“???? ??????”- Khaki Narrative-2

After Shailendra joined the Provincial Civil Service, he was hoping to be assigned to a district near his hometown for practical training. One could not be posted to one’s home district, but he had heard that those with political or other influences were likely to be sent nearer to adjoining revenue units. He had no such connections and yet was quite disappointed when he was posted to Baliya, a location 700 km away. Those with influence were posted at a distance of 100-150 km. Therefore, two days before departure when his posting changed to nearby Aligarh, he was elated. It is only later that he learned that a batchmate of his who was earlier assigned to Aligarh had used his connections to be reassigned to Baliya because it was nearer to the latter’s hometown. Shailendra certainly benefited. His family was elated. Was this a divine intervention? Yes, for the believers, and no for the practitioners of real politic. He writes:

?????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ????????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?? l ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ????, ???-???, ????-??????? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???

????? ?? ??????, ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???????? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????, ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?????-????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ?????????? ???????? ?? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???????, ????, ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ????

He was fortunate he was in UP. He learned this early. Several na?ve, well-meaning, and misguided souls serving in once upon-a-time ‘well administered’ provinces in the western and southern regions of India were to learn this later in life.

Shailendra has now qualified for the IPS and is about to report in July 1976 at the NAA for the foundational course. In the book, he chooses to share, even before narrating his experiences at the Academy, his thoughts about the political leadership in the country based undoubtedly on over three decades of experience in the police. He writes:

????-???? ???????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ?????????????? ?? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???????? ?????? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ????????? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??????????? ?? ?????? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????, ????? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?????, ?????? ????, ??? ?????, ??? ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ??????????/?????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????????? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? l

The political leadership succeeds in subverting the system with the help of conniving civil servants. About them he writes:

…???? ??????? ??, ???? ?? ????? (?????? ?? ?????) ?? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??????????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ???, ????/??????? ????? …??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ??, ???? ?? ???? ???? ???

Shailendra would certainly have had a fair idea of political influence in the government. UP in the mid-1970s was a prominent state of the Union not particularly known either for administrative reforms or a developmental agenda. His remarks, however, regarding the abject submission of the civil service to the illegal diktats of the political leadership in the government are based on his own experiences while in service.

He is about to enter India’s most prominent administrative training institution whose objective is to produce civil servants of sterling quality. Back then, Shailendra would have held a high opinion of a civil servant. Therein lies the irony of these observations as he stands on the threshold of a career as a member of an All-India Service.