DailyPost 2906
CRYING FOR PUBLIC SERVICE!
From where are we getting desperate cries for public service today, anyone having any idea of India would be able to make the right guess. The whole concept of our democracy and its practice is based on public service. The maxim is maximum good to maximum people. Greed has taken over community or societal welfare. The aspirants to the Civil Service talk eloquently about their passion for public service, of the chance it would provide to make a difference to the society. Hence, we see the switching over a large number of professionals to Civil Services. The reality is otherwise.
Leave aside the permanent bureaucracy, it has lots to be set right, strangely the political class talk only about service to the people, the passion and exposition at lip service has to be seen to be believed. Every speech is an epitome of their demagoguery for their life’s commitment to improve the lot of the masses and of having left everything for the nation. The ruling class inclusive of the political executive – the government has perfected the combination of highest level of lip service for public service and of delivery of lowest, rock bottom levels of public service, if any.
The whole tragedy is the lack of any iota of public service, by the ones who are legally mandated to do so. If it is an act of commission or omission in failing to do so, which by the spirit of law should necessarily attract penal action. Public service is the official duty of public servants; structured, process and deliverables laid down, it is not at the mercy of anyone’s whims or fancy. Today, registering an FIR and doing some shabby investigation and hiding under cover of the political masters is supposed to be public service. The instant case of Kolkata has literally put to shreds any semblance of public service, if we had ever imagined anything worthwhile can be delivered to the public even in the gravest of circumstances, we have been proven to be totally off the mark.
The whole public service brigade for whom we pay, are conspicuous by their absence. It has reached to such levels that there is nobody in the lower to higher echelons of power who is even ready to speak, leave aside having a continuous dialogue in furtherance of justice for the young medico, who is no more and the ways and means to provide near full proof security to our healthcare institutions. Some odd press notes and official directives, which would never see the light of the day, is what the political and governmental dispensations understand of “paid for public service”. Leaving aside public service, even strikes outside the highest police offices and government offices does not mean anything. Not even an initiation of dialogue. It seems today that politically, bureaucratic or from the police side there is no involvement in sorting out the healthcare institutions mess, that the country has landed in, courtesy negligence, dereliction & indifference, all for a price.
PUBLIC SERVICE MEANS, THE PUBLIC HAVE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES AFTER PAYING FOR THE SERVICE AND AFTER HAVING DUTIFULLY CELEBRATED THE FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY, THROUGH FRANCHISE.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.