Appreciating your effort in: "Narendra Kumar, IPS and what his sacrifice means for all of us"

Response received from Seema Das, PhD scholar on my blogpost on "Narendra Kumar, IPS and what his sacrifice means for all of us"

I received this comment on email on my blogpost and posting it here with due consent of Seema. I thank her for her candid views.

abhishek

Hi Mr Abhishek,

Thank you for your recent post in eBlogger, I appreciate your effort in reflecting the nexus underneath and its dangerous consequence to its own people and the society at large. I encountered it on my random search but it was worth a reading!

I tried to submit my thoughts in response to it, due to some system error I was unsuccessful. So, I am mailing you this.

I liked your write up, but I also disagree on some of your views.

Peeping into my school years, between 1997-2001 there was a tragic demise of a top Bureaucrat in the ministry of mines, in Delhi, that is equally filled with suspense. I remember reading this news from TOI. As I remember, an Orissa cadre IAS, who left for office with his assistant carrying his files/briefcase, but never reached his chamber. He jumped (but actually thrown, as we all know) from the 7th or 9th floor of his office building. It was made the shape of a suicide. But to me, even if suicide, what caused it is the determined principle to not to comply to corruption...This brave move of not surrendering to political pressure till the end is not even recognized by either the investigating agency or the class of Bureaucrats at that time. Are not there any culprits even if it is a suicide? So, there were people who are responsible for that tragic demise of a dutiful soul- The very essence is that it was and is a murder not suicide. And yes the issue was about mining lease in some western part of the state of Orissa. Now, the state is a safe heaven to mining rats (the hierarchy involving contractors, bureaucrats, ministers- I call all of them Mafias-I do not care if they are IAS bcoz they never cared to upheld and stick to their principles, like book worms they studied and passed the exam, but once there they forget the vow they had once taken to serve the people, serve the country.)

Looking in to the present, Yes now it is 21st century India....but did we change in any aspect...??? yes we try to westernize with regard to many aspects but the basic need is to value for a single worthy life (by worthy here I mean a soul that is filled with a positive dream a dream to change and care for; a honest, a daring and caring soul...) But for us a life has of no worth, we are selfish to say and think that it is their family who is going to sob and remember and we have our lot of work to do. To me one basic parameter for the evaluation of a progressive or developed country/state/society is how it cares for its citizens. Else there will be many brave Narendra Kumars who will face the same fate. It should be reflected not only among the people with power, but also with common public, every citizen. To be very specific to the recent tragedy and be very minute, there were people standing nearby (common public, the security/civic personnel assigned to the officer and even his service mates in near by police station), but everyone remained static, each depending on the other in the hierarchy to go ahead and act, each feeling helpless that how come he can act if his own security is not acting, and the security is itself hesitant to take the challenge to face the so called criminals at ground and rather cared about their pocket. I do not understand why the response time is so large even today. By no means it is the lack of communication equipment in todays society, rather it is the lack of strong will power and desire to fight and stand tall for a cause and be with the person fighting for a true cause. To me his own security personnel, his driver and the police staff in the nearby PS are equally responsible for his murder. Even more so because they are hold position, responsibility and duty but did not care to listen to its call. I lament the system that still keep them in their position and will never take action (if ever it will, it will be minimal).Strong action comes from a strong desire to change and I wonder if anyone wants to change the current system. I wonder what are we really gifting to the future generation.

In a state where the DIG and IG are downplaying the barbaric murder, what can YOU expect even if you inform these higher authorities who are already sold in the hands of politician... Yes you can go beyond but to what level..? If your colleagues/fraternity hate to stand by your cause even after your tragic and most sensitive demise....what can you expect when you are alive? What matters is whether the higher authority is honest and dutiful or a Mafia himself. So, the path is equally dangerous.... and you will fight a lonely battle with much more disgrace (the situation will be created by the same colleagues around you).

There are few options in this complex red tape system: surrender to what is going on-remain a mute spectator even if being part of the same organization, take action-get eliminated/or live disgraced, take action and your voice will be heard subject to a honest and upright officer at the upper level supporting ur cause and protecting you. The situation is not that easy. If there is such motivation to work with honesty, then I question where is the Bureaucratic fraternity? Why they did not take any step after this gruesome incident of the Brave Narendra Kumar,IPS? Can they stop signing any file or stop granting there permission to any illegal mission? At least in the mining sector, the cause that he was battling in his last moment; can they voice of any illegal work that that has been granted in the past, or the present? Why can't the IAS/ IPS fraternity stand together, stop suppressing the facts, and refrain from surrendering to the crime. Yes we all do mistakes at some point, but if we can realize and repent and transform at the earliest then it is the greatest achievement. Take with the whole machinery that is part of the system, the large mass that are/were employed in many other positions in the hierarchy. Yes it will (may) make the state machinery to stand still for some days, but then it is much better for a cause, for a transformation than the causes for which the state assemblies or The Parliament get stagnant.

And yes, it is tough to happen as many of the same fraternity are so intrinsic part of this corruption that they are literally blind to distinguish!

While preparing for IAS/IPS all might have studied Gandhian Philosophy but very few might have realized the meaning of Gandhian Philosophy of civil and yet peaceful disobedience, what transformation it can bring to the society. (* It may also go beyond the peaceful disobedience depending on the circumstance.)

Further, in a country where criminals are categorized on the basis of their status (we all know what this means), it needs shift in the basic perception. Realize the Indian history of great rulers, where law was kept same for all rather a person in the higher position breaking the law should be punished most severely. Because when the law makers are the law breakers there should not be any second thought. But, it is a pity that just the opposite happens here. Only people in the lower rung get caught or punished and the real culprits enjoy their freedom! It is a shame on the 21st Century Indian Administration!

Do not go there if you do not dare to fight, at least you will be relieved of the sins of being part of corruption by direct or indirect means. You do not have to fight with your inner principles every day of your life. Yes as we know most of us go there to serve the society but to me, you can very well serve the society even from outside. What you need is not power or authority or position but the strong will, the love and caring, the realization to understand someones plight, to serve the society. Yes about raising voice against corruption, it is too irrespective of whether you have authority or not, as mostly people with positions remain mute spectators; you can very well voice even from outside the system. Now, implementing the Rule: did they ever try to implement a rule that stops corruption, punish criminals, contribute in the progress of the Country in every aspect starting from science, education to agriculture...

Most of them thrive on the rule of self survival. As long as I am fine I do not care what happens to others. I am busy with my lot.

Except very few who try there best, for whom the Country is still running.

It is great to see that we Indians are so civilized in the 21st century India, that we can even snatch a father from his just to born baby and remain mute spectators. It was not a war fought with other country where the life is lost. It is the same people, the same country, right! Is not it a upliftment of our society, seeing how much we truly care and for whom we truly care in this Century? What if this incident (even if some of you accepting it as accident, which actually is not) can be taken as a starting point to curb the corruption on the very reason for which he lost his life, the mining and spreading the move to every other sector? At least the younger generation will not remember the present office holders as cowards!

There is a lot that can be penned down but I would like to stop it here for today.

Thank you for your patience in reading till this point. I appreciate it.

Best regards,

Das.