The recent kerfuffle between the Centre and West Bengal government over recalling of its former Chief Secretary has brought the spotlight back on civil servants and the civil service. Before going into the current problem, it is important to look at the past to see how the civil servant-politician relation has gone through ups and downs.
We know of many instances where senior secretaries to government have differed with Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers, but have been respected for their views. That was during the initial years after Partition till about the mid-sixties. Then Congress leader and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi brought in the concept of ‘committed bureaucracy’ and the healthy relationship between the All India Service (AIS) and the ministers started deteriorating. That was the watershed moment.
There is the well-known case of PS Appu, Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, seeking premature retirement when Gandhi overruled his decision to dismiss a probationer who, in an inebriated state, threatened a colleague with a gun.
Another development was the lowering of standards of our public representatives. We’ve had people with criminal records entering politics. It no longer remained a dignified calling for which the standards had been laid down by stalwarts like Bidhan Chandra Roy, Shri Krishna Sinha, Biju Patnaik and others.
Slowly, many Chief Ministers became tyrannical satraps who believed that their word was law. J Jayalalithaa, Lalu Prasad, and Bansi Lal were vindictive to IAS officers who dared point out the rule of law to them. The incidents of acid being thrown on a senior IAS officer, IAS officers being beaten up by goons in Bihar, imprisonment of innocent IAS officers who dared to express an independent opinion, are numerous. The recent incident of the Chief Secretary of Delhi being called for a meeting with the Chief Minister and then assaulted there is, of course, the all-time low.
Unfortunately, over the years, some officers started adjusting to the new normal and became yes-men/women. They forgot the oath of allegiance to the Constitution. They forgot the fact that they only had one boss: the Constitution of India — and not a Chief Minister. Politicians won over such officers by playing on their greed: a lucrative posting, a foreign jaunt, cheap land or house, post-retirement perks, etc. In the civil servants’ community they are referred to as ‘Sada Suhagans’ — those officers who thrive no matter which political party is in power. They have forgotten that they do not work 'under' a Chief Minister but 'with' them as a colleague; and definitely not as a supplicant.
From recent developments it appears that West Bengal former chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay might be one such officer.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited West Bengal on May 28, the chief secretary was supposed to receive him. That's the rule. Obviously, the chief secretary has to reach the venue much before the PM. However, Bandyopadhyay did not. This was a clear dereliction of duty and, worse, insubordination.
Next, Bandyopadhyay was supposed to make a presentation to the PM on the damages caused by Cyclone Yaas and what remedial measures were required. Based on this the central team would make an assessment of the assistance required. I have been Central Relief Commissioner and this is a well-established procedure. Unfortunately, Bandyopadhyay failed here as well.
Finally, some reports suggest that when the Prime Minister was leaving the state after his visit Bandyopadhyay was yet again missing. Failing thrice to do his duty gives the impression that he is no longer thinking and acting like a civil servant, but is willing to be used as a pawn in a political battle.
Such dereliction of duty calls for strict action against him by the Department of Personnel, Government of India. The departmental enquiry should be fast-tracked and strong action is suggested as it will be a timely reminder to all civil servants that their primary allegiance is to the Constitution of India.
What is more disturbing is that in this whole fiasco the people of West Bengal will end up losing. Let me explain. The state had just faced the brunt of a cyclone and extensive damage had taken place. The financial cost for rebuilding the state and compensating those who incurred losses would run up to thousands of crores of rupees. At such a juncture none less than the Prime Minister has taken time off to assess the situation. It was a Godsend opportunity where Bandyopadhyay could have presented the state’s case and won more aid for the state. By not doing his duty, the chief secretary failed the poor, affected people of West Bengal.
Many retired IAS officers have come out in support of Bandyopadhyay. They have clearly missed the woods for the trees. Severe action is required so that in future there are no ‘sada suhagans’ in the civil service.
It must not be forgotten that when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel set up the All India Services (AIS) in independent India, he strongly believed that ‘you will not have a united India, if you do not have a good All India Service which has the independence to speak out its mind.’ That independence must not be diluted.
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