INSECURITY,
IT
SEEMS,
has
gripped
the
fratemity
of
'I
Am
Secure'.
Impregnable
wall
that
secured
the
Indian
Administrative
Service
officers
is
getting
breached
by
variety
of
forces.
In
Bihar,
a
district
magistrate
is
stoned
to
death
by
a
frenzied
mob.
In
Orissa,
the
Chief
Minister
Biju
Patnaik
publicly
slaps
the
service
officer.
In
Uttar
Pradesh,
the
abuse
and
public
insult
at
the
hands
of
the
Chief
Minister
Mayawati
assumed
such
proportion
that
cornered
officers
had
to
call
urgent
meeting
of
the
state
IAS
Association
to
sort
out
plans
to
counter
the
political
ambition.
In
Karnatka
it
was
neither
the
'mobocracy'
nor
the
erratic
politicians
but
the
judiciary
which
brought
the
bureaucracy
on
road.
These
are
not
isolated
incidents.
What
is
emerging
is
a
trend.
A
trend
out
to
region
the
bureaucrats.
Where
does
the
genesis
of
this
trend
lie.
Opinions
are
in
fluid
state.
A
senior
lady
bureaucrat
came
closer
to
truth
when
she
said,
'we
are
meant
to
serve
the
people
and
the
nation
but
the
trouble
starts
when
we
confine
ourselves
to
serve
us'.
Wallowing
in
corrupt
deals,
the
bureaucrats
are
amassing
wealth
beyond
their
known
means.
Not
only
the
old
senior
and
retiring
but
many
young
bureaucrats
fall
victim
to
lust.
Aristocratic
life
styles
of
the
bureaucrats
have
been
an
eyesore
to
the
young
and
brilliant
youth
who
are
in
professions
other
then
the
bureaucracy.
The
control
that
civil
servants
wield
over
the
individuals
and
their
fate
is,
more
often
than
not,
repulsive.
This
has
brought
the
negative
alienation
of
administrators
from
the
administered.
Democracy
however
has
brought
a
seachange
in
the
constitution
of
political
rulers.
Laloo
or
Mayawati,
are
antiestablishment
heroes
despite
being
a
part
of
establishment.
Their
aura
gets
buffeted
from
their
acts
of
publicly
thrashing
these
bureaucrats.
For
50
years,
cacooned
in
their
comfort
of
'guiding
growth',
the
bureaucracy
has
only
alienated
those
whom
the
growth
meant
most.
Now
attacks
are
intensifying.
Only
possible
way
for
them
is
to
reform
or
perish.
For
how
long
you
can
live
in
glass
house
comfort
surrounded
by
hungry
and
desperate
people?
This,
however,
is
not
the
complete
picture.
There
are
numerous
officers
of
im0eccable
credentials
doing
marvelous
work
but
they
remain
in
oblivion,
overshadowed
by
their
much
'committed'
colleagues.
They,
however,
are
constantly
harassed
by
their
colleagues
and
seniors.
They
are
frequently
shunted
out
of
the
important
positions
because
of
their
non-compromising
attitude.
At
times
they
are
humiliated
or
ridiculed
for
not
marching
along
with
the
'norms'
of
the
time.
Some
of
them
finally
get
influenced
and
surrender
to
the
system
and
most
of
them
remain
frustrated,
silent
lot.
There
is
need
for
such
bureaucrats
to
shake
up
their
colonial
hangover
of
not
mingling
with
the
masses.
They
should
develop
a
network
with
activists,
journalists,
students
and
social
reformers
in
whom
they
have
faith.
If
scoundrels
of
al
hues
can
get
together
to
plunder
the
nation
why
can't
good
people,
who
are
in
majority
but
divided,
do
the
same
for
common
cause?
Vineet
Narain
