Who doesn’t know the Indian psychology?
Every Indian citizens, not necessarily, the ordinary citizens but only those who are government servants or already in the charmed circle of IAS or IPS officers, the IFS lost its old glory and other services are on the whole a disgruntled lot. Why? It is because the very ways in which the New Delhi Lutyens’s bungalow zone is built and where the ones who live for long are constituted. Those who live there are seen as the most privileged. There are of course enough number of the retired politicians who might have doubled up as politicians, or others retired judges and other department personnel.
The way the British built the bungalows with large lawns and long walks and the very imposing look from outside might give a sense of power and prestige. Once you get in or if god favours you, you get to occupy one of these often leaking colonial structures, then you realise how unreality hits your illusions!
The subject here is the state of bureaucracy and the disquiet that pervades there.
A recent news item put out is about the new promotion policy for the bureaucrats. There is disquiet for the reason that the government has bundled two years, two batches, of 1984 and 1985, and also 1987 and 1988, the government wants to hold on some officers and also promote or hold up the promotions. So, in sum, the hopes of the officers are dimming when it comes to the aspiration for every officer to retire as secretaries of departments.
Poor souls, from the news it seems that most of them seem to be innocent and seem to be vegetating in Delhi for the favours they expect from the political establishment.
Who doesn’t know that the whole bureaucracy has become politicised and it is like a lottery and no one knows for sure that who will get what.
Lately, there is utter chaos in the bureaucracy and in the states it is pure political play. A police officer in TN is promoted just on the day of his retirement as the DGP! In the neighbouring Kerala one DGP was installed in his post on the orders of the Supreme Court. In Karnataka it is a free for all. The whole country knows thanks to the high profile AIADK leader who is provided with all luxuries and for having unearthed the scam the lady IPS officer had been transferred.
All these are routine in the services. Also, down the line there is so much cruelty and so much corruption and even risks to life when it comes to attacking corruption.
So, why this craze for government services?
It is the result of our long rule of colonialism and our education that taught us, thanks to the colonial masters, how to live and seek your mokshas through servility, subordination and compromise with the corrupt politicians whose tribe seems to be growing by leaps and bounds!
Corruption will only grow further and see the new tribe of politicians who spring up almost everyday, from various individuals, former police officials and former Income tax officials and others.
Also, the bad example set by some very eminent experts.
Also, lateral entries, even Rhodes Scholars who were supposed to be leaders of society and polity but alas, they too after sometime, they think it is better to enter and end up as bureaucrats, that is the way to heaven!
At the end of the day there is no alternative, except to join the devils who have to fall at the feet of bigger devils who are politicians who too seem to come from very many streams of humanity!