CRISIS AND SOLUTION

           When a pandemic holds the entire humanity by its throat, it is the moment to involve in a soul searching exercise - Why in spite of holding our own intelligence as the highest on the planet, we have been so badly shaken, why our lives are under threat, economy in shambles, normal activities curtailed, what has forced us to confine ourselves to our homes as far as possible and to move around like ones hunted, not knowing from which corner our enemy will strike and what will be it's fall out?

            Not only this pandemic, every natural disaster attempts to point out that we made a severe mistake in assuming that the human being is the master of this universe.  We made a cardinal error in assuming that our intelligence is superior to the collective intelligence of – call it whatever – God, universe or nature.  Loosing the humility to acknowledge that we are a tiny speck in the grand creation, a very late entrant among several of the species and an arrogance that we are the quint essence of evolution and that after us, there is only a deluge, have been at the root of our audacity to loot, ravish and destroy the very nature, which we are to nurture and a part of which we are.

          Arrogance comes with power - gained out of position, wealth, knowledge or any other claimed superiority by means of birth in a family, caste, region or community as well as by merit of marks, passing out of specified exams, success in life, etc.

            In this context, we will find that in our own case, the arrogance of power rests with the position in the hierarchy within the department.  Many of our own colleagues suffer from this symptom when dealing with others, particularly their subordinates or with trade.  But that does not at the same moment fail to make them expect a decent treatment from others or their supervisory authorities, when it comes to their own cases.  That is the failing of human intelligence.  Unfortunately, these people claim this fallacy itself as an intelligence and have a righteous indignation when their expectations are not met.

           Within the organisation also, we do not have the spirit of belonging to the same cadre and hence do not feel it necessary to hang on together if not to hang alone.  We consider ourselves as individuals first – we try to see what good posting we could get, whether station or type of post.  Then we have a limited relationship with similarly placed colleagues of the same region.  At that level, our demands are pertaining to our group or region.  Only on matters of pay and allowances, we come to the all India stage.  To identify ourselves with other Government employees, we still feel unnecessary.  We feel superior - forgetting the menial existence or respect given to our cadre within the department.  

              Even in this, there have been instances where some leaders indulged in getting some benefits only for themselves, their close colleagues or at best for their own regions. 

          One post made by Mr. C. S. Sharma of Delhi (who was the Office Secretary for the previous SG, the then President of Delhi Unit (continuing without elections for several years) and continues to be one of the Patrons of that three zone group – yes, representing only Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and part of Lucknow zones of Central Excise) is given below:

          It reveals, how persons who were at the helm of affairs of the All India Association had a parochial view of things, pertaining to the cadre.  How narrow their intentions have been and in spite of that they want to claim leadership of the cadre. 

          Another Officer who had patronized these persons with these vested interests was our former Chairperson.  See what she speaks in an interview to Business Standard on the topic of Merger of Boards, in this link.

          On an important issue like merger of Boards, her chief concern is regarding the posts of the Members of the Board and that there will be only one post of Chairman.  And she did not think it inappropriate to speak about such an insignificant concern (from the larger policy perspective) to a national media.

          That is how, most of us and our officers think. Most of the ills of our department in the form of regional disparities and disparities between Central Excise and Customs, has been due to the policy of the Board being formulated in such a manner that posts of IRS are created according to their interests and then Customs being taken care off, again for their own interests. And our national leadership has been busy currying favours from these powers that be by getting some crumbs for themselves, their cronies and giving an impression to the people in their regions as if they gained only by their efforts and benevolence.  Delhi benefited not due to the efforts of these minions of power, but due to the requirements of the power centers themselves.  Since IRS officers prefer to be in Delhi, more posts are created in Delhi.  It is as simple as that.  

          As in the case of the entire humanity, the percentage of people who can understand or feel the pain of others is very small.  The same is the case among our IRS Officers also.  

          Yet we survive only by the grace of the minuscule minority which can have the courage to think beyond their own personal, regional or cadre interests and an expectation that justice will be done.

            On our part, let us expand our horizon of concern.

with fraternal greetings,

R. Manimohan,

SG, AIACEGEO