A bureaucrat in India is often viewed in the eyes of the
public as someone who has a monopoly over the enterprise of corruption and is
responsible for all the misgovernance and lack of development throughout the
country. Politicians and bureaucrats are often painted by the same brush. One
fails to differentiate between the elected representatives and the functionary
executives. Therefore, all the rant that is directed towards the politicians is
often deflected to the bureaucrats. The act of “bureaucracy-bashing” is
something our country has never grown tired of.
Today, for a change, the entire country is rallying behind a
brave, young officer of the Indian Administrative Services by the name of Durga
Shakti Nagpal in a fight between right and wrong. The news of her suspension
for presumably taking on the sand mafia sent shock waves across the country. She,
in a way, epitomizes what bureaucracy actually stands for. She justifies why
the bureaucracy is considered “the steel frame of India”, as dubbed by Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel. She is the ‘ideal’ bureaucrat.
While there are many Durga Shaktis throughout the country in
the form of officers who go beyond the average call of their duty to protect
the interest of the country, the kind of treatment meted out to them by the
so-called “political masters” is disturbing. A generalization cannot be made in
this regard as there are many parts in the country where the political
establishments work hand-in-hand with the bureaucrats for the betterment of the
society. But, the fact that an unholy nexus between the mafia and the
politicians exists in most parts of the country results in deterring the honest
bureaucrats from discharging their duties appropriately. Most bureaucrats then
shed their “honesty” and join hands with the unlawful authorities. Some of
them, like Ms. Nagpal, fight the system from within. They are the ‘ideal’
bureaucrats.
The recent course of events has highlighted the need to have
safeguards in place for the bureaucrats who are willing to go the extra mile in
fighting tooth and nail against those who violate the rule of law. There should
be strong mechanisms to ensure that honest officers are not suspended,
dismissed or harassed by the arbitrariness of the political authority. Our
country is vehemently confronted with the challenge of preventing the ‘ideal’
bureaucrat from becoming extinct.
As I write, the fate of Ms. Nagpal is yet to be decided. One
can only hope that better sense prevails and her suspension order is revoked.
But, irrespective of whatever happens, what this saga has done is it has aptly
demonstrated the power of an ‘ideal’ bureaucrat.
Roneet Mohanty
Editor at STIMULUS INDIA !
