Dilli Ka Babu: Babus finally speak up

Service rules forbid babus from speaking their minds, specially if their thoughts are not aligned with the government’s. But retired bureaucrats have no such chains to tie them down. Recently, 65 retired babus wrote an open letter addressed to all public authorities and constitutional bodies to take heed.

It’s a motley group of former secretary-level officers and senior diplomats, with the oldest being 91-year-old 1953-batch officer Har Mander Singh. But they share a deep concern about recent developments in Indian politics.

The letter details their growing apprehensions and reservations in the face of a “growing climate of religious intolerance”, widespread vigilantism, hyper-nationalism and threats to freedom of expression in today’s climate. These are some very well-respected names, and with this “open” letter they no doubt hope that their views will get circulated widely and debated outside as well as within the government. Certainly, the government could do worse by ignoring the counsel of these retired bureaucrats. Of course, cynics are already pointing out that writing letters is not an adequate response to the extant situation in the country. After nothing much came out of the award “waapsi” by prominent authors and public intellectuals some time ago as a protest against increased attacks on minorities. But these babus are hoping to make a difference.

Flags replace beacons in Bengal
Clearly unhappy at the visible loss of “status” after the Centre banned red beacons on sarkari cars, IAS babus in West Bengal have found a way around the problem. Furthermore, this move has the blessings of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The state government has notified that IAS officers of the state cadre can use different flags on their official vehicles.

The chosen colour happens to be blue, which coincidentally is the CM’s favourite colour. Some say that the CM has even designed the new flags herself. And since babus are very conscious of their “status” and “seniority”, the new flags will reflect that too. The rationale for this exercise is to ensure that vehicles used by the babus can be identified without violating rules and protocols.

Some wonder whether this move will inspire babus (and netas) in other states too, to retain their “specialness”, which they believe they lost with the ban.

Babudom under threat
For decades, the annual confidential report was the holiest of covenants between the bureaucrats and their political masters, the benchmark for selections and promotions. Over the past three years, however, the ACR has given way to 360-degree appraisal system, which has radically changed the way babudom functions.

It’s another Narendra Modi reform that has invited little attention outside babu circles, yet it marks the biggest departure from the past, in how India will be governed. For one, the appraisal system has practically made “lobbying” and “personal equations” irrelevant, if not outright redundant. Babus under this system are evaluated on talent, skills, and social and personal parameters instead of their ability to push files and work the system.

Sources say that the process, which Mr Modi has implicit faith in, is conducted by a panel of three retired secretary-level officials whose identity is known only to a select few. It is this panel, reportedly, which takes the final call, and apparently, its word is final! No wonder babus seem strained and edgy these days.