'I AM SECURE' SERVICE

INSECURITY, IT SEEMS, has gripped the fraternity of 'I Am Secure'. Impregnable wall that secured the Indian Administrative Service officers is getting breached by variety of forces. In Bihar, a district magistrate is stoned to death by a frenzied mob. In Orissa, the Chief Minister Biju Patnaik publicly slaps the service officer. In Uttar Pradesh, the abuse and public insult at the hands of the Chief Minister Mayawati assumed such proportion that cornered officers had to call urgent meeting of the state IAS Association to sort out plans to counter the political ambition. In Karnatka it was neither the 'mobocracy' nor the erratic politicians but the judiciary which brought the bureaucracy on road.

These are not isolated incidents. What is emerging is a trend. A trend out to region the bureaucrats. Where does the genesis of this trend lie. Opinions are in fluid state. A senior lady bureaucrat came closer to truth when she said, 'we are meant to serve the people and the nation but the trouble starts when we confine ourselves to serve us'. Wallowing in corrupt deals, the bureaucrats are amassing wealth beyond their known means. Not only the old senior and retiring but many young bureaucrats fall victim to lust. Aristocratic life styles of the bureaucrats have been an eyesore to the young and brilliant youth who are in professions other then the bureaucracy. The control that civil servants wield over the individuals and their fate is, more often than not, repulsive. This has brought the negative alienation of administrators from the administered.

Democracy however has brought a seachange in the constitution of political rulers. Laloo or Mayawati, are antiestablishment heroes despite being a part of establishment. Their aura gets buffeted from their acts of publicly thrashing these bureaucrats.

For 50 years, cacooned in their comfort of 'guiding growth', the bureaucracy has only alienated those whom the growth meant most.

Now attacks are intensifying. Only possible way for them is to reform or perish. For how long you can live in glass house comfort surrounded by hungry and desperate people?

This, however, is not the complete picture. There are numerous officers of im0eccable credentials doing marvelous work but they remain in oblivion, overshadowed by their much 'committed' colleagues.

They, however, are constantly harassed by their colleagues and seniors. They are frequently shunted out of the important positions because of their non-compromising attitude. At times they are humiliated or ridiculed for not marching along with the 'norms' of the time.

Some of them finally get influenced and surrender to the system and most of them remain frustrated, silent lot. There is need for such bureaucrats to shake up their colonial hangover of not mingling with the masses. They should develop a network with activists, journalists, students and social reformers in whom they have faith. If scoundrels of al hues can get together to plunder the nation why can't good people, who are in majority but divided, do the same for common cause?