As the bureaucrat bides his time doing precious little, those who wait and beg for governance suffer endlessly
If you takes a domestic survey, the Indian babu would run a close second to the neta as the most hated species. An international survey would, maybe, catapult him into the top spot, because most outsiders deal with our bureaucracy more than the neta, and they may not have had very pleasant experiences with babugiri.
What’s his fault? The top-most babus are a product of the prestigious civil services examination, which to 99% of students is but a distant dream. It requires years of hard work and a mental state that is so ‘alert’, something unfathomable to most of us. "Alert" because, there is no much to know in this world, so much to have a clear opinion about, that only a really sharp and alert mind can do that.
So what happens to this babu when he is unleashed on to the multitude of hapless citizens, waiting and begging for governance? Armed with an alert mind, tough training, high intellect and drive and a penchant for hard work, he or she can potentially change the face of the nation. Alas, nothing of this sort happens. Most of them blame the political class. And in turn most of the political class would blame the babus . Which is the bigger evil, netagiri or babugiri ?
Well, the babu wins hands down. The neta is somewhat accountable to the populace, but the babu is only accountable to another bigger and possibly worse babu . Finally the biggest and the worst babu is accountable to the political class, but by the time accountability is measured the neta’s own time for fresh accountability for himself has come and he gets distracted into the quagmire of popular vote management politics.
The fairly permanent babu does precious little. He bides his time buttressing the ego of his superior and, at the same time, gradually but surely, developing a formidable ego of his own. The director general looks down upon the director to such an extent that he has forgotten his own rise through the same channel.
Babus are very consistent and fair. All across the spectrum of governance and ministries, they are all the same. Whether it is the ministry of defence or civil aviation or urban development or environment, they work exactly the same way — office, peons, files, note on files, meetings, officialise. Through all this their egos take shape and they unleash red-tapism of the killer kind on to one and all. When sometimes accountabilities have to be measured, they use deathly silence as a weapon of mass incompetence, so that they are not forced into taking a decision that might go wrong. And when they have no choice but to suggest a course of action for a problem to his superior or to the polity, he comes out with a solution so bizarre and brilliant that the problem gets solved in no time, because 10 more pressing problems are created! That’s how he interprets out-of-the-box thinking.
The Indian bureaucracy is amongst the most inefficient and corrupt of its kind in the world. But he pays no heed to such statistical insinuations. These are skewed, simple, he says. He always works in the public interest. Phew, what better example of an antonym. He doesn’t lose self-respect, because unless one respects oneself, he cannot succeed. Positive thinking, the karma theory, is always entrenched in him when it comes to himself. The political leader tries to solve problems sometimes, but he doesn’t know the snake is wrapped around his legs under his own table, while he scratches his head to deliver before the next election.
The first step to solving a problem is to accept that there is a problem. This first step has never ever been taken in our independent history. Because the problem is the babu himself, and he himself has to suggest to the leader about the source of problem. Can there be a bigger example of conflict of interest?
Take, for example, the problem of the commercial pilots vs the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation with regard to the notice period to be given before resignation from the post. The present requirement is to give six months’ notice. This has helped a few rogue airlines to exploit pilots. They stop paying salaries, and when the pilot protests he is conveniently ignored. If he walks off, which is natural, no airline takes him because a no objection certificate is required from the previous company, as per a babu ’s rule. So he is forced to negotiate and plead with the rogue employer. A minimum loss of three months’ pay is ensured. Go to court, and get your money back after 20 years: this option always exists. This is not the story only of any one airline. It’s happening now as well. Two regional airlines have done it this year. When one complains to the DGCA, it unleashes the brahmastra — of deathly silence. In private they say that the DGCA cannot interfere in issues of employment between pilots and airlines. But dear sir, this employment issue is a fallout of your own out-of-the-box thinking and the six-month rule you passed once to solve some problem, which nobody remembers now!
Fortunately, the aviation world is fairly globalised. We have to follow International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, otherwise we will not be able to fly to member-countries. A recent audit by an external aviation authority had berated DGCA for a number of issues. The DGCA took out all its…, well, there is no real substitute for the Hindi word khundak, although you could use in a loose sense the word ‘vendetta’. Yes, the DGCA unleashed its khundak on hapless and already suffering operators to get the standards right. But here again, the biggest culprit was the DGCA itself, and the operators were only sufferers of their venom. But again, will an organisation ever accept that? Post-inspection, a lot of lip service and lipstick was applied to the working of the DGCA. Many independent professionals, mainly pilots, were hired from the field to bring about operationalisation and professionalism in the DGCA. Most of them are working very hard to resist converting to babus themselves — such is the power of the uncommon man, the babu and his dom . It’s primarily the babu who needs a DNA change. But can that ever happen? Never, I think. The more things seem to change, the more they remain the same!
The present polity talks a lot about infrastructure, especially for the aviation arm of it. We need more airports, more airlines so that there is better connectivity. People will be able to spend Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 for travel, especially when train fares would go upwards. The government can only fast-track development through the babus. But they are in time warp. Lot of gas but very little change. Are pilots responsible for shortage of airports and aircraft and pilots themselves? The one who is responsible, unfortunately, is above reproach. You can’t tell him or hint to him, that sir, you are the problem. If you do that, you may lose your livelihood, or even go to jail. For the public interest! What better example of hypocrisy.
The present government has undoubtedly shown a lot of fresh intent. But the government has another arm, and that’s the "Government of India", the invisible, invincibly babu , who brings and has brought to nought many a good intentions. If this is not hit on the head, soon there will be mass despair. We hang by a slender thread of optimism, and if this time it’s broken again we will collectively sink into an almost irrecoverable cynicism. To avoid that, the leader needs to kick the "Government of India" out of its arrogance. Change the central government rules of employment first, before tinkering, rather maliciously, with private sector rules.
Till now the Government of India has been a game-changer of sorts. It has always turned gold to dust, what with its Midas touch. We need to ground to dust the present method of administration first. That’s the priority. Not egos, lip service and hypocrisy. We have seen enough of that. No one other than the person at the helm can do it. So please, wipe out the smirk and ego of the babu. Time is at a premium.
kavimiki@hotmail.com
