how to pay less to the government legitimately without violating
153
the law. This has stood me in good stead till now. On my own I
cannot even fill the income tax return. So I have always to depend
upon a colleague to scrutinise whether my, income tax return is
correct. Quite often, it is somebody from the office of a colleague
who files my return. How simple and easier it would be if the salary
could be income tax free?
The end of the foundational course at Mussoorie brought us to the
close of a delightful chapter in our lives and services. We left
Mussoorie with a happy heart and a bundle full of photographs of
the green memories there. Only later on we realised with a much
greater emphasis the blissful existence led by us there. With the
dispersal of all services from Mussoorie except the IAS, the
Academy wore a deserted look. As IPS probationers had to go to
National Police Academy, Mount Abu, we packed our bags and
moved from Mussoorie, with a brief break at our respective places.
It was too short a break and some of us were never to visit
Mussoorie again. Only about 45 of us were in the IPS and arrival at
Mount Abu was almost a climb down. However, the humorous part
of the combined stay continued in Mount Abu also. One of the
probationers while introducing himself would say that "I am so and
so, 5th rank." Everybody got furious with him in throwing about his
rank. We did a lot of research to beat him at his own game. We
found that he had succeeded in the fourth attempt. So the next
time when he tried to show off his higher entrance rank, we
chipped in immediately saying "4th attempt." When my turn to
introduce myself came, I jokingly with a mischievous smile said,
"Joginder Singh, First attempt at the age of twenty." This put an
end to such brazen show-off attempts. Our routine at Abu was
evenly balanced between the outdoor and indoor classes. In the
mess, the room had to be shared between two of us. My roommate was R.C. Jha, whom I have always affectionately called
"Bhagwan Ramchander" as his full name is Ramchander Jha and
this affection has continued. It was further cemented by both of us
154
being together in the Central Reserve Police from 1987/88
onwards.
The entire batch had been divided into 6 Sections starting with A,
B, C, D and E Section. Each one of us was given responsibility to
work as a Section leader. This privilege consisted in marching the
entire section together from the Rajputana Mess so that we could
reach the ground in time. The section leader would march outside
and give commands such as 'quick march' and 'double march',
'chest in and chin out'. We would find fault with some of colleagues
just to tease them. This would be reciprocated when the turn of
others would come to be section leaders. Only two or three
probationers were married in the whole batch. Sometimes their
wives would come to visit them. But they were not allowed to stay
in the mess. The probationers had to make their own arrangements
to put up their wives. A popular spot was a nearby hotel on the
road from the Mess to the Academy ground. But no probationer
was given concession, on ground that he was staying outside with
his wife.
155
Reminiscences
Proloy Bagchi*
After a twenty hour journey through sizzling night and day of May
in 1961 when I arrived at the Dehra Dun Railway station I was
accosted by a taxi driver, who somewhat like a clairvoyant, knew I
was wanting to go to Mussourie. He offered to take me there for a
mere Rs. 20/- along with three others whom he had already
collared. When I told him that I had to go to Charleville, he said
¡°Oh, Charlie-billie!¡± He assured me he knew the place. He had a
1947 model Oldsmobile and, with three other boys trifle younger
than me, I travelled in style to Mussourie. The three boys got off at
a junction that, I later learnt, was for Kulrie. We headed for
¡°Charlie-billie¡±. When stopped on the way, vehicles being
prohibited on the Mall, the taxi-driver would brush aside the cop¡¯s
by saying that he was bound for the Academy. The man knew his
way around. He stopped inside the Academy just below what was
then the Administrative Block, a double-storied structure, and
asked me to go up the wooden stairs.
It was already dark and was well past seven in the evening. There
sitting at his desk was a frail elderly man, SAT Narayanan, the
Administrative Officer, working away on his files by a lamplight. A
man of few words, he shoved in-front of me some papers to sign
and hollered for one Gainda Lal who made his appearance soon
enough and was asked to take me to Room No. 85 in the Happy
Valley block. Narayanan bid me good bye after telling me that he
had given me a good room. (I later saw, true to his words, he had
indeed given me a good room. It had an extra window that not only
*
Indian Postal Service
156
overlooked the Happy Valley but also let in some very welcome
sun.)
Retrieving my baggage from the taxi, Gainda Lal hauled the pieces
down a few flights of stairs to the room. Since that evening this
humble young man from the hills became my part-time butler
serving as he did eight probationers in four rooms. He would fetch
me my bed-tea, polish my shoes, make my bed, provide hot water
for the bath, geysers then being non-existent in the bathrooms,
have my cottons washed and woollens ironed and run other sundry
errands whenever the occasion demanded. Mercifully, he was
around with me for only five months of the Course as in that short
period he almost spoilt me, as, I imagine, he would have others.
Next morning, after breakfast, I happened to meet Narayanan
again and asked him if I could call on the Director. ¡°Not
necessary¡±, he said and added that the Director was out there
¡°under the greenwood tree¡± and pointed towards the front lawn
telling me to walk across. Sure enough a clutch of young men were
gathered under a big tree around a tall, hefty, impressive looking
man in a light-coloured suit pulling at his pipe. That was Dr. AN Jha,
the director of the then NAA. He was holding forth on something
which apparently was humorous as there was quite a bit of
laughter. As I walked over to the group Dr. Jha noticed me and
asked me my name. As I told him my surname he rattled off my full
name ¡°Proloy Kumar Bagchi¡±. He seemed to have scanned the
entire list of trainees ¨C more than 250 of them ¨C and
remembered my full name, an amazing feat of memory. He shook
my hands and asked whether I was from Agra. Agra had sent two
Bagchis into the ICS, and, hence, perhaps the question. I answered
in the negative and told him I was from Gwalior. That was my first
and last meeting with the director.
157
During the first week all trainees were asked to take lessons in
musketry. We had to leg it down the kuccha pathways past the
newly established camp for the Tibetan refugees. I wasn¡¯t an
adventurous type and was somewhat diffident about handling a
gun. In any case, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be useful in any manner in
the central services. When the man next to me screamed with pain
after the recoil from the .303 rifle and sat up holding his right
shoulder in great agony, I decided guns were not for me. That
ended my musketry training.
Lectures were mostly boring except, of course, those rare ones
delivered by the Director. He had a way with words and he could
make any subject interesting. Besides, his good humour held the
attention of his audience. The other person whose talks carry an
impression with me till today are the ones delivered by Swami
Ranganathanada of the Rama Krishna Mission. He delivered a series
of, if I recall, four lectures and all were very elevating. His fluency
was remarkable, content captivating and English impeccable.
I must make a mention of Prof. Ramaswami who used to take the
Economics classes. For those of us who were stranger to the
subject what he said in his deep bass flew over our heads. What I
remember, as indeed many of my colleagues would, is his lengthy
discourses over numerous sessions on the economic
developmental model propounded by Walt Rostow which made no
sense to us having hardly any knowledge of economic models for
growth. He dilated at length on Rostovian concept of the ¡°take
off¡± stage of an economy. The Indian economy was nowhere near
it 50 years ago, limping along as it was then at the ¡°Hindu Rate of
Growth¡± that was perhaps more than neutralised by the
predilection of our people to produce more children than goods
and services.
158
Although riding classes were compulsory for the IAS probationers
those of the Central Services could also join them. It was quite an
opportunity but I let it go, but my friend from the Customs & Excise
Service, Sukumar Mukhopadhyay, always keen to try new things,
grasped it with both hands.
One late afternoon I was hanging around with a few friends in front
of the Club House in the Happy Valley. At the far end of the ground
the riding instructor, Nawal Singh, was busy giving lessons. All of a
sudden, one of the horses just took off with the rider on its mount.
0
Soon it started galloping and turning 180 it headed towards us.
We scampered away as it neared the Club House. Close to the Club
suddenly it froze in its tracks. Seconds later whatever happened
was spectacular but could have been really tragic. As the horse
¡®braked¡¯ and came to a dead-stop, this time it was the rider who,
in his khaki breeches and sola topee, took off from the horseback
and sailed over the horse¡¯s head and taking a somersault in the air
landed on his back, mercifully, only inches away from a huge
boulder. Seeing him promptly assume the vertical position we were
relieved that he was unhurt. It was none other than Sukumar. Not
quite broken, some newer horses in the Academy in 1961,
reportedly, still had a bit of their wild streak.
The instructional tour took us to the then very impressive Bhakra
and Nangal dams which Nehru had described as temples of modern
India. We also visited Chandigarh and familiarised ourselves with
the concept of a planned city designed by the French architect,
designer and urbanist Le Corbusier. We were also taken to Delhi
which coincided with the Independence Day. We attended the
ceremony at Red Fort, participated at the reception given by the
President Radhakrishnan. It was enriching to see all the powerful
and influential in person, including, inter alia, Nehru, Shastri,
Krishna Menon and the tall John Kenneth Galbraith, the then
159
American Ambassador, who sitting on a low sofa, seemingly,
didn¡¯t know what to do with his extraordinarily long legs.
Most interesting for me, however, was the visit to Nehru¡¯s house
where we had been taken to be addressed by the Prime Minister
himself. At the Teen Murthi we were herded into a massive hall
that was upstairs and was decorated with the gifts given to the PM
by the visiting foreign personages. A heavily-cushioned chair was
kept near a window with a mike in front. Obviously all of us were
supposed to sit on the carpeted floor around the sofa. I positioned
myself alongside a wall next to a closed shiny wooden door and
stood there all the while. I think it was around 4.00 PM that I heard
a click of a bolt and, lo and behold, through the door emerged the
Prime Minister himself. He was in his churidar and kurta; without
his Jawahar jacket, or his trademark Gandhi cap. He had,
presumably, had a snooze and was looking fresh and glowing as
also perky. Standing at the door he sized up the gathering and
muttered to himself in Hindi ¡°arey, yahan to bara majma ikattha
hua hai!¡±
Those five months of the Foundation Course did change me a lot. I
may not have paid much attention to the lectures or may not have
learnt the ropes that would be useful to me in my later career but I
certainly changed. I tend to accept now what Dr. RK Trivedi, Sr. Dy.
Director had once told us. He had said that he had seen college
boys coming through the portals of the Academy and go out as
officers. True to the hilt! There was a change in my deportment as
indeed it would have been in others. Coming out of a small town,
for the first time away from the protected environs of home, the
change in environment made a huge difference and so did the
exposure to an elevated intellectual ambiance as also to colleagues
from all corners of the country. Somebody had said at the end of
the Course that it was a ¡°long paid holiday¡±. May be true, but
during those five months whatever was directed at us had
160
somehow seeped in and kept working imperceptibly inside us
through our long official careers.
161
Memories
S.V. M. Tripathi*
Some memories of training at the National Academy of
Administration, Mussoorie
As required by the missive from Ministry of home Affairs I landed at
the Academy in the forenoon of 01 June 1961. I had been working
as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, Gorakhpur
University, since 04 June 1958. Along with Late Suraj Pal Singh I was
housed in room number 91 Charleville. For the first time I really
interacted with young men from various backgrounds and all states
of the country. Besides Shri A.N.Jha, Director, I had previous
acquaintance with Shri R.K.Trivedi, DD (Senior), who had served
earlier with my father and Dr. B.N.Puri, earlier of Lucknow
University, where I had studied for four years.
Most mornings the Director established himself comfortably in the
lawn in front of Charleville. I went up to meet him there for the first
time. After the usual jovial pleasantries he said, “Tell your father
that every appointment in the Varanaseya Sanskrit University
which we made has been questioned by the UP Universities Inquiry
Commission, which has recently been set up. However, he need not
bother about these matters as I would take care of the nit picking
doubts being expressed by them”. My father, Late Shri SNM
Tripathi, who was at that time a Member of UP Public Service
Commission, Allahabad, was nominated as a Member of a
permanent selection committee for all teaching staff of the Sanskrit
University along with Prof KAS Iyer, the then Vice Chancellor of
*
Indian Police Service, Uttar Pradesh cadre
162
Lucknow University while Shri AN Jha was its Chairman. The
Committee seldom met as a body. As Vice Chancellor Shri AN Jha
would generally write to the other two members that such and
such an eminent scholar in Meemansa (or Vyakaran or Darshan
Shastra or some other discipline), whose bio data was enclosed, is
perfectly suited for the post of Professor. If the Member agreed it
was proposed to recommend him for this post, with two (or more)
increments. The recommendation, thus made, was then approved
by the Executive Council. That was Shri AN Jha, never a great
admirer of rigid procedures and generous to a fault. Once during a
tutorial session, when Lata was away on leave he gleefully narrated
‘adult’ jokes and anecdotes throughout. Most of the
‘administration’ at the academy was carried out by Shri R.K.Trivedi,
DD (Senior) with minimal contribution from his Junior counterpart.
Shri R.K.Trivedi’s Tutorial Group, with the Director.
During our mini-Bharat Darshan for the whole Foundation Course
we attended the Independence Day function in 1961 at the Red
Fort in Delhi and heard the Prime Minister deliver his passionate
extempore speech. We also got a separate audience from him at 1,
Teen Murti Marg, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
163
(Unfortunately, with our hunger for commemorative monuments
at the cost of government buildings, various other residential
buildings, with make shift and costly security related additions,
have served this purpose since then). Shri Nehru, whom I saw, in
person, for the first time without his cap, spoke to us in his fluent
and sincere style. He briefly enquired whether he should speak in
English or Hindi and after a passing observation that all of us should
have, in a period of two and a half months at the Academy, learnt
Hindi, he settled for English. [I saw Shri Nehru later once on 31 May
1963 at Dehradun Circuit House where I was present as reserve
officer on security duty. He flared up when he saw a police man,
with tell tale close cropped hair then in vogue, working in plain
clothes as a Gardner, and, in absence of any other senior officer I
heard him out. I also saw him just a week before his demise in May
1964 when, as Superintent of Police in charge, Saharanpur, I
received him at Sarsawa airport when he changed from a fixed
wing plane to a helicopter for his journey to Dehradun. Although he
was visibly unwell he had a few kind words to say to me. I attended
his ashes immersion ceremony both at Haridwar and Allahabad on
duty, virtually accompanying him on his last journey]. Guests at the
1961 Independence Day reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan, almost
all aged more than fifty years, were intrigued to see over 250 young
men in Bandgala suits of white homespun cotton who could not be
senior officers of government and did not quite fit in with the
image of waiters serving refreshments! In Chandigarh, which was
still under construction, I also remember Shri Pratap Singh Kairon,
the Chief Minister of Punjab, observe while answering a bright eyed
probationer, that separation of executive and judiciary was not
possible in that State at that time, whatever may be written in the
Directive Principles of the State Policy of our Constitution. A
welcome relief from living in the special train for a long time in the
month of August came when some of us took time off at Nangal
railway station to have a refreshing dip in cold water of river Sutlej.
164
The Foundation Course was conducted in a relaxed atmosphere
with the faculty trying to impart knowledge balancing general
awareness of Constitution, Economics etc with the professional
knowledge relating to law and administration. There were
instructions relating to gardening, physical fitness and horse riding.
With the exception of our friends such as Rajagopal, Kuppuswamy,
Nathu Lal and Bains, who had returned after a stint in police
training only a few amongst us were totally comfortable with the
last named. A very large number of guest speakers also descended
on the Academy, particularly during the pleasant summer months
in Mussoorie. Not all of them deserved to be there.
The real gain, however, was acquiring friends in various services
with some of whom I have kept in touch throughout at various
stages of my service in Uttar Pradesh and in Central Government.
During a 5 ½ year stint as Joint Secretary to Government of India,
Department of Civil Supplies (1982 to 88) this advantage was
redoubled in Spades. We had a monthly get together of all the
batch mates posted in Delhi. Old friendships were renewed and
further cemented.
Some of the batch mates, including myself, with the Director at
his favourite location.
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Moments Recalled
Tarun Roy*
Destination Mussoorie! This was the last leg. I was in a taxi stand
outside the scrubbed and clean Dehra Dun Railway Station. The
date? 7th June 1961. Someone spotted me as a fellow
probationer, and introduced himself as Ranjan Roy, selected to be a
policeman, and took charge. (Sadly, he is no more). A few hours
later, we were in Mussoorie. It was beautiful - the air, the trees,
flowers. At the Academy, formalities were completed: we were
registered, rooms allotted; and before we realised, a quiet man
whom we hadn’t noticed earlier, jabbed us neatly with a needle
and syringe & disappeared. We went into lunch. It was a large very
impressive dining hall comfortably accommodating two hundred
probationers. I felt good.
Plans were made by my room mates (there were four of us in a
suite in a building called Stapleton, just outside the Academy gates)
to go to the Mall next morning, to watch a well reviewed movie.
When Sunday morning arrived, I had fever, a consequence of the
inoculation of the previous day. I said ‘no’ to the planned movie,
but my friends wouldn’t have it. I was to be treated delicately. A
rickshaw was hired with two people in front pulling it and at steep
gradients, two of my roommates, Dodamani & Bhaskar Banerjee
pushed from behind. On the way, there was a prominent notice
directing tourists to “KEMPTY FALLS”. As we passed, I heard a regal
lady climbing up the track muttering “They should call it ‘EMPTY
FALLS’. We reached the Mall & the cinema house a little late. My
*
Indian Customs & Central Excise Service
166
roommates were breathing heavily. I was beginning to feel better.
The famous movie had started and the first shot we saw was of a
white doctor inoculating locals somewhere in China!
My first posting, after my training in Calcutta (1961-64), was in
Cochin. Seniors in the Calcutta Custom House predicted I would
find a bride in Cochin. I arrived there in the middle of the
monsoon. It was at its best, with the sea, lagoons & backwaters, set
off against the rains. Comparatively, Cochin was a small place, so
the responsibilities even for a newcomer, were substantial. I joined
the Cochin Club (which provided me with desperately needed
accommodation). Three-fourth’s of its members were English &
hence they (women included) were busy in sporting activities
round the year - into which I was drawn – ranging from snooker &
squash to tennis, rugby & cricket. There was no time for me to laze,
or more important, find a bride. But I loved it and stayed there for
5 years. Eventually, I did find a bride, from Calcutta and escorting
her to my place of work watched her eyes open wide at her first
look at the beauty of Cochin from the air, while our plane, looking
as though it would settle on water, made a breathtaking descent on
Willingdon Island. Those were exciting times. Apart from chasing
smugglers in the Customs’ boats, it gave me a chance to use naval
vessels (made available on request) on occasion to chase
smugglers’ boats up the coast and sometimes sieze valuable goods.
In 1970 I was an Under Secretary in the Finance Ministry in
Delhi, dealing mainly with Parliamentary matters. While I was
adjusting to watching household names like Prof. Hiren Mukherji,
Indrajit Gupta, Madhu Limaye etc. performing in parliament, I was
picked by Siddhartha Shankar Ray, the Education Minister & a
friend of many years of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, as his Special Assistant.
Two special responsibilities imposed upon Mr. Ray, were to curb
the Naxal movement in West Bengal & provide personal inputs in
dealing with the war in East Pakistan, due to be renamed soon as
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Bangladesh. The war was over by December 1971. In January
1972, Sheikh Mujibuddin, the leader of Bangladesh was due to
return from abroad to his ‘new country’, with a short stop in Delhi.
Sh. S.S.Ray was named as the Minister-in-waiting to the Sheikh.
The Sheikh’s plane touched down on a very cold morning in Delhi
(Jan 9). At one stage it looked as if Sheikh Mujib would stop for a
while in Calcutta, on his way to Dacca, which meant that Shri Ray &
I would be on the flight. I discovered I did not have a rupee on me,
neither did Mr. Ray, who advised me to quickly borrow from
friends who had arrived in Rashtrapati Bhavan, to watch Sh. Mujib
being received by our President. As it happened, the proposed
Calcutta touchdown was called off for lack of time. Dacca was
bursting with people eagerly waiting for the Sheikh’s arrival.
The spell with Shri S.S. Ray was for a year only, for as things had
settled in Bangladesh, he was sent off by P.M. Smt. Indira Gandhi as
Chief Minister, West Bengal. By some strange quirk of fate, Prof.
Nurul Hasan (Mr. Ray’s successor) chose me as his Special
Assistant. A wonderful spell ensued, probably the happiest in my
career, full of learning with grace, from an eminent educationist.
We travelled a lot, both within the country and abroad and
everywhere I noted the respect and affection that people had for
my minister.
It was also a special opportunity to meet eminent international
figures. I recall a reception by our High Commission, in London
(1974) where Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, erstwhile Education
Minister of U.K., was the chief guest. Somehow, Mrs. T. & I got
talking and while she gestured off & on, I noticed strong lines on
the palm of her right hand. (I used to do a bit of ‘party’ palmistry).
So as not to arouse the curiosity of any one, I requested Mrs. T. to
continue making natural movements with her hand so I could study
the lines on her hands a little more. I predicted confidently that
four years later she would be the first lady Chief of the
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Conservative Party and one year after that would be the first
woman prime minister of Britain. Mrs. Thatcher was, I think, out of
a job then, & she was pleased to hear this. When the first
prediction came true in 1978, I wrote to her & she replied, with her
strong signature, later to become familiar around the globe,
holding attention. Unfortunately, this letter has been stolen. One
year later, when she became P.M., I wrote to her again. This time,
the reply was from her Secretary. No one has attempted to steal
this letter.
On this trip to London I met Vanessa Redgrave. I saw her in a
frothy Noel Coward play and through an usher sent her my card
with a request to meet her after the show. To everyone’s surprise
(the ushers said she doesn’t meet people, is difficult etc.). I was
sent for (summoned?). After being passed from hand to hand,
there she was at the door of her dressing room, looming over me.
(I am around 5ft. 11, she was 6 ft. plus). She was angry. She fixed
those lovely blue eyes on me and launched into an attack on the
Indian Government’s ‘harsh’ method of dealing with the railway
strike called by George Fernandes & others. I soothed her down
gently suggesting that there is another side to the story & she
calmed down. I seriously considered asking her out, but gave up as
I had very little money.
Speaking of people, I did meet some of the finest minds (Nobel
Laureates included) from different countries at the biennial General
Conference of UNESCO. India used to send a strong delegation, of
which I was a part. When the Conference was held in Paris, the
French government would hold their reception at Versailles. Can’t
think of a more elegant setting!
At one stage I was a Joint Secretary in the Finance Ministry (1986 to
88) and I couldn’t help noticing the increase in not only my
authority but also the working space, as compared to my days as an
169
Under Secretary. Then followed a spell as Principal Collector of
Customs & Excise, North Zone, covering geographical space from
Kashmir, Himachal, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, through U.P.,
Rajasthan, to Madhya Pradesh. Ample freedom was given to me
and I used it to instil in my officers, the pride of doing their best.
Decisions were taken quickly & cases which were pending for years
against importers / manufacturers were concluded with total
fairness. Everyone was happy.
There was a spell when I was a Member of the Central Board of
Customs & Excise (C.B.E.C.), with the Customs portfolio, when I felt
that every day we were breaking a little more of a grimy, grey wall
that had been constructed over many years to thwart easy
clearance of goods. Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister
was of course the prime mover in the enterprise. He was also fully
supportive of his officers. With more and more checks being
removed, the speed of clearances became faster, while revenues
kept increasing, in spite of rates of duty being steadily lowered.
There was an air of confidence, of good cheer, of a belief in even
better days in the future. There was an appreciation of the fact
that the tax collector and tax payer are partners in the same
exercise. There was an attitudinal change.
In this atmosphere I was asked to represent our country at an
international conference. The last time I had attended such an
occasion was the General Conference of UNESCO in Nairobi in
1976, when there were heavy weights like the late G.
Parthasarathy, Dr. S. Gopal, Prof. Rasheeduddin Khan & others,
forming a 24 member delegation of which I was the Secretary.
Now it was back to an international conference after ages (1976 &
now 1994). The World Customs Organisation (WCO) was smaller in
size than UNESCO but certainly as active.
Brussels, its
headquarters, was not the same as Paris, but it had its points.
These conferences organised by the WCO took me to other places
170
as well, like Arusha (near Mt. Kilimanjaro), Langkawi (in Malaysia),
Hong Kong, Bali & Beijing. As always, good work was done,
removing the ‘hazards’ and complexities from the Customs process.
As in the past, warm friendships developed and faded with the
passage of time.
Finally, there was the Chairmanship of the Board (Central Board of
Excise & Customs) for me. For whatever it was worth, there was a
sense of satisfaction. As Chairman, I did not have to strain to
perform. With excellent colleagues and the efforts made earlier, it
was smooth sailing, almost uneventful. I tried to create a happy
environment. To this end, support of issues like housing, children’s
education (one of the first services to support the formation of the
Sanskriti School for children of all Class I officers), quick disposals of
disciplinary & vigilance cases, and timely promotions in the ranks of
inspectors and superintendents (the personnel who interact with
the public), faster boats to replace those of the British Raj, I think,
made better days for the service.
Just as I was beginning to feel comfortable as a retired officer,
destiny played a hand in stirring up things. I chanced to talk to Ms.
Mamata Banerjee one day in June 1999. I had known her for some
years. She was trying to make an impact on the country through
her Trinamool Congress, something in which she has succeeded
very well in the last few years. She persuaded me to stand on her
party ticket for a Lok Sabha seat from Darjeeling in 1999. In fact
she had given tickets to 7 other civil servants, in her effort at
ensuring good governance. The press referred to us as ‘Mamata’s
Civil List’. Darjeeling was a difficult constituency with success
guaranteed only with the support of the Gurkhas. And there was
no reason why they would support me, with one of the Trinamool
representatives from the hills being sidelined to accommodate me.
Anyway, it was a heady experience, addressing crowds, travelling
all over the district, meeting a variety of people, learning about
171
serious problems that ordinary people face in their daily lives. I felt
that many of these could be solved by a motivated and imaginative
M.P. and told the people so. Suddenly there was a whiff in the air,
of success. It was noticed by the ruling party as well & they made
serious efforts to push their candidate. So it came to pass that I
lost but not without making an impact. But I could not continue
with my effort. The funds were not there and I had doubts
whether I could win from Darjeeling. After 1999, Trinamool has not
fielded a candidate from Darjeeling. Sometimes I look back to
those days on the campaign trail, the hustle & bustle, surrounded
by people all the time, but, strangely, alone, except for a few family
members.
Sometimes when things were a bit quiet during the campaign,
party workers would ask me about the training we had gone
through in the Academy up in the hills. I would relate incidents,
some amusing, some stern and they would listen intently. Noisy
and talkative though they were, they would hear in silence (almost
awe) of accounts about our director, Dr. A.N. Jha, enquire hopefully
if many of the probationers had fallen off horses during riding
classes and look disbelieving on being told that on Mess Night in
winter, guests from outside the Academy would often come across
bears & turn them away with no other weapons but their walking
sticks and flashlights.
It would be a delight to return to Mussoorie once more. I believe
the Academy has been rebuilt substantially after a fire. It is looking
quite spruce. Can I say the same for self and colleagues of fifty
years ago? Never mind, we will soon see the batch of 1961, once
again on the steep roads leading to the Academy, walking with firm
steps and just …… maybe just a hint of a totter.
(*Indian Customs & Central Excise Service)
172
Road to Mussoorie, and
then on
TSR Subramanian*
As I sit down to write a piece for the 1961 Batch Golden Retreat,
the search of a topic is an easy task. Much like a very old man,
when he starts musing goes back to his childhood days; much like
many senior officers when asked to recount events from a long
career go straight to the very first years of their service – I start
thinking of events connected with my joining the Academy at
Mussoorie.
Written Test at London
It was autumn 1960 – I am in London, appearing for the IAS exams
(London, and possibly New York, were centers those days, since
discontinued.). My preparedness for the exams was extremely
limited, perhaps confined to reading the notes from KS Iyer’s Postal
Tutorial coaching in the “electorals”. The preparations were so
tardy that I had not even studied the format for the general
knowledge or English essay papers. So much so, that when the
seven subjects to choose from for the essay, was revealed to me at
the exam hall, I had a shock – I was totally innocent of any
information or background or experience on any of the topics
prescribed. After looking turn by turn at each of the topics for a full
half an hour, noting with a side-wise glance that all others had
furiously launched their attack on their chosen subject, I finally
decided to take a plunge on the topic “The Moon – fact and fancy”
*
Indian Administrative Service, Uttar Pradesh cadre
173
– probably dictated by the fact that I knew some facts about the
Moon from my astronomy paper in the higher mathematics course!
Anyway, I composed whatever I could improvise at that time on
this esoteric subject over the next hour or so, and completed my
task a good half an hour before the closing bell – thoroughly
frustrated, angry with myself for not having prepared properly and
generally in a state of disgust. As I was leaving the venue, the
chatter of the others who wrote the exam that day with me
(including Moni Malhoutra, JP Singh and Vinod Grover – whom I did
not know at that time), filled the stairway – with learned references
to Voltaire, Bertrand Russell, Bentham (referred to with panache as
Benzhham) – which added to my distress.
I summoned the will to go to the next day’s exam, probably on
English language and grammar; I was having breakfast at what I
thought was 8 am at the YMCA hostel, prior to taking the
underground to the venue at India House in Aldwych. I half heard
someone at the next breakfast table, about the winter time change,
that it was past 9 am – the clock had been taken forward by an
hour at mid-night. I left the breakfast half eaten, sprinted to the
Metro station, and was perspiring in the train – when it broke
down in the tunnel, in the middle of nowhere due to some failure
in the system – the first and only time this happened during the 9
months I was in London that year – perhaps the time change has
something to do with.
As I raced from the station to India house, I reached there, panting,
bedraggled and in an awful physical and mental state – when I met
my guardian angel in the form of KPS Menon, First Secretary in the
Indian Mission. He took one look at me, understood my
predicament, and told me that he will give me an extra hour
beyond the official closing time, asked me to take 10 minutes to
compose myself before sitting down for the paper.
174
At the end of the compulsory round of exams, I judged that I had
done terribly, and it was futile to persist with the process of
completing the other subject papers. I send a postal aerogram to
my father who was based in Calcutta, briefly informing him that I
intended to stop the process of completing the papers, and
promptly forgot about it – there was a gap of 12 days between the
compulsory and my subject papers. About a week later, I got a
phone call from Calcutta – it was my father imploring me to go
through the papers to the best of my ability. I completed the
process, more to oblige him than with any real expectation. In the
event it is very likely that the English Essay examiner may have got
disgusted with reading repeatedly about “men being born free”,
Immanuel Kant and the like, and found an amateurish attack on the
Moon to be a fresh change; clearly he was in a liberal mood, that I
got 75% marks for that paper, among the highest awarded to an
Essay! – one cannot account for tastes!
Interview New Delhi – January 1961
I recall the scene of my interview for the Indian Administrative
Service examination, at the Dholpur house in New Delhi. I had just
arrived from London to appear for this interview. One of the Board
members asked me as to why I wanted to join the administrative
service, when I was already set on a future abroad in the field of
science. My answer came naturally, spontaneously: “I want to have
a chance to serve the people of India”. As I walk down the golf
course now, I look back and try to recall how the Board members
took this simple response. I had given a matter of fact reply, not an
uncommon one those days. There was a natural acceptance of
what was said. And today after retirement, while sitting in the IAS
interview Board, I would sometimes put this same question back to
the candidates. But never would I get the same reply that I gave
then. If someone were to talk of a desire to serve the public, it
175
would sound hollow, contrived. A Board member or two might
even conceal a smirk on his face.
That I managed to get through my interview for entry into the IAS,
following the written examination was a bit of a chance. Professor
Ganguly, who was then the Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University,
was on the panel. He had been a professor of Mathematics, and
finding so to say a kin, naturally asked a series of questions on pure
mathematics. I recall his asking me about “Fermat’s last theorem” –
which in 1961 had not yet been “proven”. He also asked me what
“Riemann hypothesis” was. I promptly replied that I was innocent
of any information on these, at which Ganguly muttered “I am
afraid Science’s gain will be Administration’s loss”! But then
K.P.S.Menon of the foreign service (my guardian angel again
appearing now in his father’s form, though I didn’t recognize it at
that time), who was a member of my interview board stepped in to
ask more relevant questions. He looked at my name and asked
“Does the name Ramana, have anything to do with the Maharishi
at Tiruvannamalai”. I replied, “Indeed, it does, I was named after
him”. I also added perhaps cheekily that, “In fact today happens to
be his birthday”. Menon persisted: “Do you think that is
auspicious?” and I promptly replied, “I will tell you when the results
are out”! It carried the day.
Probationer, Moradabad
Indeed it was an old custom that the British joint magistrates
arriving fresh from Oxford or Cambridge, needed to be ‘broken in’
before being exposed directly to the wilderness of India – hence
the time-honored system of spending the initial two or three
months living in the household of the Collector. This was an
excellent arrangement. The young entrant could absorb the sights
and experiences in a cushioned environment, till he got over the
bewilderment of the small-town ambience, and the realities of
176
local administration. This provided for a gentle entry period. Years
later, when I went to Ghazipur as Collector, I continued the
practice. The two joint magistrates who were posted under me in
successive years spent their first few months in the Collector’s
house and got the first taste of their field postings from there. Alas,
I understand this custom is no longer in vogue.
Moradabad seemed very far from the training academy at
Mussoorie located barely a hundred miles away. Here, I had spent
the past year, carefree in the company of young fellow
probationers, in a semi academic atmosphere. I had spent the year
previous to that in London as a student in the Imperial College of
Science and Technology, working for my Diploma, a halfway house
to a doctorate in applied mechanics. Professor Scorer, my tutor,
had been aghast at my desire to disappear into the rural wilderness
of India, abandoning the pristine beauty of investigating large
perturbances in air-flow in the atmosphere. He was so distressed
by this thought that he had offered me a fellowship to continue my
research. An annual expense paid holiday to India was an additional
inducement for me to stay on. His final words when I bade him
goodbye were “I am taking over my new position as Professor at
Ann Arbor, Michigan, and here is my address. You can join me
there any time. All you have to do is to send me a telegram as to
when you are arriving in Ann Arbor, and reach there without
waiting for a reply. This offer is valid for two years from today”.
Within a week of my arrival, the Collector went on a monsoon
inspection visit of the tehsil at Thakurdwara, located 25 miles away
from Moradabad town. I went along. We reached there at dusk, for
the night halt at the local inspection house. This was a small
bungalow with three large bedrooms, each with an attached
bathroom cum toilet, one of which was allotted to me. Electric
power did not reach Thakurdwara those days – there were no
ceiling fans. Each bedroom and bathroom had a six feet by two
177
piece of heavy dark cloth hanging vertically from the ceiling, with
control ropes leading outside the room. The punkahwala, a peon
who was located out of sight, would slowly sway back and forth
with the rope thus rustling the punkah to generate movement of
the air. There was a ‘Petromax’ lamp in the bedroom and a
kerosene lantern in the bathroom, which was furnished with a
wooden portable commode, as running water had not yet reached
Thakurdwara. Soon after we reached the guesthouse, the Collector
had a brief discussion with the Tehsildar. After a leisurely cup of the
tea in the porch, we retired to our respective rooms, to get ready
for dinner.
It was late in the evening, as I sat on the commode in the toilet. The
lantern which was set a little farther away was slightly unstable on
its seat and was swaying rhythmically, with the dim light and
looming shadows making bizarre patterns. These created an eerie
sight in the stillness of the late evening, in the jungle like
surroundings. Suddenly, from my crouching position, I saw a large
spider seemingly with hundreds of legs, moving not far away from
my right foot. In the shadow of the swaying light, it had a
frightening effect on me. For a few moments I was genuinely
scared. It was all in the mind, but the loneliness of the atmosphere
and the presence of the tarantula so close to my immobile foot
suddenly gave me the shivers. I asked myself “What the hell am I
doing here, in this remote area, which does not even have
electricity, in the company of spiders and ghosts. I am through with
all this; next week I am on my way to Ann Arbor in far away
Michigan”. I instantly forgot the tarantula and was already
composing a telegram to Dr Scorer in my mind.
Next evening, when I returned to Moradabad, I went to the local
post office and telephoned my father at Calcutta, to tell him that
enough of this wilderness. I was returning to Calcutta the next day;
I would leave for the USA, as soon as I got my visa. I had then as
178
always underestimated my father’s understanding of events and
people. He did not interrupt me, and told me that if this was what I
really wanted to do, he would help me make my travel plans. But
he also said that as a personal favour, could I give it a try for three
more months? After that, at any time I chose, I could make my way
to USA. In his subtle way, he had given me sound advice,
advocating a little time for allowing my thoughts to settle. Looking
back at the Thakurdwara inspection house, if someone were now
to offer me a holiday in a place like that in the wilds, with nothing
to disturb one’s sleep except the odd tarantula and a few ghosts, I
would grab the chance.
The next evening at 5’o clock, as we were preparing to leave for
Moradabad, Juneja asked the Tehsildar for the bill for the
expenses, and added that every item should be included. That is
how, as we sat in the Collector’s pick up, after he had paid for the
food for both of us at Thakurdwara, including one dinner, one
breakfast, one lunch – in all a princely sum of Rs.14 – we saw the
first item in the bill “One cock: Rs.5/-“. That was the deliciously
cooked chicken curry we had the previous evening.
Epilogue:
Sometime in 2009, I happened to pass through Thakurdwara, for
the first time after 1962-63, on my way from Delhi to Corbett Park.
Out of curiosity, I sought out the old inspection house, to
experience a bit of nostalgia. The old PWD guest house had
become “modernized” – which means that the pankhas had gone,
the rooms now looked like concrete pill boxes, adorned with ceiling
fans, and there was a flush type latrine in the bathroom, with
faucets on the wash basin. There was no running water on a tap at
that time, the light and fan would not function – I was told that
electricity usually was available for two hours a day, though which
two during the day was not predictable. The bathroom was
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swarming with hundreds of flies (each of the size of a small
cockroach and each looking deadlier than a tarantula) – I could not
imagine how anyone could spend a night in that place. Only the
chowkidar was extremely friendly, set a table for me under the
mango tree to eat my packed lunch; he told me that hardly anyone
stays in that guest house any more. Clearly we have made much
progress in 50 years.
***
In his IAS interview, K.S. Ramakrishnan, our batch-mate was asked
as to how administrative bottlenecks occurred. He replied with the
telling one-liner, “My experience with bottles indicates that the
bottlenecks are always at the top”. It took me nearly 40 years to
truly understand the validity of this simple statement.
(Above includes liberal excerpts from my book “Journeys through
Babudom and Netaland – Governance in India”)
180
The cartoons that gave
me identity!
K. S. Ramakrishnan*
A week after we had assembled at Mussoorie on May 16, 1961,
some event in the Academy provoked me to draw a funny cartoon
on a piece of paper while sitting in the lecture hall (ostensibly
listening to some illustrious speaker) and I had the impertinence to
pin it, signing it as Ramki, at the entrance to the dining hall ahead
of lunch. I was, as yet, unknown among the multitude of over 250
probationers. Parking myself on the sofa nearest the door, I was
gratified to see their enthusiastic appreciation of the humour in it.
The next day too, while brushing my teeth in front of the mirror, I
got an idea for another cartoon pertaining to Academy life. I pinned
it at the same spot before going in for breakfast. Again I found the
other probationers delaying their tryst with their double boiled
eggs by taking a few moments off to chuckle at it.
Seeing known friends congratulating me, others too identified me
as the perpetrator of the two caricatures, and I found myself
famous overnight! Queried many times on the absence of another
cartoon the next morning, I realized that I had, inadvertently, given
the impression to a captive audience that, a la R. K. Laxman's 'You
Said It' in Times of India, I too would come up with an
uninterrupted supply of a cartoon a day.
With an audacious resolve to meet the challenge, I invented the
caption 'As It Is', and, surprisingly, succeeded in humorously
*
Indian Administrative Service, Tamil Nadu cadre
181
encapsulating various aspects of life in the Academy in over 200
pocket cartoons in the subsequent days. Most of these were topical
- indeed contextual - and elicited instant appreciation. I was
gratified to see R. K. Trivedi (Deputy Director - Senior) and even
Shri A. N. Jha (Director) (whenever he was in Mussoorie) sauntering
into the main hall just to have a look at these effusions. (I nursed a
secret hope that it would help me upping a few notches in the
'Assessment' scale!)
Whenever, in subsequent years, I met any fellow probationer, his
or her first question invariably was, "Are you still drawing
cartoons?" Unfortunately, in the absence of a ready captive
audience, I had no incentive to persist in the practice. In the course
of many transfers and house-shifts, I had lost all those cartoons,
and had totally forgotten about them. Surendra Mathur, the livewire behind the Golden Jubilee get-together, was particular that I
should redraw some of them for this Souvenir, first requesting,
then cajoling, then pestering and finally intimidating me! And I had
no choice but to succumb, and here are some samples!
I confess that, due to long disuse, my faculty at caricature has got
considerably blunted, and these are only caricatures of my earlier
caricatures!
(P. B. Rajagopalan and I also published, albeit with irregular
periodicity, a humorous wall paper journal under the auspices of
'Edward Lear Society - For the Propagation of Pure Nonsense'. It
had been started by V. Ramamurthy and A. V. Ganesan in 1959 and
continued in 1960 by Moosa Raza. I wonder whether the tradition
was continued in later years.)
182
183
A.P. Srivastava
Spouse
: Veena Srivastava
Address
: 256/188 Allanganj
Bunth Road, Allahabad- 211002
Phone
: 2466748
Significant posting held:
I.
Sr. Work Study Officer W. Rly
II.
Area Superintendent Agra Central Railway
III.
Chief Commercial Manager NF Railway, Guwahati
IV.
Member Technical Rly Claims Tribunal, Gorakhpur
Family Details:
I.
Ayush Srivastava: Indian Economic service, at present
posted Director Expenditure Finance Ministry, New Delhi.
1993 Batch, studied in JNU. Has one son.
II.
Prashant Srivastava: Advocate Allahabad High Court, Did
M.S from IIIT Allahabad. Married.
184
B. S. Bhalerao
Spouse
: Mrs. Leenata B.Bhalerao
Address
: 402, Helen Haven 33,
St Cyril Road Bandra (W),
Mumbai-400050
Phone
: 9820003743
Significant posting held:
i.
Financial Controller, Goa Shipyard Limited, Goa
ii.
General Manager, Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai
iii.
Group Officer, Ordnance Factories, Avadi Group.
iv.
CDA Navy, Mumbai
Family Details:
i.
Vikrant B.Bhalerao: Director Clariden Leu Asset
Manage4ment (UK) Ltd., Ist Floor, 27 Knightsbridge,
London SW1X 7LY, BE, Electronics and MBA from IIM,
Ahmadabad
ii.
Siddhart B.Bhalerao: M/s. Pipavav Shipyard & Engineering
LTD. Skill House, 209, Bank Street, Cross Lane Fort,
st
st
Mumbai. B.Com 1 Class, MBA 1 Class from Mumbai
University
Important dates in your life:
Date
20.04.1967
Sept., 1985
Occasion
Wedding Day
Joining day in Mazagon Dock Ltd.
185
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
Mr. S.R.Kakodkar, IAS, Mr. B.N.Bhagwat, IAS, I was always accepted
as a good batch mate. I was never discriminated because I was
allotted Central Service.
186
Bhalachandra N. Bhagwat
Spouse
: Meenakshi Bhagwat
Address
: 8, Priya, Worli Sea- Face (North),
Mumbai-400030
Email
: bhagwat2005@yahoo.com
Phone
: 9820211235/ 022-24945789
Significant postings held:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
CEO, Maharashtra Industrial development Corporation
Managing Director, SICOM (State Industrial Investment
Corporation)
Secretary, Telecom Commission during Sam Pitroda’s time.
Secretary to GoI- Deptt of Youth Affairs and sports and
D.G. SAI
Family Details:
i.
ii.
iii.
Anand Bhagwat, Executive Director J.P.Morgan, U.S.A,
Aniruddha Bhagwat, Dy. General Manager DNA
(Newspaper) Mumbai,
Aparna Kasbekar, Working as HR Manager for Sage
Australia, Sydney, Earlier worked for ten years with
common wealth bank. Married to niranjan, chartered
accountant.
Important dates in your life:
Date
th
10 December (1964)
th
28 Feb(1967)
th
12 April (1997)
Occasion
Wedding
First son’s birthday
First grandson’s birthday
187
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
TSR Subramanian, I remember he came a little late to the academy
from London where he was studying. He endeared us with his
personality. I played a lot of card games and some cricket with him.
It was gratifying to watch his glorious career ending deservedly as
cabinet secretary. Even more remarkable is the keen interest he
has been taking in pursuing issues of governance.
188
Bhuthapuri Raghunath
Spouse
: Bhuthapuri Venkatalakshmi
Address
: 163, Ravi Colony, Trimulgherry,
Secunderabad- 500015
Email
: braghunath@yahoo.com
Phone
: 9391388044, 04027794519
Significant postings held:
i.
Chief Claims Officer S.C. Railway, Secunderabad
Family Details:
i.
Mrs. B. Rama, Managing a school for kids
ii.
Mrs. Geeta R. Pandian, Sr. Manager I.O.C Mumbai
iii.
Mrs. B. Pratima, Social Worker
Important dates in your life:
Date
05-06-61
1990
Occasion
Joined the National Academy, Mussoorie
Introduced Computerised Reservation at
Secunderabad
A few lines about any of your colleagues :

R.S.Thakur, We worked together on S.E. Rly

A.N.Sinha, We worked together on S.E. Rly
189
Dr. B. S. Bedi
Spouse
: Smt. Ramesh Bedi
Address
: R-9, 109 C, Rajnagar, Ghaziabad, U.P.
Phone
: 0120-4125578, 09810566578
Significant postings held:
i.
Dy. Inspector General of Police Punjab in 1984 on GoI
deputation after Blue Star Operation. Peak of militancy in
punjab
ii.
Inspector General of Police Kanpur Range (Zone) 1987
iii.
Additional Director General of Police P.A.C. 1990
iv.
Director General of Police J&K 1991-93 on G.O.I.
deputation at the peak of militancy in J & K
v.
MEMBER UPPSC 1993-96
Family Details:
i.
Dr. Satbir Silas Bedi (Daughter), IAS 1986 Batch,
Agriculture Production Commissioner Arunchal Pradesh &
Resident Commissioner (U.T.Cadre). Has 2 sons both
studying abroad on scholarship, Sukrit Silas – Princeton
University, USA, Shaswat Silas – Brown University, USA
ii.
Dr. Preeti Singh (Daughter) Central Services 1989 Batch
opted out to continue teaching at Lucknow. Principal
Talukdar Colvin School Lucknow, U.P. India. Has 2 Children
One Son & One Daughter, Daughter Studying Abroad On
th
Scholarship St. Holioaks Mount, USA, Son In 12 standard
in India.
iii.
Mr. Amarjyot Singh Bedi (Son), IIT Kanpur Product, 2 year
old grandson Garvin Singh Bedi. At present head Deptt. of
Electronics & Robotics Lucknow, U.P. He has visited
190
several countries to participate in International Robotic
Olympiads 7 times & bagged gold medals for the country
Important dates in your life:
Date
September 5
November 2
December 15
May 8
February 19
Occasion
Marriage Anniversary
Birthday of Satbir
Birthday of Preeti
Birthday of Amarjyot
Birthday of grandson Garvin
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
i.
K.N.Bakshi I.F.S, An excellent person with all qualities of
head & heart a very good friend. Likes music; full of
humour & a well read person.
ii.
M.S.Madhok I.P.S., A wonderful person. Full of life. A great
friend
iii.
Mrs. Lata Singh I.A.S, A great person. Remained posted on
several stationstogether in u.p
List with me is long. The F.C. was a wonderful experience. It was a
second F.C. and not the third as far as I recall.
191
Dr. Balwant Singh
Spouse
: Unmarried
Address
: ‘REPLICA’, opp. Vidhyut Bhavan P.O.,
Vidhan Sabha Rd,
Jaipur-302005
Phone
: 2742612
Significant postings held:
i.
S.P. Bikaner Ganga Nagar
ii.
D.I.G. Jaipur Range
iii.
P.G. Estb. Addl. D.G. Adm & Law & Order
iv.
D.G.
192
Dr. Lata Singh
Spouse
: Divorced
Address
: 222 Sector 15 A
Noida-201301, UP
Email
: latasingh1000@yahoo.com
Phone
: 9560326019, 0120-4534129, 0120-2512863
Significant postings held:
I.
Pr.Secy to Govt, UP, Medical Health & family Welfare,
Lucknow
II.
Joint Secy, council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New
Delhi.
III.
Health Specialist Asian Development Bank, Manila
Philippines
Family Details:
I.
Samavendra Raj Singh, Artist (Painter)
II.
Aparajita Singh, Bank
Important dates in your life:
Date
01-06-1961
04-02-1967
28-03-1972
Occasion
Joining of IAS
Birth of Son
Birth of daughter
193
Dr. M. K. Ranjit Singh
Spouse
: Kalpana Kumari
Address
: Krishnasar, 5, Tigerlane (W6-C LANE), Sainik
Farms, New Delhi-110062
Email
: mkranjitsinh@yahoo.co.uk
Phone
: 011-29556828
Significant postings held
i.
Director of Wildlife Preservation, India, 1972-75 & 19851989
Senior Regional Advisor, UNEP, Bangkok, 1975-1980
Secretary, Forests Tourism & Sports, Govt of M.P
Additional Secretary, Ministry Of Environment & Forests,
GOI
Chairman, Narmada Valley Development Authority, Govt.
of M.P
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Family Details


Meenal Kumari, Housewife,
Radhika Kumari, Housewife,
Important dates in your life
Date
10-03-1966
06-06-1961
July 1967
Sept 1972
Aug 1975
194
Occasion
Marriage
Joining IAS
Appointment Collector, Mandla
Passing of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972
Joining United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)
Dr. S. Chakravarthy
Spouse
: Dr. Radha Chakravarthy
Address
: 6-3-864/2/B, Sadat Manzil, Begumpet,
Hyderabad – 500016
Email
: chakravarthy38@hotmail.com
Phone
: 91-9440409667, 91-40-23413949
Significant postings held:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Member MRTP Commision, New Delhi.
Special Chief Secretary Government of Andhra Pradesh,
Hyderabad
Chairman, Tobacco Board GOI, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Ministry of
Company Affairs, New Delhi.
Family Details:
i.
ii.
Srinath Chakravarthy, Vice-President National Institute Of
Smart Government, Was in U.S. for nearly 2 decades
presently in India
Harinath Chakravarthy, Chief Information Officer TVS
Logistics Services Ltd., Was in U.S. for nearly a decade,
presently in India
Important dates in your life:
Date
25-2-1938
05-02-1945
25-11-1965
28-12-1975
24-08-1964
01-06-1961
Occasion
My birthday
My wife’s birthday
Srinath’s birthday
Harinath’s birthday
Wedding anniversary date
Joined IAS
195
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

Man Mohan Malhotra, He was first in the batch.
Outstandingly articulate. He stood tall in the batch

K.S. Ramakrishna, Intelligent, humorous, a good cartoonist
196
Dr.Ishwar Chandra Kumar
Spouse
: Mrs. Lakshmi Nidhi Singh
Address
: I.C.Kumar,
181-B, Sri Krishnapuri,
Patna-800001.
Email
: ishwar1100@yahoo.com
Mobile
: 09431052750, 0612-2540153
Significant postings held

Vice- Chancellor, Veer Kunwar Singh University, Ara, Bihar

Chairman: Bihar State Electricity Board, Patna

Rural Development Commissioner, Patna

Joint Secretary: Department of Steel, GOI, New Delhi.
Family Details
I.
II.
Elder Daughter- Dr. Smita Singh, MD (Paed), Trained at
AIIMS in Paediatric Cardiology. Working as cardiologist at
Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology, PMCH, Patna. Her
Husband Dr. Anil Kumar Singh is also working as cardiac
surgeon in the same Institute. Her elder son: Avi Ananya is
a B.Tech and B.Sc. in IT from Stratfard University,
Washington, Currently Pursuing his MBA (Marketing) at
IMT Ghaziabad. Satyam her younger son is currently
pursuing his B.Tech in IT at Amity University.
Son: Amitava Kumar, MA (English) (Syracuse & Ph.D.
Minnessota), USA, Distinguished writer and Professor at
Vassar College up state New York. Has served as Professor
in many universities of USA. Has written and edited more
than a dozen books. He lives with his wife who is an
Economist and two children in Hudson Valley, USA.
197
III.
Younger Daughter: Divya Singh, M.A & M.Phil (JNU) New
Delhi. Currently working as Medical billing specialist & also
teaches Music. Her husband Anand Kumar is engaged in
Software Development. Her Daughter Snigdha is a Senior
at High School.
Important Dates in your life:
Date
th
11 February
th
11 November
th
18 April
Occasion
Birth Day
Birthday of wife
Marriage Anniversary
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
I.
Sri Sita Kant Mahapatra: a rare genius, an eminent scholar
of international repute, earned several academic laurels
including Gyanpeeth Award for his contribution to Oriya
and English literature. His outstanding contribution to
state and central administration as a civil servant will serve
as source of inspiration for succeeding generations.
II.
Sri A.R. Bandopadhayay has earned the reputation of
dedicated civil servant and committed social worker of
outstanding ability and competence. A well recognized
authority on land administration. Possesses rare courage
and conviction to overcome the most adverse and
challenging situation in life with smiling face. Above all, he
is most sincere and dependable friend.
III.
Mr. N.N.Singh, IPS was reputed as one of the most
efficient and competent Police Officers. He commanded
the respect of his subordinates and the general public for
his fair and impartial approach. Held prestigious positions
in state as well as central police administration and got
laurels for his commendable performance.
198
G.V.Gupta
Spouse
: Kanta Gupta
Address
H.No. 933, Sector 8,
Panchkula (Haryana)
Email
: gvgupta@ hotmail.com
Phone
: 0172-2563293
Significant postings held:

SDO (Civil) Naraingarh.

Divisional Commissioner, Ambala.

Director of Education, Haryana

Chairman of State Electricity Board, Haryana
Family Details
I.
Savita Sumnesh: Housewife, Executive Dow Chemical (HQ)
at Midland, USA. A Gold Medallist all through, was on
university Faculty, Ph.D. Chemical Engg.
II.
Somesh Sushma: Research Director Brocade, Cal. USA,
CEO British School PKL Part of start up with venture
capital of 5.5 m $. M. Phil from JNU
III.
Surbhi Shailja:Joint Director (Finance), HERC, Panchkula,
Librarian of a school in USA, MA, a Chartered Accountant
Important dates in your life:
Date
09-12-1954
31-08-1994
12-09-1956
09-12-2004
Yet
To
Occasion
Married at the age of 18yrs
Retired from service
Became a father
Celebrated golden marriage anniversary
Where I leave the world
199
Come
A few lines about any of your colleagues :
I.
D.R.. Mehta (61 R) my roommate: A padma awardee,
committed social worked as chief of society providing
Jaipur foot to war violence, accident & disabled
II.
Hamid Ansari (61 IFS ): True example of growing in job,
balanced, articulate, scholarly, a friend, a host with
tremendous sense of humor
200
Gajendra Singh
Address
: A-44, IFS Apts.
Mayur Vihar, Phase –I, Delhi - 110091
Email
: gajendrak@hotmail.com
Phone
: 011-43034706
I.
After retiring as Indian ambassador to Turkey (and
Azerbaijan) in 1996 I took to journalism at Ankara and
then shifted to Bucharest in early 1998. I returned to India
in Sept 2007.
II.
My articles have appeared in India in major English
Newspapers (and in a dozen major regional newspapers in
India as a syndicated writer), like Hindustan Times, Asian
Age, Pioneer in Delhi , Telegraph, Calcutta etc, and in
Dubai- Khaleej Times , Gulf Today ,Beirut –Daily Star ,and
Ankara, Turkish daily News , Zaman & Cumhuriyet.
III.
But since 2001 I have written 60 in depth articles between
3000 to 5000 words for Atimes on line , Hong Kong and
another over 350 for South Asian Analysis Group , a New
Delhi based think tank and Al Jazeerah.info , Modern
writers website both based in USA, Boloji . They are used
as reference articles by diplomats and defence training
institutes in India, Turkey and Bucharest and by many
professors, journalists and business consultants in USA
and elsewhere.
IV.
Normally my articles have been quoted /copied /hosted
from a few score to 100 websites. These include in USA
left-wing web sites like the Z-mag , Salon.com, ICH.com,
right-wing web sites like Free Republic, many US
universities like New York, Columbia, California, Colorado,
Utah ,think tanks , anti war and alternate websites and
news papers like CSM and in other western countries,
201
London Economist regularly (country briefing) and others,
Kurdish , Armenian, Greek and Serbian websites , Israel ,
Turkish , Central , South and East Asia , Africa including
most of the Islamic world from Kyrgyzstan to Nigeria and
Indonesia to Morocco.
V.
The articles have been translated into Chinese and in a
number of major West European, Middle Eastern and East
Asian languages (and 10 Indian regional languages). I
know, apart from English and a few Indian languages,
French, Turkish and Arabic.
VI.
I have delivered lectures covering Turkey, Central Asia,
Middle East, Military in Politics ,Pakistan , Globalisation
and Balkans etc at India International Centre ,Institute of
Defence and Strategic Analyses ,Foreign Service Institute ,
Jawahar Lal Nehru University ,Indian Council of World
affairs ,India Habitat Centre etc in New Delhi and at
Aligarh university ,Ahmedabad Management Association
etc (At the universities of Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent,
Andijan etc in 1998). Also at cultural centres in Berlin and
Bucharest. I have also been an expert commentator on
Middle East, Turkey, Islam for Indian Star News and Sahara
TV programs when in Delhi.
VII.
BBC Hindi service interviews me in Bucharest regularly for
their Radio news broadcasts.
VIII.
I was also posted as Ambassador in Bucharest in 1981-84
.Other posts as Ambassador were in Senegal (1978-82 )
and Jordan (1989-92 - During the first Gulf war) .Other
posts were in Cairo (1962-64), Algiers (1964-65) , Ankara
(1969-73) , Paris (1973-75).I served in the Indian Ministry
of External Affairs in various capacities and established its
Diplomats Training Institute in 1987-89. I attended
National Defence College, New Delhi in 1976 and was
Chairman/MD of India’s largest Indian Drugs and
Pharmaceuticals Ltd in 1985 and 1986. While posted in
Amman, I had organized evacuation to India of nearly
140,000 Indian refugees who had come from Kuwait.
202
Ghanshiam Das
Spouse
: Raj Kumari Dhingra
Address
: J-28, Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi-110027
Phone
: 09810085654
Significant postings held:
i.
Deputy Controller General of Accounts (1978-1982),
Ministry of Finance.
ii.
General Manager (B.H.E.L)
iii.
Director (Finance) N.H.P.C.
iv.
C.M.D. N.H.P.C (Acting Charge)
Family Details:
i.
Monish Dhingra, Engineer, U.S.A- Automobile Industry
ii.
Monica (Dhingra) Munjal, Teaching- Vice Principal New
Delhi
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

Somnath Som (IAS), as a room-mate at the academy was a
wonderful company, very learned, unassuming.

M.G.Gupta (IAAS), I enjoyed his company; down to earth
pragmatism; sharp witted lovable.
203
Govind Mishra
Spouse
: Smt Shakuntla Mishra
Address
: HX-94, E-7, Arera Colony Bhopal-462016
Phone
: 0755/2467060, 09827560110
Significant posting held:
i.
Chairman Central Board of Direct Taxes
ii.
Member-Central Board of Direct Taxes
iii.
Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Ahmedabad)
]
Family Details
i.
Manoj KumartMishra (Son): Associate Vice President in
multinational company, married, one daughter
ii.
Manu Mishra (daughter): housewife, married, two sons
Important dates in your life
Date
1959 May
01-06-1961
31-07-1997
1998
2000
2008
2008
Occasion
Passed M.A (English) Allahabad University
Joined IRS, Academy Mussoorie
Retired from Govt. of India
Honoured with VYAS Samman for novelPaanch Aanganwala Ghar
Honoured with Subramanya Bharti Award
by Dr. Kalam (President of India)
Honoured by Allahabad University as ex
student for contribution to literature
Sahitya Academy Award (Central) for
Kohre mein kaid rang (Novel)
A few lines about any of your colleagues :
Sri B.R.Basu of the IAS was my roommate, still a dear friend
204
Gyanedra Kumar Kanchan
Spouse
: Pushplata Kanchan
Address
: A-42, Swarn Jayanti Railnagar, Plot A-01,
Sector-50, Noida, U.P. 201306
Email
: gk20jan@yahoo.co.in
Phone
: 9810346020
Significant postings held:
i.
Chief Passenger Transportation Manager, Northern Rly.
ii.
Ex. Director (Traffic & Transporation) Railway Board
iii.
Divisional Railway Manager, Delhi Division, N.R
iv.
Adviser (Planning) Railway Board (Ministry of Railways)
Family Details:
i.
Ms. Madhurima Kanchan, Architect, Presently teaching in
Sri Ram School, Gurgaon, Spent several years abroad in
Romania, Indonesia, Singapore. Widely travelled abroad.
ii.
Ms. Pallavi Kanchan, Director, Global Banking, H.S.B.C.,
Mumbai, Alumnus- St. Stephens College, Delhi & Faculty of
Management, Delhi University
Important dates in your life:
Date
Dec 2,1961
Oct,1962
March 31,1965
July/August,1980
Oct,1991
Occasion
Marriage
Changed from I.P.S to I.R.T.S
Birthday of my eldest daughter
First trip abroad
Posting as D.R.M., Delhi
205
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

I.G. Jhingran, IAS, Sharp, smart and witty with a great
sense of humour

S.N Chaturvedi, IPS, Embodiment of simplicity, integrity
and honesty & virtuous living.
206
H. A. D. Sawian
Spouse:
: Bibimai Sawian
Address:
Email:
: Buena Vista, North Golflinks, Lumshyiap,
Shilong 793 001
: arthursawian@yahoo.co.in
Phone:
: +9194361 61421 / 0364-2591188
Significant postings held:
i.
C.E.O (Z.P) Akola)
ii.
Secretary Horticulture & Social Forestry Department
Mantralaya
iii.
Joint Secretary DAE, Mumbai
iv.
Secretary N.E.C, Shillong
Family details:
i.
Minette, Spouse: Prof. R.H. Duncan Lyngdoh, Ph.d. NEHU
(Chemistry Dept) Shillong. Associate in Music Theory,
Criticism and Literature, Trinity College London.
ii.
Licentiate (equivalent to Honours Degree) Trinity College
London. Representative of Trinity Guildhall in Shillong and
Guwahati. Music Teacher, Shillong, Daughter: Lashynna.
Post Graduate Student in Puducherry
iii.
Lyndan. Sr Partner, Sr Director Worldwide IT Ogilvy &
Mather Worldwide, New York. Spouse: Priya, Managing
Director, Corporate & Financial Practice BursonMarsteller, New York , MBA University of Bombay
207
iv.
Son: Liam 7 years, Daughter: Syian 4 years,
Ceilidor.Spouse: Naveen Nithyanand Master, British
Petroleum, Home maker, Bangaluru, Daughter: Tanaya 7
years, Son: Dhruv 3 years
Important dates in your life.
Date
31.08.1957
22.05.1961
27.02.1973
24.07.1993
31.03.19996
208
Occasion
Graduating with Honours in Economics.
Union Public Service Commission
recommended for appointment to the IAS
only.
Admitted as Member of the Buena Vista
Coop Housing Society Bombay.
Took charge as Secretary to the Govt. of
India, N.E.C (MHA) Shillong
Superannuated.
Ishwar Dutt Shukla
Spouse
: Smt Sukirti Shukla
Address
: H.No.9-4-86/302,
Salarjung Colony Toli-Chowki
Hyderabad (AP) 500008
Phone
: 09849945400
Significant postings held:

Worked as postal held in North East, North West

And MP (11years), Ministry of finance (8years)

Communications Ministry (Board) 8years
Family Details
I.
Devashish Shukla (Son): Ministry of Food and Agriculture
New Delhi. His wife teaches Classical and Folk Dances
(New Delhi)
II.
Gaurav Shukla (Son): Radiologist-own Diagnostic Centre at
Hyderabad. His wife is Cosmetic Surgeon in Hyderabad
Important dates in your life:
Date
01-01-1936
10-01-1961
12-02-1963
29-07-1964,
14-05-1971
31-12-1993
Occasiopn
Date of Birth
Joining Postal service
Date of Marriage
Blessed with sons
Date of Retirement
209
J. C. Pant
Spouse
: Dr. Abha Pant.
Address
: "Shraddha Kunj", 159/I Vasant Vihar,
Dehradun - 248006.
Email
: jcpant@reacha.org or
jcpant.reacha@gmail.com
Phone
: 0135 - 2761819.
Significant postings held:
I.
Chief Electoral Officer, UP from 1980 to 1990, in addition
to holding all other assignments of the state government
of UP from time to time. In those days the CEO also
organized local body & Panchayat elections.
II.
Secretary, Principal Secretary to state government from
1978 to 1990 in various departments like Labour &
Training, Harijan & Social Welfare, Power, Science &
Technology, Forests, PWD, Government Estates,
Transport, Hill Development, Sports and Education
(Primary, Secondary, Higher, Adult Literacy & Non-formal
elementary education). The longest tenure of three & half
years was in Education department, followed by two years
each in Forests & PWD. The shortest tenure of six months
was in Power, Science & Technology & as Administrator
Sharda Sahayak Command Area Authority.
III.
GoI deputation to Department of Agriculture &
Cooperation, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi from 1990 to 1995
first as Additional Secretary, Special Secretary & then as
Secretary to GoI.
IV.
Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare from May,
1995 to 31st December, 1996 (the date of retirement at
the age of 58 years).
210
General: In the senior time scale I was posted as district magistrate
in four districts of UP - Hardoi, Raebareli, Saharanpur &
Meerut from 1968 to 1973. Before that I was Joint
Magistrate, Meerut (SDM Hapur) & SDM Lalitpur, district
Jhansi UP. I was Area Organizer SSB, Chamoli at Joshimath
from April, 1965 to March, 1968
Family Details:
I.
Lalit (age 43 years). He is a product of IIT Kanpur (B. Tech.)
& IIT Delhi (M.Tech.). He worked as an engineer/architect
in the software industry in India for the first six years, and
then USA for eleven years. He has now returned to India
with his family, and is in Dehradun, doing his own thing
(www.kogics.net),
preparing
interactive
(virtual
laboratory) software for the education of children in the
areas of Mathematics, Computer programming, Science,
Music & Computer games. He is also devoting a few hours
every week to interact with students of Him Jyoti School,
Dehradun set up by the former governor of Uttarakhand,
Shri Sudarshan Agarwal. His wife Vibha has an MS degree
from USA in market research & works as a freelancer for
companies requiring data analysis, strategic report writing
etc. They have two children, Anusha aged 10 years,
studying in Asian School, in Dehradun & a son Aditya aged
3 years, going to a play school. Lalit has been & is one of
the most important donors for REACHA, both in cash &
kind, as well as in supporting Nikhil in his onerous duties
as honorary Member Secretary of REACHA, explained in
the next bullet.
II.
Nikhil (age 41 years). He is B.Tech. from MNR Engineering
College, Allahabad who after a short stint of working in a
corporate house (MN Dastur & Co. Ltd) drifted to student
counseling & teaching Mathematics & Physics to children
at secondary level in Manav Bharti India International
School, New Delhi, from where he has recently joined as a
Senior Consultant to Tech Mahindra Foundation,
dedicated to childrens' education. Nikhil is a sportsman
211
from his student days, who has now taken to coaching
children in games, specially squash raquet to develop their
innate skills. He is also honorary Member Secretary of
REACHA (acronym for Research & Extension Association
for Conservation, Horticulture & Agro-forestry), a
voluntary association (website - http://www.reacha.org)
set up by me in 1992, while still in service, to promote
rainwater
conservation,
comprehensive
rural
development, energy conservation, child education,
population stabilization & "health for all" in the spirit of
the directive principles of state policy of the Indian
Constitution. My own charity is given to REACHA for its
corpus. Nikhil also is one of the important donors to
REACHA every year. Ruchi, his wife is a Deputy General
Manager in Bharat Electronics Ltd, Ghaziabad, UP, and
also helps Nikhil in his REACHA work. They have a son
Mudit aged 14 years, who is studying in class IX in Manav
Bharti India International School, New Delhi & is aspiring
to become a squash raquet champion.
III.
Abha did her MBBS from SMS Medical College, Jaipur from
1961 to 1966, after doing her B. Sc. from Maharani's
College, Jaipur. After doing her internship for a year in
Umed Hospital, Jodhpur she was posted as Civil Assistant
Surgeon there. We got married thereafter & she moved
about with me from place to place, offering her medical
services in an honorary capacity in the local district
hospital in each place. She formally joined the Provincial
Medical Service (PMS) UP in August, 1976 & retired on
31st January, 2001 from PMS Uttaranchal. From April,
1990 to March, 2000 she was Chief Medical Officer,
NDMC, New Delhi. The 1961 batch of MBBS doctors from
SMS Medical College too are celebrating their Golden
Jubilee in Jaipur from 14th to 16th August, 2011.
212
Important dates in my life:
i.
Set my eyes for the first time on Trishul Parbat in the
Garhwal Himalayas from Kausani in May, 1957 on our
(Expedition of Allahabad University Mountaineering Club)
way to Pindari Glacier in the Kumoan Himalayas. Did Basic
& Advance courses in mountaineering from HMI
Darjeeling respectively in June 1959 (before joining IAS) &
in May 1963, after joining service at Meerut as joint
magistrate (SDM Hapur), on my own expenses.
ii.
Got married to Abha on 10th July, 1967 in Jodhpur. Her
move from the desert of Rajasthan to the rugged terrain of
Joshimath, where I was then posted as Area Organizer,
SSB for Chamoli district was a real test of her capacity for
adjustment in her new home, apart from other well known
challenges.
iii.
Joining the first district posting in Hardoi in UP as district
magistrate in July, 1968.
iv.
Joining as Secretary to the state government in February,
1978.
v.
Met Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya at Shantikunj,
Haridwar on 6th March, 1979 accidentally, who was to
soon become my Gurudev.
vi.
Joining as Secretary to Government of India in October,
1993.
vii.
Setting up REACHA, a voluntary association in New Delhi in
March 1992, dedicated to promote the work culture of the
directive principles of state policy of the Indian
Constitution, apart from specifically promoting rainwater
conservation, energy conservation, comprehensive rural
development, child education, population stabilization &
"health for all".
viii.
Was appointed honorary Chairman of the High Powered
Committee in August, 1998 by GoI to prepare disaster
management plans for the country, the states & the
213
districts, in which task the LBSNAA, Mussoorie provided
valuable assistance to the HPC.
ix.
Was member of an international review committee set up
by WHO in 2000 to go into their disease prevention &
health promotion programmes the world over, which
involved visiting Geneva about half a dozen times &
Washington once. I couldn't visit Harare because I was not
vaccinated for some disease which I am forgetting.
x.
Was appointed honorary Chairman of a Task Force by the
Planning Commission of India in July, 2000, to prepare
guidelines for the Xth Five Year Plan, relating to Rainwater
Conservation & Natural Resources Management.
xi.
Was appointed honorary Chairman of a Review
Committee in February, 2001 to go into the management
of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, by MoHRD, GoI with
wide terms of reference regarding their educational
contents as well.
xii.
Was elected Chairman of India Literacy Board (ILB),
Literacy House, Lucknow in July, 2000 for two terms of
three years each till 31st July, 2006.
xiii.
Was appointed Chairman, Administrative Reforms'
Commission by the state government of Uttarakhand in
March, 2006.
xiv.
Was appointed honorary Chairman of the Managing
Committee of the Uttarakhand Red Cross Society for a
term of three years.
xv.
Was President, Himalayan School Society, Dehradun &
Him Jyoti Foundation, Dehradun for a term of three years
in July, 2006.
xvi.
Launch of the book of my memoirs - "Pandit Sriram
Sharma Acharya As I Knew Him...Memoirs of a Civil
Servant" by Shri Sudarshan Agarwal, former Governor of
Uttarakhand on 9th October, 2010 in the Him Jyoti School,
Dehradun. Shri. Agarwal who wrote the FOREWORD to the
214
book, concluded it with the sentence - "This is a book
worth reading by every public servant, social activist and
conscientious citizen of India" The book can be obtained
by ordering at the website " http://www.reacha.org " . I
am grateful to Shri Padamvir Singh, Director of LBSNAA for
being one of the first few persons to order online three
copies of the book for the Academy Library. I am grateful
to five of my dear batch mates who bought the book as
soon as they learnt about it - PV Venkatakrishnan, KS
Ramakrishnan (Ramki), TSR Subramanian, Ram Updesh
Singh & Shiv Kakodkar. Other IAS retired officers who have
bought a copy each are BK Chaturvedi, Member Planning
Commission, New Delhi; Prashant Kumar Mishra, Member
UPSC, New Delhi, Dr RC Pant, Lucknow; Dr. RS Tolia & JS
Joshi, Dehradun & Pravin Sharma, Lucknow. The entire
royalty from the sales of this book has been donated by
me to REACHA for its corpus.
A few lines about any of my colleagues:
This is a very difficult column to fill within the short space of this
annexure. As many as two dozen or even more of my batch mates
& others are close friends & are on regular emailing circuit for the
last three years, where we exchange our frank views very often. I
would have 3-4 lines to write about each of them, which I am sure
even they may already know. So, I am not attempting to fill this
column, with my apologies.
215
J. K. Kuriyan
MSc., LL.B, M. Phil.
Spouse
: Nirmala
Address
: “Anugraha” 22, Da Costa Layout,
Bangalore-560084
Email
: jkkuriyan@gmail.com
Phone
: 8025461675
Significant postings held:
i.
ii.
iii.
Commissioner of Income Tax-I, Mumbai (1987-1991)
Director General Investigation (East), Calcutta (1991-1992)
Chief Commissioner of Income Tax-I, West Bengal (19921993)
Chief Commissioner of Income Tax-I, Karnataka, Goa,
Kerala (1993-1995)
iv.
Family Details:

Dr. Vikram John Kuriyan, Managing Director, Bank of
America, New York, B.E. (M.I.T, Boston), Ph.D (Harvard)
Important dates in your life:
Date
01-04-1937
01-06-1961
31-12-1964
Occasion
Date of Birth
Joined Govt. service
Got married
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

Gur Pratap Singh, Known as “Jeeves”. Is always bubbling
with humour.
216
Janaki Kathpalia
Spouse
: Ravi Kathpalia
Address
: D 935, New Friends Colony
New Delhi-110025
kathpalia.100@gmail.com
Email
Phone
: 26924715
Signficant postings held
I.
Director, Ministry of Supply
II.
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Deptt. Of Expenditure
III.
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Deptt. Of
Economic Affairs
IV.
IMF Advisor, Government of Sierra Leone
Family Details
I.
Priya Jakob: Teaches English, lives in Klosters in the Swiss
Alps
Important dates in your life
Date
03-06-1961
27-10-1962
02-07-1971
24-07-1976
31-08-1995
Occasion
Started my career in the IAAS
Got married
Birth of my daughter
Transferred to the Indian Civil Accounts
Service
Retired from Central Government Service
217
Jayasankar Shivakumar
Spouse
: Charu Shivakumar
Address
: 9423 Spruce Tree Circle, Bethesda, Maryland
20814-1654, USA
Email
: Jayasankar.shivakumar@gmail.com
Phone
: 001-301-326-3557
Significant postings held:
i.
Deputy Secretary,Finance Department, Tamil Nadu (196370)
ii.
Collector Nilgiris and Coimbatore (1970-74)
iii.
Special Assistant to
Subramaniam and H.
iv.
M. Patel (1974-77)
v.
Division Chief at the World Bank (1986-97)
vi.
Director at the World Bank (1997-2001)
vii.
Senior Consultant at the World Bank (2001-to date)
viii.
Chairman and President of the World Bank Alumni
Association (2007-to date)
Union
Finance
Ministers
C.
Family Details

Wife: Mrs Charu Shivakumar, Retired as Director,
Westgate Child Center, McLean,Virginia.

Daughter: Dr Sumati Rajagopalan, Staff Scientist, National
Academy of Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
218

Son: Dr Sujai Shivakumar, Program Officer, National
Academy of Sciences, Washington DC.

Son: Dhananjai Shivakumar(Deceased)

Four grandsons and one grand daughter.
Important dates in your life:
Date
June ,1962:
November,1974
June 1,1977
1977-78
October 11,1978
August 31,1981
June 1,1997
July 31,2001
Occasion
Moved to Tamil Nadu
Moved to Delhi
Moved to USA
MPA Program at Harvard
Joined World Bank at Washington
Retired from IAS
Posted as World Bank Country
Director at Bangkok
Retired from the World Bank
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
I specially remember E S Parthasarathy, a delightful colleague, who
died while on duty in Assam, a victim of terrorism. And I salute
several of my collegaues, who maintained the highest standard of
integrity during the career, though never formally recognized or
rewarded and have performed their tasks combining a high degree
of efficiency with compassion.
219
K.S. Ramakrishnan
IAS, Tamilnadu
Spouse
: Santha
Address
: AD 79, Anna Nagar, Chennai 600 040
Email
: ksramakrishnan@yahoo.com
Phone
: 99406 61937; 044 42015670
Significant Postings Held:
I.
Commissioner, Madurai Corporation;
II.
Collector, Kanyakumari District
III.
Deputy Chairman, Madras Port Trust
IV.
Voluntarily retired from IAS in 1980.
V.
Was Divisional Manager (Corporate Planning), Ashok
Leyland, Chennai for 2 years;
VI.
Was Resident Editor, Indian Express (South Indian
Editions) from 1983 to 1986
VII.
Was Director, Press Institute of India from 1986 to 1995.
VIII.
Presently Editor & Publisher of 4 Neighbourhood
Newspapers in Chennai - Anna Nagar Times, Kilpauk
Times, Mambalam Times & Ashok Nagar Times
IX.
Running American Education Aids, a correspondence
institute for GMAT, GRE & TOEFL and helped over 15,000
Indian students to get admission and financial assistance
in leading US Universities since1980.
220
Family Details:
I.
Shankar (Son), B. Tech (IIT, Chennai), MS (Purdue
University, USA)
II.
Charu (Daughter), B.Com, MBA (Maharishi University),
MBA (Texas A & M University, USA), MBA (Thunderbird
University, USA)
Important Dates:
I.
1961: Recruitment to IAS
II.
1964: Marriage
III.
1980: Voluntary Retirement from IAS
IV.
1983: Becoming a Journalist as Resident Editor of a leading
newspaper Indian Express
221
Kantipudi Padmanabhaiah
Address
: 8-2-684/1/14 ROAD NO. 12,
Banjara hills,
Hyderabad-50003
Phone
: 07893996692
Significant postings held:
i.
Last post held Union Home Secretary
Important dates in your life
Date
06-10-1938
31-10-1997
Occasion
Date of birth
Date of retirement
Awarded Padma Bhushanin 2008 for very distinguished service as
Civil servant.
222
Kishan K. Khanna
Address
: 702, Manish Mahal, Veera Desai Road,
Andheri (W), Bombay - 400053
Phone
: 91-9821590768, 91-22-26734597
The following unique achievement in diverse, disparate, academic
and professional fields were made in addition to the necessary,
unending, continuous, incessant fights against corruption and
nepotism, with extraordinarily honest, sincere course of action for
self and persons working under me so that not a single paisa of
public funds including common abuse of staff car by self and family
members, and yet winning shields for departmental efficiency,
proficiency, and innovations, and normal and accelerated
promotions, with excellent staff, union, and public relations:
I.
Action as a company commander of Bombay Sappers, of
Indian Army, in Indo- Pak war in Sep. 1965, physically
facing every day, morning evening, Pak bullets, rockets,
bombs, machine gun fire, personally at Gadra Road in
Barmer Sector
II.
Three times Engineer, post-graduate degrees: Electrical,
Aeronautical, and Electronic
III.
Produced, Directed, and played leading roles in two dozen
full length Hindi stage plays, Ravindralaya, Lucknow,
1967-70, acclaimed golden period of Hindi Drama in
Lucknow, UP
IV.
Welfare projects for 30,000 staff at NO EXTRA Cost to
government, removal of cases of corruption by unions and
vested interests – fighting then big wigs of UP like
Bahuguna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, J.P. Chaube, and others.
223
V.
Master’s degree in Pub. Administration (M.P.A.), Kent
State, USA, 1971, in record time of 9 months with GPA 4.0
VI.
Ph.D. (Pub. Admin.), Kent, USA, in record time of 2 years,
1971-73, with GPA of over 3.95, general standard 5 yrs.
VII.
Professor of Public Administration, USA, teaching
postgraduate courses in P.A., US. Constitution, Watergate,
New P.A. etc.
VIII.
Seminal Research on attitudes and perceptions of higher
civil servants (Class I Gazetted Officers) of India; Book on
Behavioral Approach to Bureaucratic Development
IX.
Seminal Research on comparison of attitudes and
perceptions of senior civil servants of India and USA
X.
Extraordinary feat of presenting THREE scholarly papers on
three different subjects of Pub. Admin. at International
Conference of ASPA at Chicago, 1974
XI.
Guide for Master’s Degree and Ph.D. Students in Pub.
Admin, in US universities
XII.
Professor of Management at Railway Staff College Baroda,
Courses for Senior General Managers of Indian Railways
1975-77
XIII.
Consultant Professor for Management Courses in OB , OD
& Personal Development for Public Sector , Private Sector
and Government managers conducted by Management
Associations, ISTD, and other associations
XIV.
Seminal Doctoral dissertation in Pub. Admin. recognized
by UNESCO and invited as Private Expert for International
conference on Public Admin., in 1977
XV.
Recognized as Expert in Public Administration, invited by
OAU, 1978
XVI.
As project manager for RCF, Bombay, acquired over 2,000
acres of land over several villages for Thal Fertilizer Project
in 1979-80 -- with goodwill and thankfulness and without
agitation from over 1500 land owners of Raigadh District,
224
Maharashtra. – Simultaneously, for ONGC and Deepak
Fertilizer projects, in URAN and PANVEL, 1 DSP, several
others killed – compare present situation in UP, Bengal
etc.
XVII.
Initiated the project of computerization in Railways: with
President of India sanctioning special funds of Rs. 5.00
lakhs for pilot project
XVIII.
18. Contributed over 200 articles in Economic Times,
Financial Express, Times of India, Dharmayug (Hindi),
Sarita (Hindi), etc. on various aspects of bureaucracy,
macro and micro- planning, civil rights, social well being
etc. 1980-1984
XIX.
19. 1984: Books: PROACTIVE BUREAUCRACY and
BUREAUCRATIC BLUNDERWORLD
for students and
practitioners of public administration
XX.
20. 1984: Books:
EXECUTIVE DECISION MAKING and
EXECUTIVE PSYCHOSIS for top level managers in Private
Sector and bureaucrats
XXI.
21. Published Books included in reading list for Master’s
and Ph.D. Students by Indian Institute of Public
Administration in India, New Delhi
XXII.
22. 1985: State level Drama Festival and competition for
promotion of Hindi and Marathi Stage
XXIII.
23. Senior Professor and Senior Examiner in Graduate,
Post graduate and Ph.D. guide in Management subjects,
University of Bombay; 24. Recognized Teacher, University
of Bombay
XXIV.
25. Books: LOGISTICS MANAGEMNT and MANAGEMENT
OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES IN INDIA for students of MBA,
MMS, MMM, MAM
XXV.
26. Advocate, Supreme Court of India, and Attorney at
Law, and Immigration Attorney, USA-- helping the poor,
weak and needy as a pro bono advocate
225
XXVI.
27. Fourth Post-Graduate degree: LL.M., University of
Bombay 1997 with first prize in International Relations
XXVII.
28. Second Ph.D. degree in Law, University of Bombay,
2006 with Doctoral Dissertation on improvement of
judicial system in India
XXVIII.
29. Recent books: LCM AND HCF OF DEMOCRACY and
SACRIFICAL GOATS, SCAPE GOATS AND GUINEA PIGS on
unalienable rights of man and equality of all men
226
Lt Col R.A.Arya, VSM
Spouse
: Geeta Arya
Address
: “Vaikunth”, A-1519, Indira Nagar
Lucknow-226016, Uttar Pradesh, India
Phone
: 0522-2310014, +91-9554213184
Significant Postings held:
 Chief Passenger Traffic Superintendent, North Eastern
Railway, Gorakhpur

Chief Claims Officer, North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur.

Transportation Advisor to the Nepal Government in the
year 1968 regarding the extension of Jaingar- JanakpurBhutaha Railways, Nepal

Commander of 972 Railway Engineers Territorial Army,
Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

During Bangladesh war in 1971 my Unit was deployed. My
Company did the survey of Railway Station and tracks
from Saedpur to Harding Bridge in Bangladesh under my
supervision as Major.
Family Details:
I.
Dr.Amitabh Arya: MD Assistant Professor, Deptt. Of
Nuclear Medicine Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute
Of Medical Sciences, Raebareli Road, Lucknow-226014,
State- Uttar Pradesh, India Telephone: 91-522-2494611
(O), 2494612 (R), Cell phone: +91-9415323842, E-mail:
dramitabharya@yahoomail.com. International Fellowship:
Dr. Amitabh Arya, MD C/o. Ms. Yun-Hee Im, Manager,
Coordinator- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul
National University College of Medicine. 28, Yongon- dong,
Chongno- Gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea. Formerly: 1.
Consultant & Head: Department of Nuclear Medicine,
227
Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital & Research Centre,
Bhopal, India 2. Associate Professor & Head: Department
of Nuclear Medicine College & Research Institute (DU)
Chennai, India, 3. Assistant Professor & Head: Department
of Nuclear Medicine The Gujarat Cancer & Research
Institute (RCC) Ahmadabad, India
II.
Siddhartha Arya: Advocate, Supreme Court of India,
Permanent Address-“Vaikunth”, A-1519, Indira Nagar,
Lucknow-226016, Uttar Pradesh, India, Mobile/Phone
+919935260089 (Lucknow), +91-9873339318 (New Delhi).
Practicing as an Advocate in Supreme Court of India, New
Delhi and is also dealing into matters related to High
Courts and different Tribunals and Commissions etc.
Present Address- 13-DDA Flats, Todapur, Pusa Road, New
Delhi, 1. MA in Medieval and modern Indian History,
Lucknow University. 2. LLB Lucknow University.3. Post
Graduate Diploma in Criminal Procedure and Advocacy,
Lucknow University.4. Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate
Law and Management, Indian Law Institute, New Delhi
Important dates in your life:
Date
Occasion
1971
After Bangladesh war in 1971 I was decorated
with Sangram medal and Poorvi Star Medal.
1981-82
During Assam Students Union (ASU) agitation my
battalion restored the Railway train operation
amidst total bandh/ strike and violence in most
parts of Assam and for which I was decorated
with Visisht Seva Medal by the then Hon’ble
President of India Sri. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy on
th
20 July 1982
th
Received 25 Independence Anniversary Medal.
Received Territorial Army Medal on completing
full 20 years in Railway Territorial Army
1986
I was the first to introduce computers in Indian
Railways in the Claims Department while I was
posted in North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur as
Chief Claims Officer.
228
Madhav K. Mangalmurti
Spouse
: AnjaniMangalmurti
Address
: A 10, Shefali, ICS Colony, Pune 411007
Email
: mmangalmurti@gmail.com
Phone
: 020 25535662, +91 9822498415
Significant Postings:
i.
Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs
ii.
Ambassador to Cuba
iii.
Ambassador to Switzerland with concurrent accreditation
to Vatican and Liechtenstein.
iv.
First High Commissioner to South Africa after
reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations.
Family Details:
i.
Ajit Mangalmurti, son, MD of Crux Pharmaceuticals, South
Africa, B.Com. MSc.(Pharmaceutical Affairs)
ii.
Roopa McNealis, daughter, , MBA (Stanford )
Important dates in your life:
Date
4/5/1938
21/5/1962
st
1 June 1961
st
31 May 1996
Occasion
Date of Birth
Date of Marriage
Date of Joining Service
Date of Retirement
229
A few lines about any of your colleagues.
The 1961 batch has a very large number of colleagues who have
achieved great distinction. I cannot mention them all but I would
be failing in my duty if I do not mention, Shri Hamid Ansari,Vice
President; Shri Tejendra Khanna, Lt. Gov. Delhi and Shri Raman
Subramaniam, former Cabinet Secretary with all of whom I had
some association at different times and whom I count among my
personal friends.
230
Mahendra Singh
IRS (1961), IAS (1962)
Spouse
: Naraini Singh
Address
: “Naraini”, 5J-2A, Shanti Path
Jawahar Nagar, Jaipur-302004
Email
: Manishsingh00@hotmail.com
Phone
: 91 9414075354, +91 0141-2653003
Significant Posts Held

Director, Ministry of Defence, Member Secretary Sainik
Schools, South Block, New Delhi.

Councillor (Coordination), Indian Embassy, Moscow-USSR.

Principal Secretary, Home & Justice, Govt. of Rajasthan,
Jaipur.

Chairman, Rajasthan State Roads Transport Corporation
(Chief Secretary Scale), Rajasthan.

After
retirementMember-Secretary,
National
Commission for Economically Backward Classes, Ministry
of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India, New
Delhi
231
Family Details
I.
Ajay Singh: wife - Mrs. Anita Singh, and present work
Govt. Job, now business
II.
Arun Singh: wife - Mrs. Shakun Singh, and present work
Govt. Job (Raj.)
III.
Pankaj Singh, wife - Mrs. Deepti Singh, and present work
Govt. Job now business
IV.
Manish Singh, wife - Mrs. Parineeta Singh, and present
work Job in private sector, now Consultant.
Important Dates in your life
Date
nd
2 July, 1938
th
10 Jan. 1942
April, 1961
th
11 May, 1962
Aug., 1962
232
Occasion
Birth Date (Self)
Birth Date of Mrs. Naraini Singh (Wife)
Joined NAA-IRS (Prob.)
Marriage
Joined NAA-IFS, IAS (joined as IAS
prob.)
P. V. Venkatakrishnan
Spouse
: Alamelu
Address
: 2D, Front Block, Sri Sai Subodaya Apts, 66, East
Coast Rd, Tiruyanmiyur, Chennai-600041
Email
: venkipv36@gmail.com
Phone
: 9789021128/044-24482070, 044-43590128
Significant postings held
i.
First Secretary, High Commission Of India, Sri Lanka
ii.
Chairman &
Corporation
iii.
Secretary to Govt OF Tamil Nadu, Industries Dept.
iv.
Collector, Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu.
v.
Member, Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam
Bench.
Managing
Director,
Delhi
Transport
Family Details:
i.
Dr. Sita Ramamurti, Professor, Mathematics at Trinity
college, Washington DC,USA, Doctorate From George
Washington University Washington DC, USA
ii.
Dr.V. Venkataraman, Professor of Physics, Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore, Doctorate From Princeton
University N.J.,USA
iii.
Ms. Charu Murthy, Senior Manager, Infosys at Geneva,
Switzerland, MBA from Loyola College, Chicago, USA
233
Important dates in your life
Date
th
14 Sept 1936
1956-1960
1961 JUNE
th
17 JAN 1964
th
30 SEPT 1993
Occasion
Birth
Research work at IISc. Bangalore
Entry into I.A.S
Marriage
Retirement from service
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

Shri J.C.Pant, IAS., A genial trekking companion and a
competent upright officer

Shri M.A.K. Tayab, IAS, A very helpful and good friend,
thoroughly honest officer
234
Prem Narain Mittal
Spouse
: MITTAL, Shashi
Address
: A-56, Retreat Apartments;
20, I. P. Extension; Patparganj;
Delhi-110092
E-mail
: premmittal@satyam.net.in.
Telephone
: 011-22728401
Significant postings held:
I.
Member, Central Board of Direct Taxes
II.
Director General of Income-tax (Investigation) Bombay
III.
Director General of Income-tax (Investigation)
Ahmedabad covering the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra except Bombay
Family Details:
a.
Ms. Aparna Mittal (b. 20/06/1966) BSc. PGDM (IIM
Calcutta) . Presently working as Regional Director, AsiaPacific,
CEGEDIM Software Corp. She is based in
Singapore. Married to R. Venkatanathan, BE (IIT, Madras)
PGDM (IIM, Calcutta) ; Head of Citibank’s Private Banking
Division in Singapore. They have a 10 year daughter
named Avni.
235
b.
Dr. (Ms) Charu Gupta (b. 01/12/1970) MBBS, MS
(ophthalmology) specialises in Retina surgery. Is presently
working as a Senior Consultant, Shroff Eye Centre, New
Delhi. Married to Dr. Maneesh Kumar MBBS, MS
(Ophthalmology) specialising in Cataract and cosmetic
surgery. Both studied at Maulana Azad Medical Colllege,
Delhi. They have an 11-year son named Aditya.
Important dates :
th
18 March
th
7 June
th
20 June
th
13 July
th
25 July
st
1 August
th
7 November
st
1 December
th
20 January
st
31 March
236
Own birthday
Joining Foundation Course in Mussoorie
in 1961
Birthday of elder daughter Aparna
Birthday of Venkat (Aparna’s husband)
Spouse’s Birthday
Birthday of Aditya, our grand son
Birthday of Avni, our grand daughter
Birthday of younger daughter Charu
Birthday of Maneesh (Charu’s husband)
Date of superannuation
Proloy Kumar Bagchi
Spouse
: Bandana Bagchi
Address
: 1 Chinar Apartment, 18-2 Ridge Road, Idgah Hills,
Bhopal - 462001
Email
: proloybagchi@yahoo.co.in
Phone
: 0755-2547747; Mob: 9993377380
Significant postings held
i.
Postmaster General, Maharashtra & Goa (1984-88)
ii.
Chief Postmaster General, West Bengal, Sikkim &
Andaman & Nicobar
iii.
Member Postal Services Board and ex officio Additional
Secretary, Ministry of Communications
iv.
Universal Postal Union Consultant in Afghanisthan (1983),
Swaziland (1989) and Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania (1992)
Important dates in your life
Date
rd
3 September
th
29 July
th
14 March
Occasion
Birthday
Birthday of spouse
Wedding Anniversary
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
Among the services colleagues I have the most pleasant memories
of late T.K. Tochhawng who was not only a close friend but also a
very helpful colleague. A man of excellent breeding, his attitudesprofessional and social- were way above those brought up in
environments better than his.
237
R. R. Varma
Spouse
: Rama Varma
Address
: Anandvas, SuryaVihar, Khalini, Shimla (HP)
Phone
: 098160-74745
Significant posting held

State CID- Intelligence Postings as SP, DIG, IG

I.G (G) BSF and IG Kashmir BSF Frontier

State DGP

Chairman Public Service Commission
Family Details
I.
Rakesh Varma (Son): MLA, HP Vidhan Sabha, this being the
third term. Performs Social Service. Fond of traveling –
Domestic & Foreign.
II.
Tilotma Varma IPS, DIG/CBI- Delhi, Probity Protagonist
III.
Mamta Varma, IIS, Director Media to HRD Ministry, Fond
of Reading
Important dates in your life
Date
1961
1978
2008
2011
Occasion
Qualified the IPS
On becoming life member of the Yogoda satsang
Society of India
On publication of my third book, Culture of
Enlightenment
On publication of my forth book, Dynamics of Yoga
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
All of them with whom I am in contact are good
238
R.K.Puri
IPS 1961; IRTS 1962
Spouse
: (Late) Uma Puri
Address
: G-303, Som Vihar Apartment,
New Delhi-110022
E-mail
: rajkpuri@hotmail.com
Phone
: 09810125879 and 011-26187434
Significant postings held:

Joint Director, Military Rail Operations, Army
Headquarters:
Co-ordinated
the
planning
and
implementation of the largest ever rail moves of Defence
Forces to Eastern, Western and Northern fronts during the
Indo-Pak war of 1971 and evacuation of 91,000 Pak POWs
from Bangladesh to Pakistan via India. The work was
recognized by the Ministry of Railways by the award of the
“Vishist Yogyata Padak” to me in 1972.

Director, Minister of Commerce: Represented India at
multiple bilateral and multi lateral traded conference and
led the Indian Delegations to the Multilateral Trade
Negotiations Group of Developing Members Countries of
ESCAP and was the Signatory for India to the “Bangkok
Agreement on Tariff Preferences”, 1975.

Director, Tea Board of India, London: Posted at London,
was responsible for promotion and marketing of Indian
Tea in U.K., Ireland and Scandinavian Countries.

Joint Director, Tourism and International Co-operation,
Ministry of Railways: Led the Indian Railways drive in the
field of tourism and was responsible for the launch of the
famed “Palace-on-Wheels” luxury train in 1981. Was
seconded to UN-ESCAP and drafted the Constitution of
239
Asia Pacific Railway
established in ESCAP.
Co-operation
Group
(APRCG)

Member Secretary, National Committee of Tourism: Was
deputed to the Planning Commission as Member Secretary
of the Ministerial Level Committee set up on instruction of
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Ensured implementation of
the PM’S mandate to draw a long term plan for the growth
of tourism in the National Committee on Tourism’s Report
which was presented to Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi
in July 1988.

Founder Director, Indian institute of Tourism and Travel
Management (Ministry of Tourism): Contributed to human
resource development of tourism sector by authoring and
introducing India’s first Post Graduate Degree course in
Tourism – the Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) in
leading Indian and South Asian Universities. The
contribution received international recognition with the
award of “PATA GOLD Award- Grand” to me “for
Enhancement of Tourism Education in South Asia” at the
PATA General Assembly held at Vancouver in 1990.

Additional Member (Tourism & Catering), Railway Board:
Conceptualised the setting up of Indian Railway Catering
and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the Hundred Hotels
on Railway Land Scheme. Received the “IATO Hall of Fame
Award” in 1995 for Lifetime Achievement in Tourism.
Family Details:
I.
Daughter: Shobha Joshi - married with one daughter,
worked for 15 years with GAIL (Indian) Ltd., Currently
homemaker and freelance Writer.
II.
Son in law: Vibhas Joshi - Corporate Head, Commercial,
Moser Baer India
III.
Grand Daughter: Aparna Joshi - Student, Sanskriti School,
New Delhi
240
Important dates in your life:
Dec. 09
Jan. 21
June 05
June 15
Wedding Anniversary of Daughter
Daughter’s Birthday
Grand Daughter’s Birthday
Son-in-Law’s Birthday
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
Janardan Prasad Singh, IAS 1961: ‘JP’ and I shared a room on
the first floor in the Charliville Hostel during the Foundation
Course. A quintessential gentleman, delightful companion and a
Sanskrit scholar, well versed in Hindu philosophy, JP was a PhD
from London University and Bar-at-Law from Middle Temple.
He cut a distinguished figure with a hallmark ‘braid’ on his mop
of hair. Though a strict vegetarian in his food habits, JP was
quite liberal in his beverage preferences. Our friendship formed
at the Foundation Course has endured over the past half
century.
241
R.M. Vasant Kumar
Spouse
: Malathi
Address
: No.25. Infantry Road
Bangalore-560001
Email
: vvk1963@rediffmail.com
Phone
: 080-22864567
Significant posting held”
I.
Director General of Police CID
II.
Additional Director General- Administration
III.
Inspector General of police- Intelligence
IV.
Executive Director-Vigilance-HAL. Bangalore
Family Details
I.
II.
V.Vinay Kumar: Joint Director SIB, Ministry of Home Affairs
V.Manoj Kumar: Works for Orpyland Nashville, Tennessee,
USA
Important dates in your life
Date
16-04-1961
06-07-1961
21-10-1963
17-09-1966
06-07-2011
242
Occasion
Selected for the Indian Police Service
My marriage
Birth of my elder son
Birth of my younger son
Golden Jubilee of my marriage
R.Partha Sarathy
Spouse
: Chandra
Address
: 685 III Block, 6/A Cross, Koramangala
Bangalore 560034
Email
: rpsarathybgl@yahoo.co.uk
Phone
: 080125532917
Family Details:
I.
Mrs Padma Ashokkrishnan, Housewife, at U.S
II.
Ms. Sridevi Parthasarathy, Consultant/Trainer, MBA
from USA currently working in India
Important dates in your life:
Date
06-08-1937
05-06-1961
Occasion
Date of birth
Date of joining service
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
I.
II.
Mr. Sharad Behar IAS (Retd)
great fellow. We
keep regular touch
Mr. B.Madhvan IRS (Retd) close friend. In close
touch
243
Rajinder Jit Khurana
Spouse
: Veena Khurana
Significant posting held:
i.
On completion of training in Mussoorie and Mt.Abu was
allotted to Madhya Pradesh IPS Cadre. Served as ASP in
Billaspur, Bhind and Barwani and as SP in Bastar now in
th
Chattisgarh, Commandant 19
BN SAF, Bhilai,
Commandant 12 MPSAF, Arunchal Pradesh (then NEFA)
and again as SP Bhind in that order. From Bhind proceeded
on deputation to the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of
India. Served on Nepal desks for 2 years. Worked in
various Indian Missions abroad for about 14 years. Back in
Delhi held the change of Pakistan desks for nearly 6 years.
Was promoted as additional Secretary Cabinet secretariat
and worked there from 1991 to 1994. Was promoted as
Chairman Joint Intelligence Committee, Cabinet
Secretariat in the rank of Secretary to the Government of
India in early 1995. Retired on July 31, 1996. Since then
have been living in Bhopal (MP). Engaged in social work
Write for a number of newspaper and magazines. Also
involved in farming
ii.
Recipient of President Police Medal for Gallantry,
President Police Medals for Meritorious Service and
several commendation certificates and letters from the
State Government, IGP and DIGP.
Family Details:
i.
Ashu Dutt (Son): MBA CPA worked as Chief Consulting
Editor & Anchor on affairs for NDTV, STAR, CNBC, ET now
and Bloomberg Business.
ii.
Ayushi Dutt (Daughter): did her schooling in Delhi,
Bangkok and the US. Stays with us in Bhopal
244
iii.
Aditya Dutt (Son): Works as senior Vice President in a
ReInsurance Co. in Bermuda. Married
245
Ramadhar
Spouse
: Gulab Devi (Mrs.)
Address
: ‘Gulab Vatika’ Akashwani Road, Khajpura,
Patna-800014
Email
: mr.ramadhar@gmail.com
Phone
: 9631624730/0612- 2580103
Significant postings held:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Minister (Agriculture), Indian Embassy, Rome, Italy
Chief, Technical and Economic Cooperation among
Developing Countries (TCDC/ECDC), FAO of the United
Nations, Rome, Italy
Member, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
(CACP) Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, New
Delhi
(iv) Chairman, Bihar State Farmers Commission, Patna
Important dates in your life :
Date
1959-61
1961
246
Occasion
Enjoyed my job as Lecturer, Deptt of
English, BHU
Joined IAS and enjoyed the training and
friendship of colleagues
1970-72
2000-2004
2006-2009
Deputy Commissioner, Palamau and
Singhbhum, predominantly tribal districts,
working among the disadvantaged and
under privileged
As member, CACP, interaction with the
farmers was very rewarding
Working for Bihar farmers was very
satisfying
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
All the colleagues were so endearing- difficult to make choice
247
S. H. Manghani
Spouse
: Kamini
Address
: C-112, II Floor, East of Kailash,
New Delhi- 110065
Phone
: 09313417030
Significant postings held:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Additional Deputy Comptroller And Auditor General, New
Delhi
Director General of Defence Services, New Delhi
Principal Accountant General, Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior
Joint Secretary level post in Cabinet Sectt., New Delhi
Family Details:
i.
ii.
iii.
Anil Manghani, Son, Bank Manager Canada, Toronto, Age
48
Vishal Manghani, Son, Owns a software business on
Singapore, Age 39
Anjali, Daughter, Housewife, Age 43
Important dates in your life:
Date
21-10-1937
21-10-1960
01-01-1961
31-10-1995
248
Occasion
Date of birth
Date of marriage
Date of joining FC at LBSNAA
Retirement
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

S.J.S Ahluwalia, We were together in several stations,
Jaipur Chandigarh and North East. We shared excellent
rapport. He was also my roommate in our training course
in IAAS.

M.G. Gupta, Ghanshiam Das and Mrs. J. Kathpalia, These
three officers and I were posted in Delhi for first 5-6 years
of service. In addition Shri M. G. Gupta who was also my
roommate in IAAS training course. During training course,
all of us visited several outstation places together. There
was complete understanding trust and harmony during
this period of our service, among us.
249
S. N. Mathur
Spouse
: Mrs. Shashi Mathur
Address
: 706, ‘Nanda’ Kaushambi Aptts., Sahibabad,
Ghaziabad-201010
Email
: mathur.surendra@gmail.com
Phone
: 9810072892/0120-2776129
Significant postings held:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Managing Director, Indian Railways Finance Corporation
Financial Advisor & Chief Accounts Officer, Western
Railways
Divisional Railway Manager, Rajkot Division
Financial Advisor, Deptt. of Atomic Energy
Director Management Accounting, Maharasthtra State
Electricity Board
Family Details:
i.
ii.
Mrs. Malvika Dayal, Teacher at Modern School New Delhi.,
Two childrens, Son- 21yrs and Daughter-23yrs
Mrs. Kanchan Daswani, Business, Two children (girls) aged
14yrs & 11yrs
250
Important dates in your life:
Date
th
9 December, 1963
th
16 September,1965
st
31 August 1995
Occasion
Marriage
Birth of first child
Date of retirement
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

Mr. A.P. Chopra, from him we learnt the basics of our job.
A dear, warm hearted friend who welcomed younger
officers in his fold.

Mr.A.M. Sahasrbudhe, An officer who was promoted to
the rank of senior scale, but whom we treated with far
more respect and affection than other class I offices.
Hospitable to the extreme and utterly selfless. A model
human being.
251
S. Sathyam
Spouse
: Smt. Saroja Sathyam
Address
: A-240, Telecom City, B-9/6, Sector – 62,
Noida -201307 (U.P.)
Email
: srsathyam@yahoo.com
Phone
: 0-98 712 78738
Significant postings held:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Agriculture Production Commissioner, Govt. of M.P.
Special Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Secretary, Ministry of Textiles/Ministry of Planning &
Statistics
Chairman, Tariff Authority for Major Ports, Ministry of
Shipping.
Family Details:
I. Ms. Anita Srinath (only daughter), Exporter of superior
grade paper from U.S.A., NRI living in Chicago.Has 2
daughters in College.
Important dates in your life:
Date
Occasion
4 July
Wedding Anniversary
6 April
Wife’s birth-date
3 July
Birth date of Grand Daughter – 1
16
Birth date of Grand Daughter – 2
February
252
S. V. M. Tripathi
Spouse
: Indu Tripathi
Address
: “Sukriti”, 3/481 Vishalkhand, Gomti Nagar
Lucknow-226010 (U.P)
Email
: svm.tripathi@gmail.com
Phone
: 09839022783, 0522-2395039
Significant postings held
i.
Dist. Suptd. Of police of five districts in U.P including
Moradabad & Kanpur
ii.
Jt. Secretary to Govt. of India, Department of Civil
Supplies, New Delhi
iii.
Director General of Police UP & Central Reserve Police
Force
iv.
Member, UP Human Rights Commission Lucknow.
Family Details
i.
Vivek Mani Tripathi: Head of HR, Lava International, Delhi.
Studied at St. Columbus & St. Stephens College, Delhi and
XLRI, Jamshedpur. He is married, has two daughters and
stays at Delhi.
ii.
Smt. Suruchi Tripathi Sarkar: Senior Consultant HAY Group,
Singapore. Studied at Mater Dei School, St. Stephens
College, Delhi School of Economics and XLRI, Jamshedpur.
Has a son and a daughter. Stays at Singapore
iii.
Wg.Cdr Gaurav Mani Tripathi: Flight Commander of an IAF
Fighter Squadron. Studied at Modern School, Delhi.
253
Trained at NDA, Airforce Academy and staff College.
Marrried and has a daughter. Posted in Pune
Important dates in your life:
Date
11 May 1961
17 October 1965
08 December 1982
06 December 1992
08 October 2002
Occasion
Got married
Posted as Suptd of Police of my first
district, Mathura
Posted as Joint Secretary to Govt of
India
Destruction of RJB/ Babri Masjid
Structure
Took over as member, UP Human
Rights Commission
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
i.
Vishu Kant Jha,(IPS): A god fearing, pious and gentle
person. Earlier had deep Knowledge of Vedic literature to
which he had added substantially after retirement.
ii.
Late Ramesh Chandra (IAS): An intensely committed public
servant who always viewed problems from the perspective
of the weakest sections of society. A very sincere friend.
254
S.P.Talukdar
Spouse
: Smt. Kalpana Talukdar
Address
: A-504, AnandLok Co-op,
Group Housing Society,
Purvasha
Email
: Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi- 110091
Phone
: 011-2275-8151
Significant postings held:
I.
Assistant Inspector General, Special Branch Madhya
Pradesh
II.
Addl. Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB), MHA, Govt. of
India
III.
Commissioner Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS),
Ministry of Civil Aviation
IV.
Member, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB)
Family Details:
I.
Subrata Talukdar (Son): Advocate, High Court Kolkata.
II.
Shyamali Anand (Daughter): Jeweller, and Jewellery
Designer.
III.
Sujata Bhattacharya (Daughter): HRD Executive in the
“CRY” an NGO, Outfit
255
Important Dates in your life:
Date
21-01-1960
05-07-1961
21-01-2010
28-10-1992
30-06-1995
Occasion
Marriage
Birth of the Son
Fifty years of Marriage
First grandchild- Grand Daughter
Retirement
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
Late Madhusudan Mukherjee (IAS) Himachal Pradesh: Hardcore
Conventional Moralist- never lent his umbrella if the purpose was
to visit the wine shop. We miss his supervision.
256
Satinder Nath Puri
Spouse
: Malgorzata Maria Szydlo Puri
Address
: V. Dante Alighieri 15/212
Milano Visconti
20090 Cusago (MI), Italy
Phone
: 00390290119756
Family Details
I.
Michal Nath Puri
II.
Monica Maria Puri
III.
Beata Maria Puri
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
Moni Malhotra, Bhupat Oza, Prakash Shah, Hamid Ansari
257
Sharad Chandra Behar
Spouse
: Meera Behar
Address
: E-4/12, Arera Colony
Bhopal-462016, M.P.
&
253, Sundar Nagar
Raipur-492013, Chhatisgarh
Email
: sharadbehar@gmail.com
sharadbehar@yahoo.com
Phone
: 0755-2423220, 09425019425
Significant Postings Held

Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh. (Undivided, which
included the present day Chattisgarh, which explains the
need for me to be multi-locational.

Founder Vice Chancellor, Guru Ghasi Das University,
Billaspur (recently upgraded to be a central University).

Vice-Chairman, State Planning Board.

President, Board of Revenue.

Director-general, Academy of Administration, Madhya
Pradesh.

Vice Chancellor, Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of
Journalism.
Family Details
I.
Anurag Behar: Vice Chancellor, Azim Premji University and
CEO, Azim Premji Foundation, Bengaluru
258
II.
Amitabh Behar: Executive Director, National Foundation of
India, New Delhi and Coordinator, Vada Na Todo
Campaign (a network of the large number of voluntary
organisations) and Co-chairman, Global Campaign Against
Poverty (and international network of non-state
organizations committed to eradication of poverty.)
Important dates in life
Date
st
31 January
rd
23 June
th
26 August
nd
2 September
th
9 September
Occasion
My birthday
Wedding Anniversary
Amitabh’s birthday
Meera’s birthday
Anurag’s birthday
A few lines about any of the Colleagues
I.
Seetakant Mahapatra:It is most remarkable that in
addition to his achievements in the civil service, he has
been able to prove beyond doubt his excellence as a poet
in the contemporary Indian literary scene because of his
pre-eminent position in Oriya literature.
II.
Surendra Mathur: His outstanding achievement in being
able to find the contacts of all the batch mates of 1961
and establish an active and vibrant network is indicative of
his extraordinary initiative, and keen desire to take up the
challenging
task,
untiring
effort,
remarkable
innovativeness and exemplary dynamism.
III.
There are numerous other batch mates about whom I
would like to make similar statements since they deserve
similar admiration.
259
Shiv Rao Kakodkar
Spouse
: Prabha
Address
: 142 Buena Vista
J.Bhosale Marg, Nariman Point,
Mumbai 400021
Email
: sr.gps@hotmail.com
Phone
: 09819435025, 022-22026856
Significant postings held:
i.
Chairman, Maharastra Pollution Control Board (Rank
of Chief Secretary)
ii.
Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA)
iii.
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of Indian
iv.
Development Commissioner (Industries), Maharastra
Family Details:
I.
Gautam Kakodkar, Vice president, Barclays Capital New
York, Educated at MIT, Boston and Tuck School of
Management, USA
II.
Priyanka Kakodkar Chief of Bureau, NDTV Mumbai,
Educated at New School University, New York
III.
Sonali Laul Currently freelancing. Earlier worked at
assistant V.P. level at BNP Paribas, New Delhi, MBA,
currently based in Hongkong where husband Bharat Laul is
M.D. with Bank of America Merril Lynch.
260
Important dates in your life:
Date
17 March
10 February
10 April
Occasion
My Date of Birth
Wedding date
Wife’s date of birth
261
Srinivasa Iyer Jambunathan
Spouse
: Vatsala Jambunathan
Address
: No 9.Prakash Coop.Hsg.Society
Relief Road, Daulat Nagar
Santacruz(W),Mumbai 400 054.
Email
: vjambu@hotmail.com
Phone
: 09820798331, 022-26609525
Significant Postings held:

Chairman cum M.D. ECGC(Export Credit Guarantee
Corporation, GOI)

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Govt. of Maharashtra

Joint Secretary Defence Production Ministry of Defence
GOI.

Vice Chairman cum M.D. MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road
Transport Corporation)

Collector and District Magistrate,
Aurangabad districts.

Chairman Bombay Stock Exchange (Post retirement)

Areas of specialisation: decision making, public sector
management , Corporate Governance, Internal Security.
262
Osmanabad, and
Family Details
Wife: Vatsala Jambunathan M.A M.Ed, MA, PGDHE (IGNOU)
Sujatha K.Ramani (Daughter), M.S Library Science M.S in
Organisation & Management , House wife, President of IWA(Indian
Women’s Association in Purdue , West Lafayette, Indiana State,
Married to Dr.Karthik Ramani Chair Professor, Purdue University.
Two children, Neha and Arjun
Suresh Jambunathan, M.S in Food science from Penn State
University, USA, Business development Manager, RED (Recycled
Energy Development), Earlier with Praxair and Dairy industry in
Wisconsin , Married to Mathangi. Three children Shankar, Vijay
and Shivani
Sriram Jambunathan, MS from North western University and MBA
from Kellogg School of Management, Chicago, Head of Strategy ,
Novartis (Boston), Earlier, was Associate Partner, Mckinsey.,
Married to Sangita, Two children, Dhwani and Aditya
Important dates in your life
Date
April 1958
1 June 1961
21 March 1945
th
15 July 1965
Occasion
Gold Medallist in Mathematics from
Madras University
Joined IAS (1961 batch)
Wife’s birthday
Wedding Day
263
A few lines about any of your Colleagues
i.
ii.
K.S.Ramakrishnan (TamilNadu Cadre) he left the service on
principle, disagreeing with his masters! Later, chalked out
a glorious career in educational Management and social
service.
Surendra Mathur shows enormous drive and efforts in
keeping alive the 1961 spirit among the members of all
services. He does this with a passion, which is the chief
reason for 61 batch sticking together.
264
Sukumar Mukhopadhyay
Spouse
: Late Dhira Mukhopadhyay
Address
: C-601, Purvasha, Anandlok Housing Society,
Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Delhi-110091
E-mail
: smukher2000@yahoo.com
Phone
: 011-22752366/43086435 &
+919811317395 (Mobile)
Significant postings held:
i.
Collector of Customs & Central Excise, Calcutta – 1978 to
1986
ii.
Collector of Customs, Bombay – 1986 to 1988
iii.
Member, Central Board of Excise & Customs – 1993 to
1995
Family Details:
I.
Son - Anindya , Engineer at Hero Honda, Age:46 yrs
II.
Son - Amit, Engineer at Nokia , Age: 38 yrs
Important dates in your life:
Date
Mid Night of
th
16/17 April
1988
Occasion
Got a midnight knock (bell rang) at my
official residence at Bombay (when I was
collector of Customs). When I opened
the door I found one of our officers in
Uniform handing over an envelope to
me. The officer said that he had flown
from Delhi by Air India and was under
the instruction to hand over the
265
envelope to me in the night itself.
When I opened the envelope, I found it
was my transfer order. Next day,
Monday, my reliever came from Delhi to
relieve me of my charge as Collector of
Customs, Bombay.
The next day
th
Tuesday, the 19 of April 1988, I was to
give a personal hearing in a case of
adjudication.
A few lines about any of your colleagues:

S.P. Talukdar – IPS. He spent most of his official life in IB in
Calcutta & Delhi. Our postings matched most of the times.
He is known for his entertaining his friends both verbally
as well as otherwise. Behind his jovial exterior, he is very
serious and one can count on him for help when it comes
to the crunch.

Lyngdoh J.M., IAS – I am quite proud for his achievements.
He has been an extremely successful and honest Chief
Election Commissioner. Now he has made his name as an
activist for pursuing public interest.

Bhatnagar S.K., IRS (Customs) – We have been posted
together at many places. He is an extremely pleasant
company. He does not stop speaking and laughing until
the listener intervenes.
266
Tarun Roy
Spouse
: Sunanda Roy
Address
: G-31, Sector 39, Noida, U.P.201301
Email
: tar.roy@gmail.com
Phone
: 9811614104 (M), 0120-2501671
Significant postings held:
i.
Principal Collector, North Zone (1988 To 1990- comprising
the states of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, J&K, M.P, Bihar, U.P,
H.P, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan
ii.
Special Assistant to two Central Ministers (1971 to 1977),
S.S. Ray & Prof. Nurul Hasan.
iii.
Chairman, Central Board Of Excise& Customs Ministry Of
Finance
iv.
Secretary of Indian Delegation to UNESCO General
Conference, Nairabi 1976
Family Details:
i.
Nayantara, Legal Consultant to INTACH, Education B.A
Smith College, USA, LLB Delhi University. Married: Jayant
Tripathi, Advocate. Mother by calling, though interested in
politics & governance- Executive Member Of R.W.A
ii.
Nilanjana S., Writer, Journalist, Education: B.A English
(Hons.) St. Stephen’s College. Married: Devangshu
Datta,Financial Analyst Presently columnist International
Herald, Tribune & Business Standard, was chairperson of
jury at Jaipur literary fest. Writes also for outlook &
journals abroad. Has appeared on NDTV’s ‘We the People’
267
iii.
Neeladitya S., Director, Education: B.A & MBA, USA.
Married: Mia Sarah Schulz, M.A. Was world ranked
doubles tennis player as a junior, single digit golfer as a
pastime, Majored in HRD & Marketing in MBA.
Important dates in your life:
Date
June 1961
13-12-1965
May 1971
1988
31-12-1999
268
Occasion
Joined civil services as probationer in
LBSNAA, Mussoorie
Married Sunanda Ray in Calcutta, while
posted in Kochi, Kerala
Joined as special assistant to union minister
Sri S.S.Ray
st
Appointed as 1 Principal Collector, North
Zone
Became grandfather
V. Subramaniam
Spouse
: S.Renuka
Address
: 39, First Main Road, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar,
Chennai- 600020
Email
: subrarenu65@yahoo.com
Phone
: 9940560917
Significant postings held:
i.
A.S.P. Gujarat
ii.
Purchase Manager, A.P.I Bombay
iii.
Project Manager Bristol Boats, Allepy, Kerala
iv.
Vice President Bristol Boats Kerala
Family Details:
i.
Priya Krishnamoorthy, Financial Analyst San Francisco
ii.
Prashant.S, Manager Health Care, Medco New York
Important dates in your life:
Date
30-06-1939
25-01-1965
Occasion
Birth Date
Marriage Date
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
i.
S.V.M Tripathy, Winner of best trainee, awarded P.M.s.
Revolver
ii.
B.K.R.Rao, Proficient in Bridge, producer and director of
plays.
269
V.Vaikunth
IPS (retd)
Spouse
: Leela Vaikunth
Address
: 33/73 Bishop Gardens Off
Greenways Road R.A.Puram
Chennai -600028.
Email
: v_vaikunth@lycos.com
Phone
: 09381808825/044-24934466
Significant postings held:
i.
Commanding officer of a Para-military force in Arunachal
Pradesh
ii.
Commissioner of Police Chennai city.
iii.
DG Police TN
Family Details
i.
Dr. Vijay Vaikunth MDS, Leading Dental Surgeon in
Chennai city, Also teaching in a Dental college
ii.
Mr. Arvind Vaikunth, Banking software professional, In a
leading IT FIRM in chennai
Important dates in your life
Date
04\03
16\01
15\05
1962
270
Occasion
My date of birth
Spouse’s date of birth
Wedding Anniversary
independence day silver Jubilee medal by the
President of India
1967
1971
1979
1983
1991
Two special duty medals by the President of India
Poorvi star medal by the President of India
Indian Police medal by the President of India
Distinguished service medal for HG & Civil defence
by the President of India
Distinguished service medal for Police service by the
President of India
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
i.
Shri. SN. Mathur of the IRAS (Retd), An affectionate
friend who has done a lot in bringing the batch
together
ii.
Shri. SP.Talukdar IPS (Retd), An affectionate family
friend. Good conversationalist deeply knowledgeable
in English literature
271
Vijai Kapoor
Spouse
: Manju
Address
: 23, Prithvi Raj Road
New Delhi-110011
Email
: vijaikapoor@gmail.com
Phone
: 09818077723/410209117
Significant posting held:
i.
Lt. Governor of Delhi, 1998-2004
ii.
Secretary in Ministry of Defence 1992-96
iii.
Chief Secretary Arunachal Pradesh (1987-88), Delhi (19881990), J&K (1990-92)
iv.
Deputy Commissioner Delhi 1972-74
v.
Seconded to the UN 1977-83
Family Details:
i.
Mini: Opinion Editor Indian Express
ii.
Anjali: Vice-President Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New
Delhi. Married and have a daughter and a son.
Important dates in your life:
Date
13 September
20 October
10 May
272
Occasion
Birth Date (Self)
Birth date (Manju)
Wedding Anniversary
Chaman Lal Kaw
Spouse
: Mrs. Sheila Kaw
Address
: C-64, Surya Nagar,
Ghaziabad-201011 U.P
Email
: clkaw@yahoo.in
Phone
: 09811104756
Significant Postings Held
i.
Transport Economist, New Railway Implementation
Authority Baghdad- Iraq.
ii.
Chairman Railway Board
iii.
Member High Power Railway Safety Committee set up by
Cabinet.
iv.
Chairman Secret Ballot Committee of Railways
Family Details
i.
Mrs. Shelly Raina, housewife, among other places, she also
woked for about three years as a consultant in UNIFEM
(UNDP)
Important dates in your life
Date
th
10 October
th
13 March
Occasion
Marriage Anniversary Day
Daughter’s Birthday
A Few Lines About Any Of Your Colleagues
Mr. G.K.Kanchan, IPS-1961 (later IRTS-1962), Both of us learnt that
even if you are great adversaries in office, you can be best of
friends in life and have immense respect for each other.
273
K.S.Bains
Spouse
: Smt. Bindu Bains
Address
: H.No.147, Sector-15A, NOIDA
Email
: ksbains@akcgroup.com
Mobile
: 09818094119
Significant postings held
I.
Deputy Commissioner in 4 districts,
a.
Amritsar (1969-71)- As Dy. Commissioner of Amritsar
I handled sensitive situation arising out of fast unto
death of Sh. Darshan Singh Pheruman (formerly
Member Rajya Sabha). He undertook the fast in 15
Aug 1969 and passed away on 27 October 1969. No
law and order situation was allowed to arise by taking
preventive measures all along. Another factor was a
very close and personal interaction with senior
members of all political parties as also senior Govt.
colleagues and the Chief Minister. Contact was also
kept with the Prime Minister Office.
b.
Lahaul & Spiti (1965-66)- This was my first posting as
Dy. Commissioner. This remains the most memorable
one also. Lahaul is a tribal area surrounded by passes
Rohtang 13,050 ft, Kunzum 15,300 ft and Baralacha
16,340 ft. because of this it had remained free from
virus and other diseases. The district headquarter
Keylong, is at an altitude of 10600 ft. There main
produce was ‘kuth’, a herbal root. This was exported
to China. Following 1962 Chinese war, the prices came
down from Rs. 800 per 40kg to Rs. 200 per 40 kg and
still hardly have any buyer. By introducing cultivation
of virus free potato seed, I was able to change the
274
economic and social picture of the area. The potato
seed produced is of very good quality. Even today it is
in demand from Jammu & Kashmir to Tamilnadu and
Arunachal Pradesh to Gujrat. This has made them
probably highest per capita income earners in the
country. They have also diversified into other crops
like peas, apple, hopps, floriculture etc. their produce
commands premium in the markets. Almost every
household in Lahaul has my picture. They call me
‘Aloowala DC’.
ii.
Secretary General, 1982 Asian Games – Asian Games’ 82
was the first international games held in India. The games
were allotted to Delhi in 1976. Janta Govt. was not
interested in holding the games. These were revived only
when Indira Gandhi came back to power in 1980. We
finally got only 19 months to organize these games
including construction of stadia, flyovers, Asian Games
Village and the like. Live telecasting from the venue was
introduced in the country for the first time as also the
colour television. These games were held very successfully
and we received universal applaud. There was no negative
aspect in terms of organization, financial irregularities or
anything at all.
iii.
Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority (DDA)- DDA
is the largest urban development authority in the country.
Apart from planning and constructing infrastructure it also
has a housing wing. In addition to the normal activities, I
introduced the concept of Sports Centres being to be set
up by the authority. I started the construction of 7 sports
centres. The flagship being Siri Fort Sports Centre. There
was lot of criticism that DDA is deviating from its normal
functions. The opposition party in Parliament also agitated
that DDA is forgetting the ‘Jhuggi- jhopriwala’ and is
becoming elitist. Public meetings were held and finally the
subject matter was raised in the parliament. After
discussion, it was not valid charge on the DDA funds and
why the entire amount should not be recovered from the
275
Vice Chairman DDA. We sought adjournment to prepare
certain more details. In the second meeting, it was put
forward that there were hardly any public sports facilities
in Delhi and in the absence of these youth is likely to go
astray into alcohol and drugs. After further discussion, the
Parliamentary Committee was full of praise for steps taken
by us and appreciated our initiatives.
It was kept up by my successors and today DDA
has about 22 sports centres and a public Golf Course. It is
the single largest owner of sports facility in Asia.
Family Details
i.
Son- Mr. Parneet Singh Bains, Based in Toronto, Canada.
Working in CIBC Bank, MBA from XLRI, Jameshedpur
ii.
Daughter- Mrs. Sukham Sahni, Presently housewife.
However, has earlier worked in Times Bank, American
Express and HDFC Bank in India and CIBC Bank in Tornato,
Canada, MBA from IIM, Delhi
Important dates in your life
Date
1/11/1963
1965 and May 1969
1958
1959
1960
276
Occasion
Marriage
Date of Birth of son and
daughter
B.Tech (Hons) from IIT,
Kharakhpur
CES Class I (Central Engineering
Services)
IPS, IAS
A few lines about any of your colleagues
i.
Shri. S.S.Grewal IAS (Punjab), Retired as Cabinet Secretary.
A very pleasant and motivated person and very good team
leader. Completely focused on essentials of his work.
Carried his files and data under in his head and seldom
referred to any paper in meeting
ii.
Shri D.V.Kapoor, Secretary Heavy Industries. He was from
the non IAS quota but never gave that feeling. A very
pleasant person who always gave positive guidance.
277
B.D.Roy
Spouse
: Mrs. Urmila Roy
Address
: A/1304, Gaurav Gact Clts,
Gaurav Garden Complex. B.P.Rd.,
Kandivali (W) Mumbai-67
Email
: anandghosh@gmail.com
Phone
: 09867305541/ 022-32151546
Significant postings held
i.
Accessing Officer of Income tax
ii.
Appellate Asstt.Commissioner
iii.
Commissioner of I.T (Appeals)
iv.
Commissioner of I.T Administration
Family Details
th
i.
Daughter- Mrs. Shukla Mandal, a graduate, born-15
August 1959, daughter wife of a doctor at Calcutta- a
home maker, (a) Has a daughter-25 yrs- in study and a son
– 14 years in study.
ii.
Daughter- Mrs. Manju Roy Datta- Graduate, born 26 Sept
1962 (Nagpur). Her husband is a caption in private
shipping Company. A home maker- they are blessed with a
daughter aged 18 yrs- in study.
iii.
Son- Dr. Bhaskar Roy, Born, 7 Jan.1966, presently at
Parth Australia, along with his wife.
th
278
th
iv.
th
Daughter- Mrs. Anju Ghose, Born- 5 February 1978, wife
of an executive in TCS, at Bangaluru., blessed with- a son
aged 3 yrs.
Important dates in your life
Date
31/01/1935
26/01/1959
19/06/1961
09/04/1945
Occasion
Date of Birth
Marriage Anniversary
Joined LBSNAA as a trainee from
W.BCS
Date of Birth of Mrs. Urmila Roy
A few lines about any of your colleagues
i.
Mr. Nirmalya Sinha IRS, my room-mate, a warm hearted
gentleman incidentally lost his mother recently. Then at
Calcutta- was full of pathos of pongs of separation from
Mother specially, when the medical world failed to
diagnosed the cause of her illness. Incidentially, I
remember that he appreciated my recital of “Kavighru
Rabindranath’s “Karna-Kuriti Sambad” a famous poem of
Tagore.
ii.
Mr. Dabaprasad Chaudhuri (IRS) a confirmed
“Brahmachare” very loveable, cute, nice gentleman who
could correctly appreciate the real beauty of a lady from
among the ladies.
279
Arun Bhagat
Spouse
: Livleen Bhagat
Address
: D-84, Gulmohar Park
New Delhi-110049
Email
: aranavi@gmail.com
Phone
: 9811045999, 91141740704
Significant postings held
i.
IGP Goa, Daman Diu
ii.
Commissioner of Police Delhi
iii.
D.G. B.S.F
iv.
Director Intelligence Bureau
Family Details
i.
Aditya Bhagat, Legal Head MNC, runs the marathon
regularly, hiking trekking.
ii.
Arjun Bhagat, TV.Film producer & Director, Writing &
photography.
Important dates in your life
Date
01/06/1961
28/11/1965
17/01/1967
17/03/1998
280
Occasion
Joined at LBSNAA, Mussoorie
Marriage
Birth of our eldest son Aditya
Day I retired
A few lines about any of your colleagues
i.
AA Deshpande, Topper of IPS joined the IAS next year. A
pilot and athlete. Resigned to join the world Bank. Died
prematurely
ii.
Gurpratap Singh IRS, Known as Jeeves with a great sense
of humour and a fetish to play pranks retains these traits
and is life of any gathering.
281
J.K.Sarma
Spouse
: J.Bala Saraswathy
Address
: 76, Shivabagh, Ameerpat
Hyderabad-500016
Email
: jangaksarma@gmail.com
Phone
: 09959308444/ 040-23731132
Significant posting held
i.
Accountant- General- Orissa
ii.
Accountant- General- Assam
iii.
Member (A/C), AP state Electricity Board
iv.
Director (E), Dept of Personnel & Administrative Reform
Family Details
i.
J.V.Lakshmi, Housewife.
ii.
R.Prabhawathe, Housewife.
Important dates in your life
Date
st
1 March
th
26 August
th
5 June
282
Occasion
Marriage day
Birthday
Joined NAA (to IAAS)
A few lines about any of your colleagues
i.
D.Sivaramakrshnan IAAS, close friend. Recall our great
Adventure Shimla-Kufri-Thanedar and;
ii.
K.J.Reddy IAS, became very close on his becoming Chief
secretary, AP. Belong to same town (Cuddapah).
283
Dr. T.C.A. Srinivasaramanujan
Spouse
: Late Ms. Mythili Rangachari
Address
: Old No. 12/New No. 15, Sundararajan Street
Abhiramapuram, Chennai – 600 018
Email
: tcasr@yahoo.com, tcasram@gmail.com
Phone
: 09444995757, 044-24995700/ 04424993434
Significant postings held:
i.
Director General, National Institute of Rural Development
[1992-95]
ii.
Agricultural Production Commissioner, Bihar [1989-92]
iii.
Managing Director, National Cooperative Development
Corporation [1988-89]
iv.
General Secretary, People’s Action for Development
[India] [1983-86]
Family Details:
Pavitra Ramanujam, Engineer in Semiconductor Technology.
Educated in USA. Worked in IIT, Madras and pioneered original
research.
Important dates in your life:
Date
5-3-1992
284
Occasion
Got assaulted by Congress MP for refusing
to give admission to his protégé admission
in Jamshedpur Medical College. No support
from Government and Colleagues.
A few lines about any of your colleagues:
i.
Sri A.R. Bandyopadhyay- Most outstanding intellectual. He
showed courage of conviction whenever his core
principles were challenged. Has been a role model to
colleagues and subordinates.
Very Honest and
straightforward
ii.
Sri J.M. Lyngdoh, Officer of impeccable integrity.
iii.
Sri I.C. Kumar, Encyclopaedic in knowledge. Very hard
working. An endearing personality.
285
I.G.Jhingran
Spouse
: Sushma Jhingran
Address
: E-89 First Floor,
Greater Kailash Part I
New Delhi-110048
Phone
: 011-29244577, 08800506478
Significant postings held
i.
Managing Director, Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals
Udaipur Rajasthan
ii.
Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Minister of
Commerce and Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi
iii.
Secretary, Union Ministry of Mines, New Delhi
Family Details
i.
Jyotsna Mehta, Husband with Standard Charted Bank,
Dubai.
ii.
Gaurav Jhingran, Vice President Lowe Lintas Gurgaon.
Important dates in your life
Date
1/6/1961
January, 1964
7/3/1975
7/91976
286
Occasion
Joined as IAS Probationer at the
LBSNAA
Married Sushma
Appointed Consultant to UNIDO as
mining export
Presided over law of the UN Sea
convention for Secretary, GoI in the
M/o Mines (Union Mines Secretary)
1/2/1992
Registration of pioneer luvestors for
seabed mining India is one of the
pioneer Luvestors besides Japan France
and tomer USSR
A Few lines about any of your colleagues
Dr. J.P.Singh IAS & M. Hamid Ansari IFS, both remarkable fellows
with a compassionate heart and high degree of intelligence,
excellent human beings.
287