A few days back, I had to get a document signed by an officer known for his arrogance. The officer wasn’t there in the office. To our much relief, he accompanied by low rung employees, arrived soon after sometime. Everybody paid respect and salam but I didn’t hear his reply in reciprocation. He yelled at the poor peon, “Che cheya demag dolmut. Yore kot trawthek yeteya. Az gai rozdari huend lihaz”(“Are you in your senses? Why did you allow many people to enter the office. Am sparing you today for your folly just because it is month of Ramazan”). The poor peon lowered his gaze in embarrassment.
When it was my turn to address my grievance, I handed overto him the document. He in an authoritative, high-pitched and callous tone toldme,” Yeth kate sa che aadhar card?” (“Where is adhaarcard?”). I replied, “Su haz che me yekya saet chandas” (“that iswith me, in my pocket.”)
“Go, get a photocopy and submit it here first then I amgoing to sign”, he demanded. On that hot fasting day, I had to walk almosthalf a kilometre to get a photocopy. I was quite upset by his indifferent andinsensitive attitude. When I was back, I politely told him in a “dabawwala angreezi” with mere intent to gesture toward him that I am alsoeducated and I tried to make him realizehow he made me suffer unnecessarily , “Sir, I guess I had to unnecessarilysuffer. It is nowhere mentioned that adhaar deposition is mandatory for gettingthe document signed.” He was bitspeechless trying to dodge me saying, “What do you do?””Nothing, am a private teacher”, I replied.
There were a few of his subordinates in the office, one ofthem known to me, he interrupted, exaggeratedly added to my brief and modestintroduction and informed the officer, “He is a good writer also.”
“Good to know. Which paper do you write for”, the officer inquisitively said. “I usedto report for local English daily frommy district until recently. I occasionally write features for Times OfIndia.”, I replied.
“Oh great”, he said in a mild tone. His”takjaar” dissolved and impoliteness dramatically changed into politeness and decency.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier”, and added,”Thayew tashreef”, (“Be seated, please”). Leaving mewondering what was the need to tell him about my profession. After a briefchat. I bid him goodbye. “Be ma kehn Hakum”, (“Any thing else Ican do for you”, he added politely.
His special treatment at the end not only baffled me butalso disappointed me. I was left pondering why didn’t I deserve this treatment when I appeared a commonman to him. Why did he mend his way of treating me when his came to know aboutmy association with media.
This experience was one of the a stark reflections of howinsensitive most of our bureaucrats are to people’s grievances and howresponsive they are to our needs. How deeply they still are influenced withthat typical colonial mindset. Here I am not attempting to generalize butincidents like this are a very common. In our part of the world, most of thebureaucrats have earned such a dubious distinction of being people unfriendly,treating people with indignity, inordinately delaying the redressal of evensmall grievances, being unfairly authoritative and deliberately sluggish inaddressing people’s woes due to minimal accountability.
Such officers need to have the realization that they aremere public servants obligated to serve people with compassion, honesty and dedication.
They may have qualified IAS, KAS or any other competitivetests but that is not sufficient.Passing of exam should not make them feel too privileged to, resort todereliction of basic duties, anddemonstrate their authority to poor public. Such officers desperately need tolearn civility and unlearn this uncivil attitude.