I am a staunch supporter and ardent follower of the very important and decisive role of the Civil Service in any country. In the South Asia subcontinent the legacy of the British rule left very rich traditions of the Civil Service. Integrity, neutrality, honesty were the important virtues among the civil servants. The new constitutions after independence also provided scope and safeguards for retaining these core values among the civil servants.
Apart from India, almost all countries in South Asia saw erosion of these values among the civil servants and the politicians or the rulers overpowering the bureaucracy in these countries. The problem then became bad to worse and in most countries politicians have made the civil service as subservient to interests and designs of politicians.
India still has great civil service traditions left and the majority of the civil servants are sensitive, professional and neutral. However, the bureaucrat-politician nexus developed in the field; later strengthens at the provincial and national capital at times. But all this within the boundary of the tenets of good governance and civil service neutrality. Nonetheless, media has never put focus on the right people and right systems and only highlights the wrongdoings and angles of corruption stories; that has good new value for them!
The growing muscle and money power in politics has made the politicians arrogant and flouting the rule of law (and getting away with that)! This has taken a toll on the civil servants and their freedom of being responsible officers within the rule of law. In provinces like UP, Bihar, West bengal, Rajashan, Haryana, Punjab and their likes, the erosion of standards of propriety have been evident.
The net effect of the growing menace of the persecution and harassment of the good civil servants is the increase in the cases of graft, corruption, nepotism and the ever increasing fiduciary risk!
Herald Laski had said,' Let the fools contest; whichever administered well is the best government!' It's so apt in these circumstances for making a resolve by nations to strengthen the role and neutrality and integrity of the civil service.
The case of Durga Shakti Nagpal, a young IAS officer,(NOIDA in India) is a telling example of the political highhandedness and failure of rule of law. The sting bytes and arrogant disclosures of their power by the politicians have proved that the performing the tasks and living up to the reasonable responsibility entrusted on them by the government and Constitution of India. The open support and intervention by the central government and the judiciary also leaves much to be desired. In cases of such blatant exhibition of power any one should have taken suo moto cognizance on the matter.
I salute you and your commitment to duty Durga; you are the shining example of the traditions of the Indian civil service and a role model for many to emulate. Goodness prevails and evil loses always that's what we have been grown up reading aand so shall it be in your case also. Amen!
Law will takes its own course, meanwhile some people should definitely not be allowed to make 'fool of law'!
No comments:
Post a Comment