Yet another Dry Independence day without any Fun :(

 

I don’t have any memory of celebrating India’s Independence day as a Kid.I gradually got to know that 15^th August is the I-Day and on this day our Prime Minister hoists our national flag at the Lal Quila. The flag hoisting ritual is also performed throughout the length and breadth of our country by bureaucrats and netas. General Public by law is forbidden to hoist flag (recently certain freedom is provided in this matter by Honorable Supreme Court with Guidelines). So in a nutshell, the celebration of Independence day is confined to going out to the next maidan very early in the morning to see some neta/bureaucrats unfurling the tri-color and giving boring speeches. The only reward you get for attending this torturous celebration is "Boondi ka Laddu" provided at the end of the celebration. The other option to celebrate I-Day is by staying indoor. This is the best option due to terror threats and also because Television Channels customize their shows on I-Day to make us feel more patriotic. In the end you do your bit by changing your FB/Twitter profile pic and status to send I-Day message.

Now I work in United States, which is also a democratic country such as India and by co-incidence US also celebrates I-Day, as India does, but on the 4^th of July. Generally an immigrant like me should be immune to I-Day celebration in US, but this has never been the case. This year I booked tickets to visit Chicago to see 4^thof July Fireworks at Navy Pier. In the past when I got the opportunity I booked ticket to visit New York to see 4^th of July Macy’s Firework at Hudson river. So even if you are an immigrant in US you will rush to the next open park/public place to see the fireworks on I-day. It is plain celebration. People will come out in hordes with US flags to enjoy picnic/barbeque while they wait for fireworks. Even they will get drunk as I-Day doesn’t have to be a pious day. I-Day for an American is a day to recognize Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. There were no boring flag hoisting or boring speeches before the fireworks. Flag Hoisting in US doesn’t need a special day like I-Day. Here people are the custodians of their national flag and they proudly hoist US national flag at home and at work. On I-Day they just do it more :) The only official ceremony that happens on the 4^th of July is the Oath taking ceremony for immigrants who have got their US citizenship. This way 4^th of July becomes personal independence day to countless immigrants who leave their country to pursue their dreams in US.

Hope one day, I-day in my country will become a celebration of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness rather than the ritual it has become today.

The Steal Frame of India :(

We recently came to know how an IAS officer in UP, who was taking strict action against illegal sand mining, was suspended for the flimsiest of reasons by an elected government. As usual we got enraged at the brazenness of our politicians and praised the honest officer. Ritual done…once again!

Now, lets give our politicians some break and introspect.  We all know why IAS/IPS jobs are the most coveted jobs in India despite the fact that IAS/IPS jobs offer meager salary and worst work conditions to the talent it attracts when compared to the corporate jobs. So let’s be frank and admit that scores of smart/talented people go for IAS/IPS jobs because it provides them immense power to wield and opportunity to make money along with the added  benefit of emancipating her near and dear ones from the daily pains inflicted on Aam Aadmi by the almighty State. Even our society acknowledges these perks and as a result a number of parents goad their children to appear for IAS/IPS exams- all for the power, prestige and the status that this job offers!

I'm sure that some will question and dispute my aforementioned reasons and argue that a few people do join the IAS/IPS to serve and bring real change. I am not denying this assertion but the current state of India and the lethargic functioning of its bureaucracy clearly tells us what the IAS/IPS has accomplished in the past 60 odd years (since India gained independence). But the genesis of  this rot lies in the manner in which the  bureaucracy was established in our country.

We don’t give enough credits to the Goras (Britishers- our erstwhile rulers) even when it is deserved. The Brits knew that they can’t send enough people to govern a large country like India so they devised a plan to recruit and  train smart/talented Indians and gave them entitlement and powers which were reserved only for White Officers and in return asked those very Indians to maintain governance for them over their very own people. The ploy worked because the heady concoction of entitlements and power were too hard to resist, even for a country that harps on the moralistic way of life . So in a nutshell the IAS/IPS services were created to serve the people in power, not the public.

Nothing changed after independence. Now Babus started serving new breed of rulers called politicians, who emerged from the dance of democracy, instead of the Colonial powers. Babus helped politicians learn all the tricks and trades used by Britishers to rule our country and thus started the unholy nexus of Babus and Politicians. Both thrived with each other as the Netas were learning the tricks of ruling and the Babus successfully retained and  protected their entitlement. But now the table has turned as the Netas don’t need these Babus any more to pursue their agendas and share the spoils of their loot. Even Ms. Kiran Bedi acknowledges this when she says “Wolf has come to the door of IAS”.

I am not hopeful that Durga-Shakti incident will force the Babus to seek divorce from the political class and start working independently as these educated, elite Babus have not left the high paying/high flying corporate jobs for nothing.  We will continue to hear few incidents like the Durga Shakti case every now and then but the larger picture remains bleak. Things will only change when bureaucracy goes for a total overhaul by implementing the reforms suggested by various previous government panels and championed by Supreme Court. Things can also improve if successful professional who wish to leave their plush corporate jobs for public service can be made part of IAS/IPS services. Remember we have seen people like Sam Pitroda and Nandan Nilekani joining the government after their successful stint in private sector. Hopefully these changes will turn the 'Steal Frame of India' to 'Steel Frame of India'.