Understanding the Government: Part 17

Aunty, Raju and the Shanbhag settled at the nearest eatery. Aunty started to gently question the Shanbhag. The Shanbhag had become at ease with aunty now.

“Why are you govt servants, always busy? Can't your work be organized?"

“Madam, we are busy because, our priorities are changed daily. There is no set work. We work as per orders from the Tahsildar or the DC sir.”

“Don’t you  have any written down work definition and allocation? Every day you get orders on what you need to do for that day?”

“No! We do have written down work allocation. But, over a period of time, the ad-hoc work given to us from our seniors is double that of the routine work! We always seem to be doing these ad-hoc work rather than our original work!

So, we can’t plan our day. Even though we plan, it will be disturbed by ‘urgent work’ that is imposed on us! So, we do the easiest thing: keep quiet and wait for the day-to-day command from the top!  

Although there are more than 30 or 40 government departments, only five departments have staff at village level. They are the Revenue department, the Forest department, Rural development department, Agriculture department and the Education department.

All other departments’ piggy back on us for anything! May it be census, registration of birth and death, pulse polio, election, you name it and we are part of it!

Over the last 100 years, population has grown almost 5 times, but administrative divisions have not grown in proportion. Going by the ratio that was followed while establishing districts 100 years back, we ought to have five districts in place of one. Bifurcation has happened in case of some large districts only. Thus, we are burdened with so much work, that we end up not doing any work properly!

Indeed madam, most of the public are not aware of these things. They don’t even know their rights, leave alone laws and regulations! When government says that not knowing law is not an excuse, I feel like laughing!

Because, such assumption can be made only in a society where literacy rates are quite high, say above 90%, and people can access information easily. Here, with just 30% of the population seeking and completing college education, and inadequate attempt by governments to educate the public on the rules and laws, how can we make people responsible for everything?

For registration of voters, the public is responsible. For birth and death registration the public is responsible. For everything the public is responsible!

If that is the case, why are governments not spending on educating the public? Where are the innovative mass communication programmes? Why are government systems still old and unable to cope  with the demand? Why are governments not responding to the public? Is it in the governments’ interest to keep the public uneducated? Aren't we a democracy?!”

Shanbhag stopped his long speech! He drank a glass of water.

Raju was dumbstruck. He never knew so much! Suddenly, he seemed to understand how an aged system is struggling to cope up with idealistic expectations of a modern society! It looked like both the government and society wanted to win the race using an old 1947 model car!

“Aunty, why can’t we improve the system? Why can’t we make drastic changes in the administrative set up and modernize it? Why are governments more interested in giving individual benefits to people rather than bringing systematic changes? Is that because such changes won't result in votes in the next elections? ”

“Raju, you are right. Such systematic changes don’t fetch votes in the short period of five years, thereby accorded low priority by the popularly elected governments! The scarce resources are spent largely on popular vote garnering schemes!!"

“But then, who will do this important work? Who will bring in systematic changes? Which government will invest on common infrastructure of education, health, roads etc? And which government will take upon itself to educate and create awareness amongst the vast population of this country? How can anybody continue to run government with an aged and dilapidated system?”

“Raju, it would require statesmen at the top, to go beyond electoral politics. And that would also require the people to appreciate such efforts. May be somebody has to start it somewhere. Else, one fine day the system will collapse! And then it may lead to chaos everywhere or even civil unrest!"

Already we are seeing breakdown of basic services and systems. We hear break-down of law and order, non-functioning hospitals, dysfunctional schools, and unfriendly government offices. What more we are waiting for?

If anti-government movements like Naxalism are spreading fast, one reason is the absence of good and responsive governance.  Indeed the rise of the people against corruption and such other issues in recent days are pointers to the rulers that public won't tolerate things for long. The clock is ticking!"

"But, aunty, why don't such movements last long enough to enforce a change?"

"Good question Raju. That is due to the heterogeneity in our country, where people are divided on all possible lines; race, religion, caste, language and what not! These differences do not allow us to come together so easily! Even if we come together, it doesn't last long! This has come as a blessing in disguise for the leadership in our country to look at short term benefits and get away with it! We need a government who can put national interest above political interests!"

"But, aunty, I guess things can't go on like this forever. We will have leaders who will unite the people. We will demand our rights and get them! We will also have good government!"

Vani aunty smiled. "Yes, Raju, when I see you, I get that hope. The youth in this country have to demolish those walls that separate us, and unite us. Then the force unleashed will demand and get what it deserves, the best!"

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(I must thank Srinand Kaushik for prodding me to continue this series of writing about government and polity in simple language.)