Salaam Bureaucrat

SALAAM BUREAUCRAT

That bureaucrats have been and continue to be at the receiving end of politicians is an established fact, only that Home Minister P Chidambaram was honest enough to admit recently that they (he was referring only to police officials) are kicked around like foot balls. Apart from transfers and punishment postings, we have been witness to even some officials being killed brutally if they do not shell out money for the birth day celebrations of some politicians and the entire nation saw on television how an Andhra MP from Mr Chidambaram’s own party thrashed a bank official over some loan issue.

It is equally an open secret that some bureaucrats crawl even where they are expected only to bend. Top ranking officials singing paeans for people in power and even putting loads of pastry into their hungry mouths during birthday celebrations are not uncommon sights. Political connections are used to get transfers, postings and even promotions, not to talk of other sundry favours for spouses, children and others ranging from admissions to foreign trips and business contracts.


Yet, one does come across exceptions in this mutually exploitative and opportunistic relationship. We do find bureaucrats like Kiran Bedi, who don’t mind taking even the Prime Minister to task when it comes to following rules (remember Crane Bedi).and going on to win the prestigious Magsaysay Award for turning a punishment posting (Tihar Jail) into a wonderful opportunity (ashram). Yes, finally she did resign over not being appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner. But, the fact also remains that the people remember Bedi (she is now on popular television shows) more than any other city police chief.

It is in this context that one remembers the comparatively low profile, soft spoken and affable bureaucrat Satish Chandra who passed away in Bengaluru recently. He was Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office during the 10 month tenure of H D Deve Gowda.

The proverbial dark horse that he was, a shell shocked Gowda found himself all alone in the corridors of power in Delhi when he was catapulted to the nation’s highest office by destiny. Having been a seasoned politician in Karnataka, Gowda knew too well the importance of a friendly bureaucracy if he was to prove his detractors and critics wrong.

He approached Chandra, who was Chief Secretary of the state when he was the state PWD Minister. Chandra initially refused but after much persuasion relented and guided Gowda through an eventful and tumultuous ten months. Though the bad press he got projected Gowda as a sleeping, mumbling rustic, the first ever package for North East, the signing of the Mahakali Treat with Nepal, the Ganges water sharing agreement with Bangladesh, the resolution of the Tehri dam issue, the announcement of Uttarakhand state and the first railway link to Kashmir, the negotiations with Naga insurgent groups etc also took place during the period thanks to the Janata Dal leader’s vision and free hand given to Chandra, T S R Subramanian and their team of bureaucrats.


Chandra, who briefly became the Governor of Goa, became a recluse after he succumbed to Parkinson’s Disease and to some extent even Alzheimer’s. Gowda made repeated attempts to meet him but he declined on grounds of protocol. After much persuasion, Gowda hosted Chandra and his wife at his residence and as they were leaving presented them with fruits and dress material. Chandra accepted only the fruits.

And much against Chandra’s will for a quiet funeral, a grateful Gowda made all arrangements when his Man Friday passed away. He got the issue raised in the Karnataka legislative council and forced the BJP run state Government to extend full state Honours to the late bureaucrat and Governor. The former Prime Minister spent the whole night weeping besides Chandra’s mortal remains and even organized a memorial meeting.

In a rare tribute by a politician to a bureaucrat, Gowda described Chandra as his “friend, philosopher and guide.”

“I owe him to a great extent whatever achievements are attributed to my government. I must also give him full credit for ensuring that the United Front Government remained scandal free and its image unsullied”, Gowda said.

Neither did Gowda treat Chandra like a foot ball nor did the latter seek or accept any favours from him. It was a relationship of trust and understanding in the larger interests of the nation by two important pillars of our democracy – legislature and executive.