The irony of India
Here’s a mail sent across, by a friend, the true story of an upright IAS officer….
Sri Raju Narayanaswamy IAS, posted in “God’s own country”, Kerala. His academic
profile, achievements column reads like a dream!!!
First Rank in State in Secondary School Examination SSLC
First Rank in University in Plus Two
First Rank in IIT Entrance Examination
First Rank in All India IIT Computer Science
First Rank in All India Civil Services Examination
First Rank in IAS Training LBSNAA
On passing out from IIT Chennai, Mr.Raju Narayanaswamy was offered
scholarship by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,
USA . He who came from a middle class family, schooled in strong work ethics and sterling value system, firmly believed that he had a
moral obligation to give something in return for the lakhs of rupees
the government spent on him as an IIT student. He had the intelligence
and conviction to realize that this money came also from the poorest
of the poor – who pay up the excise duty on textiles when they buy
cloth, who pay up customs, excise and sales tax on diesel when they
travel in a bus, and in numerous other ways indirectly pay the
government. Call it youthful idealism, he decided to join IAS hoping he could do something for the people of this country. How many young men have the will power to resist such an offer from USA ? Narayanaswamy did never look at IAS as
a black money spinner, as his later life bears testimony to this fact.
After a decade of meritorious service in IAS, today, Narayanaswamy is
being forced out of the IAS profession. Do you know why?
A real estate agent(may read as Great White in this business) wanted to fill up a paddy field which is banned under law. An application came up before Narayanaswamy who was sub-collector then, for an exemption from this rule for this plot of land.Upon visiting the site, he found that the complaint from 60 poor
families that they will face water logging due to the waste water from
a nearby Government Medical College if this paddy field was filled up
was correct. Narayanswamy came under intense political pressure but he
did what was right – refused permission for filling up the paddy
field. That was his first confrontation with politicians.
Soon after his marriage, his father-in-law closed down a public road to
build compound wall for his plot of land. People approached
Narayanaswamy with complaint.When talking with his own father-in-law did not help, he removed the obstructing wall with police help. The result, his marriage broke up.
As district Collector he raided the house of a liquor baron who had
defaulted Rupees 11 crores payment to government and carried out
revenue recovery. A Minister directly telephoned him and ordered to
return the forfeited articles to the house of the liquor baron.
Narayanswamy politely replied that it is difficult. The minister
replied that Narayanaswamy will suffer.
In his district it was a practice to collect crores of rupees for
earthen bunds meant for poor farmers, but which were never
constructed. A bill for rupees 8 crores came up before Narayanaswamy.
He inspected the bund. He found it very weak and said that he will
pass the bill after the rainy season to ensure that the bund served
the purpose. As expected the earthen bund was too weak to stand the
rain and it disappeared in the rain. But he created a lot of enemies
for saving 8 crores public money. The net result of all such unholy
activities was that he was asked to go on leave by the government.
Later such an illustrious officer was posted as “State Co-Ordinator,
Quality Improvement Programme for Schools”. This is what the average
politician of today will do to a honest officer with backbone – post him in the
most powerless position to teach him a lesson. Since he found that
nothing can be achieved for the people if he continued with the State
Service he opted for central service. But that too was denied on some
technical ground.
What will you do when you have a brilliant computer career anywhere in
the world you choose, with the backing of several advanced technical
papers too published in international journals to your credit?
When you are powerless to do anything for the people, should you
waste your life as the Co-Ordinator for a Schools Programme?
Mr. Narayanaswamy is on the verge of leaving IAS to go to Paris to
take up a well paid United Nations assignment. The politicians can
laugh thinking another obstacle has been removed. But it is the
helpless people of this country who will lose – not Narayanaswamy. But
you have the power to support capable and honest bureaucrats like
Narayaswamy, G.R.Khairnar and Alphons Kannamthanam who have suffered a
lot under self-seeking politicians who rule us. You have even the
power to replace such politicians with these kind of people dedicated
to the country.
” There is a difference between an objective and actions. Unless you
understand your objective, you will be wasting your time in actions.
Know your objective first ” – Swami Vivekananda
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