ethics in governance is the need of the hour

The recent arrest of a Director level officer handling allotment of coaches was shocking for the nation, but not for many of those who throng its economic lifeline. Perhaps in his own assessment, the officer was merely doing what he thought was his birth-right, having seen at close quarters what many of his elk have been seen indulging into.

Mahesh Kumar through his act of attempting to buy his place into a seat of power and money achieved infamy as an icon of corruption. At that time many thought that the organization has seen its nadir and that the government would have no option other than stepping in to stem the rot. Unfortunately all such hopes were dashed when the sordid saga continued unabated with blatant and brazen acts of corruption being witnessed daily. In fact with time they picked up speed and those who were bracketed in the honest variety quietly slipped into the shadows.   

And the sordid acts continued – the side lining of a very senior and fine officer for the top job and his subsequent harassment, blatant dispensing of favours to contractors for consideration, making the office meet household requirements and gross abysmal conduct of those in high place. On the other  hand we also witnessed many being moved from the confines of their cozy homes to becoming jailbirds, notable being the case of two officers working in the censor board and IRCTC.

And then the toilet thing happened where a senior officer was shunted merely because he played the role of a custodian and refused to succumb to demands that smacked of gross unethical conduct.   

Even while the officer community was reeling under the shock of these expose, the coaching scandal burst on the scene with almost a vengeance. It appeared as if some were trying to outwit the other in looting the organization that gives us our daily bread.

The organization bleeds incessantly and the corrupt revel.

But should they be allowed to? Is it not the time for all those who have the interest of the organization uppermost in their mind to come forward and save it from the clutches of the corrupt? Is it not the time for the honest minority to say “this far and no further” and then act accordingly? Shouldn't the national interest take overriding priority over everything else, even at the cost of harm to oneself that may occur in the process?

The answer is “Yes”. The silent minority of the honest and the right minded should not allow itself to be swept away by the torrent of the corrupt and self-seekers.  

For the first time in the history of the nation we have a Prime Minister who is brutally honest and also extremely intense about his intent to pull the nation out of the abyss that it finds itself in. All of us have to be on his side, not merely seen to be so but by battling corruption and sloth in whatever territory we find ourselves to be. That indeed shall be the best homage to the land of the Mahatma.   

Divine Intervention Solicited!

The Times Now debates have of late emerged as the widely accepted practice of killing time, killing time without later being able to recollect later what indeed the debate was all about. The debates that earlier started and continued with a flourish are now fast losing their relevance as discussions are being held merely for the sake of discussions. Perhaps it is a fine way of many to put on display their faces and thus remain in the reckoning in the public arena.

A couple of years back while living in Bhopal, the city of lakes, I often wondered at the architecture of Hotel Lake View Ashok a property of the tourism major going by the name of ITDC.  The hotel designed by an internationally renowned architect whom one would not like to name had a lobby that can never be air-conditioned for it had all high ceiling with all corridors opening in the vast open space. It was pretty obvious that the hotel was designed for the sake of architecture with perhaps only the architect getting a kick out of the design.

On a similar analogy, handing technical issues now, the injection of new technology in the form of latest international designs of locomotives and coaches always makes me wonder whether a technological upgrade merely implies a transfer of technology from beyond the shores and a couple of overseas junkets without handling the overall associated gamut. And therefore all such upgrades come with massive labor pains that carry well beyond the birth of the child.

I have now realized that a pinch of salt is what one should take while consuming rhetoric of any kind, whether it is a claim to a nationalistic fervor or trumpeting of efforts to heal the wounds of the humanity. The efforts to nail those found with their hand in the till also have to be taken with a lot of salt as the final punishments are never commensurate with the extent of the crime. At a lower bureaucratic level also the statements of intent often proclaimed from rooftops turn out to be falsity personified. The wheel continues to be invented again and again with the difference that unlike in the golden past, those inventing keep on taking sole credit ad-infinitum.

The last decade has indeed been the most horrifying in so far as decline in human values and a disgraceful conduct on display on the part of those occupying high chairs is concerned. Partially successful efforts at selling the family silver cheap marked the beginning of absence of probity in public life, a trend that continues unabated till today, with brazenness emerging as the hallmark of those in power.

Railways also have a long story to tell. While still being counted as an organization that delivers, albeit in a sellers market that too in monopoly, the standards of leadership, governance and management have witnessed a steep decline. The Mahesh Kumar episode is indeed the tip of the iceberg, but perhaps as matters stand today, the full iceberg is never going to be visible and things shall soon return to normalcy with corrupt and unethical practices continuing to rule the roost.

And that makes me certain that the only person capable of setting the nation in order through his impeccable standards of commitment, honesty and guts will never be allowed to rise and lead all of us to glory. Perhaps we can only wait for divine intervention to bail out the nation now!

Depravity knows no bounds!

The recent verdict of the apex court that a public representative convicted of any criminal offence attracting a punishment of two years and above by any court shall immediately lose his seat has come as a ray of hope for many in this otherwise depraved scenario. The court has also ruled that contesting elections while lodged within the confines of a jail shall not be permitted. Yet the fact that such verdicts were necessitated speaks volumes about the torrid state of affairs in the country.

Newspaper reports state that over 30% of our public representatives in the state and the centre are facing criminal cases. These are the persons who are expected to be the torchbearers of our democratic system and also the lawmakers. Yet law breakers many of them have been, but perhaps no more after this historic verdict that has the potential of triggering a major operation clean up.   

That the verdict has come barely a few days after the revolting incident involving a top politician of a central Indian state is gratifying indeed, as many had starting losing hope from the system. Prompt and appropriate action by the state government without bias or fervor also acted as a balm. It appears that   considerable goodness and fairness still exists in the system despite the widely prevalent rot and sloth.

Some time back a spokesman of a national party was found with his pants down in his own lawyers chambers seeking physical gratification in lieu of favors. While this spokesman was also shown the door like the recent entrant, he soon made a reentry in the political arena thereby confirming that character has no place whatsoever in the murky national political scenario. A plethora of similar incidents cutting across states and political outfits goes to show the real depth to which the national character has plummeted, the political classes being only the most visible representatives of the society.

It is tragic that the debauch conduct is supplemented by rampant indulgence in corrupt practices. The series of scams involving public money witnessed in recent times has left many with gaping mouths. This indulgence cuts across states and political shades and almost everyone with the exception of a few have lost no time whatsoever in looting the till. The glaring example of the sale of the public silver in the past, the open loot indulged into by successive bosses of a hill state and also what transpired south of the vindhyas till the recent change of guard led many of us to lose whatever little hope that existed despite the ongoing rot and sloth. Coupled with the rank inability of the masses to move matters within the sarkari machinery without the customary greasing of palms, the overall scenario has indeed been grim for a considerable time now.    

That the bureaucratic arena is no better has been made amply clear by the recent post for bribe incident. The penchant for self gratification of the bureaucratic clan coupled with their bloated ego’s has indeed made a mockery of governance in this nation. Jostling for key positions & junkets overseas, ego flaring up on inconsequential matters, milching the system and all its associates and constituents and a total lack of concern for the organization or the nation are visible traits of the majority of babu’s, not an encouraging scenario either.

What are the choices left with the aam aadmi? Perhaps he can march on the streets or camp on the Vijay Chowk on the lines of the Tianamen or the Tehrir else he can suffer in silence or worse still, extract his pound of flesh from the system. The last may perhaps be the preferred one as the aam aadmi of this nation being a microcosm of the society regards the need to maintain high standards in human values and conduct as passé.

Salvation is not in sight and neither is doom, yet the verdict gives hope that some efforts at stemming the rot are indeed underway. 

When the fence starts eating the grass!

It is sadly the same story eyerywhere – the fence gobbling the grass!

The IPL scam has taken the nation by storm, but not by surprise. The gullible public was indeed being taken for a ride by the bookies, players and even some of the top brass in the cricketing arena for a considerable time now, but what else can be expected in a nation made porous by a plethora of gates of the 2G, 3G, Chara, Adarsh and Rail varieties. Yet what is indeed remarkable is the ferocity with which a new low is being touched with every new incident that surfaces.

Cricketers have for long remained our most cherished national icons. Watching them fall into disgrace is therefore painful for the followers of this most favorite national pastime. Yet it is a reality that cricketers have also emerged from the same society that has produced the likes of Mahesh Kumar, Raja, Kalmadi  and many others of similar ilk. How the hell can we then expect the cricketers to tread a higher moral ground and that too in the face of attractions that would deter even a saint?

Srinivasan is also treading the expected path of brazen defiance despite his own son in law being caught with his hands in the till. A few days earlier we witnessed a similar spectacle of a minister displaying his brazen defiance despite his nephew having been caught with his pants down. In hindi there is an oft repeated idiom “Chori aur Seenajori”. Unfortunately this has become the norm with the corrupt people in high places riding rough shod over others in almost all matters and brazenly refusing to step down even when implicated almost red handed. The high moral ground that was once talked about and practiced by the top leaders and bureaucrats of this nation has apparently been chopped off and leveled.

In the India of today one finds it difficult to believe that a Minister like Lal Bahadur Shastri also existed who quit his job claiming full moral responsibility over a rail accident. Sadly such variety has ceased to exist and we witness ministers who cling to their seats like leeches, obviously because of the windfall opportunity for self gain that every ministerial seat provides. The bureaucrats are also in there precisely for power, pelf and ill gotten wealth. The nation can go to hell and it sadly is rapidly proceeding in that direction.

What indeed saddened most of us much more than the Mahesh Kumar episode were the blatant attempts by the top brass to get him whatever he wanted, be it the additional charge of the western railway or even slicing off the signaling chunk from the electrical portfolio. It is obvious that the files taken by the CBI would reveal much more than what the tip of the iceberg indicates. Yes it is evident that the custodians who are expected and also paid to protect what they hold in trust were active partners of the conspiracy, obviously out of fear or petty personal gains or simply missing spines. 

The railgate dominated the small screens for a fairly long time, till the match fixing scam took over. This shall continue to dominate the screens till some other major incident surfaces and takes over. Like the Railgate, the IPL imbroglio will also then be forgotten and the players dominating both the fields will be back with renewed vigor to continue their underhand dealings.  

Is this the independence that the father of the nation dreamt of and acquired? I am sure that he would indeed be turning in his grave at the kind of self misrule that this nation is witness to almost every day.

Amen!

The turmoil within!

The ongoing turmoil ignited by the Mahesh episode is akin to a tsunami slamming the nation. It has also led many of us to look within and ponder on the growing absence of character and value systems as one rises (if one calls it rise) within the system. Yet it is surprising that within official forums in public or private sectors, one rarely witnesses either a focus or an open discussion on the pressing need to eradicate corruption, instil value systems and build character within the machinery meant to manage affairs. These fundamental issues are almost always brushed under the carpet in favour of mundane matters or vested interests. These also continue to remain taboo and are never brought on the table, perhaps due to the absence of men with sound value systems who have the courage to call a spade a spade.

Yes it is true that in the bureaucratic arena, a spade is often identified with a spoon or a fork. Sheer absence of stress on “truth” in the land of the Mahatma ensures that the torrid state of affairs retain a valid ground to continue ad infinitum. It is also apparent that whenever the custodians of rules, procedures and systems abdicate their responsibility for personal gains, lack of concern or out of fear, disgraceful incidents like the one recently witnessed start surfacing.  

Professional honesty is the key and the lack of it acts as a powerful catalyst for corruption of the financial kind, yet what the nation invariably witnesses and remains concerned about is matters relating to financial impropriety. A myopic view of the organization, delaying execution of decisions and projects, lack of objectivity in decision making and contractual matters, lack of objectivity in personnel matters, inability to stand up to illegal orders, maltreatment of subordinates and a lack of concern for growth and development are few of the glaring examples of professional dishonesty that invariably cause a more permanent damage than isolated cases of financial impropriety. Quite often even established rules processes and systems are either followed or given the go by merely to suit the convenience or moods of the powers that matter. Sad it is that even the written word appears to have lost its sanctity.

Financial impropriety quickly spreads like a wave in an organization that is devoid of professional honesty. That corruption touches the lives of almost all citizens in almost all spheres of their existence is therefore a hard reality that is not surprising at all. Moreover despite the majority of interactions of individuals and organizations with the tantra being laced with graft, it is a strange scenario that everyone complains and curses yet expects someone else to stem the rot.

Mere symbolism will not do. On my morning walks cutting across the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, the names of the streets always make me chuckle with amazement. Nyaya Marg, the street of justice is followed by the Satya Marg, the street of truth. Niti Marg, the street of propriety comes next to be followed by Shanti Path, the street of peace and tranquility.  Next comes the Vinay Marg, the street of humility and humbleness. And the most interesting of them all is Satya Sadan, the homes of the truthful. It is evident to even the novice that a lot of water has flown since the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri came of its own.

Amen!

professional impropriety is the bane

That corruption is not confined to merely currency exchanging hands for dubious reasons is a fact that is generally not appreciated by the clients and constituents of the great sarkari tantra of this nation. Is it therefore not sad that professional dishonesty invariably takes a backseat whenever issues relating to integrity are flagged? While it is true that insofar as the “aam aadmi” of this nation is concerned, demand for or expectance of illegal gratification in lieu of doing what should rightfully be done is the correct definition of corruption, it is also true that professional dishonesty by almost the entire fleet is the inherent reason behind our country continuing perpetually in the league of developing nations.

A Mahesh Kumar is thrust into the dungeons jolting the organization as well as the nation out of the slumber it has gotten into. Yet the celebration that many of the honest constituents of the railways are indulging into would prove to be short lived if even this golden opportunity is wasted and the stable not cleared of the accumulated muck of decades. Mahesh Kumar has been caught and perhaps deserves a life behind bars, but this organization has an excess of the Mahesh Kumar variety and perhaps many times more who are going through the transformation process only to later emerge as great thieves.

In my over three decades of active service, with the exception of only a handful, most of the officers that I had an occasion to interact with had absolutely no sense of propriety on professional issues. They were like a tumbler that may roll in any direction. Rules, processes, guidelines and yardsticks had absolutely no rationale whatsoever for this group that was always prepared to bend in whatever direction the powers that mattered desired. And as a result even the written word had a tendency to lose its sanctity within the confines of the 5’6” gauge.  

I am reminded of the penchant of many of the illustrious chief executives who encouraged abandonment of the rules and processes in the interest of shortsightedness yet like a chameleon switched sides whenever something went wrong and responsibility needed to be fixed. Our attitude towards our most prized asset, land appropriately fits the bill. While the top guy places ten minute punctuality issues ahead of land on a regular basis, yet he would leave no effort in fixing lowly subordinates in both cases, of his boss expressing annoyance on land grabbing or land reclamation. The recent exposures that reveal a penchant to be "his masters voice" rather than a custodian of rules and processes even in the matter of secretary level appointments by the apex levels of the railway board are merely a peek into what most of us have been silent witness to for many years now.

The route to financial corruption is via professional dishonesty and professional dishonesty would definitely lead one to the swamps of financial impropriety. This hard reality needs acceptance, the earlier the better, even otherwise the great Indian railways would stagger on.

Amen!

Caught with the pants down!

The great Indian Railways stands exposed. Managed by puny guys, one of whom has been caught with his pants down with a few more in the pipeline, this great organization that witnessed minimal contribution from its mandarins in the last few decades is indeed tottering. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, a great organization brought to its knees by its constituents is indeed a sad story.

It is a cultural malaise, a culture where a senior guy does not appreciate a junior bloke standing erect, a culture of supple spines, free lunches, self gratification, sycophancy and feudalism. Indeed, railways is very much out of place in the corporate environment of the twenty first century. A corporate sans sprinkling of a corporate culture.

Mahesh also must have been a budding youngster perhaps full of idealism and commitment when he would have joined the railways as a probationary officer. Like almost everyone else he also would have learnt to enjoy power and the perks that go with the job, steadily increasing as one climbs up the ladder. Trained in a staff college that does not regard instilling value systems or leadership traits in youngsters, as worthy of consideration, Mahesh would have grown up in the system that admires and places on pedestals sycophant pygmies. He also would have realized fairly early that for a price paid in cash or sycophantic behavior,  many of the important postings are negotiable. And therefore the dubious deal! While Mahesh deserves a couple of years behind bars, yet the major part of the blame should be apportioned to the rotten system that has percolated the nooks and corners of this organization that once had a great affixed to its name.

As the head honcho of the Delhi division I had ringside seats in so far as witnessing the conduct of the apex levels of the railways. And the view was disturbing to say the least. While the top guys never displayed leadership qualities, always had a supple spine and lambasted subordinates at the slightest opportunity, they invariably laid prostate at the feet of their bureaucratic and political masters. Many of the lot also never lost an opportunity to take advantage of their position almost always, even in the matter of whacking the curtains that are allotted to their official bungalow, at the time of their retirement. Whacking of curtains and adjusting the entire electricity consumption of their house as official are minor examples of unethical  practices, yet lays bare the conduct of officials in high places.

Large scale structural reforms are perhaps the only route to redeeming the greatness of the railways. The Mahesh Kumar episode is signalling a turning point provided the gravy train is able to negotiate the turnout it is faced with. 

In God we trust, Insha allah!