Transfers, suspensions, harassment part of our system: Jayaprakash Narayan

Interview with former IAS officer and president of Loksatta Party

The suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal by the Uttar Pradesh government exposes the pressures and challenges faced by civil servants in the country. Nagpal, who had taken on the powerful sand mafia in Gautam Buddh Nagar, was suspended on Monday, 10 months after she got her first posting in the state, ostensibly for her role in the demolition of a wall around a mosque. Jayaprakash Narayan, a former IAS officer and president of Loksatta Party, tells Aabhas Sharma why this involves an issue of principle of authority and accountability

What do you make of the suspension of Durga Nagpal by the UP government?

From what I have been reading in the papers and through various media outlets, it's clear that the issue is not about just one IAS officer being suspended. The problem goes deeper, and that is there's no accountability. Politicians think they are like maharajas, above the law, and aren't afraid of anyone or anything. In fact, even people at large have started to believe this. And why wouldn't they? Look at what's happening around us. Politicians don't want to be under the ambit of the Right to Information Act. What does it tell you that politicians don't want to be held accountable? I am glad that this issue is being debated - there are several cases of IAS officers who meet a similar fate and nothing is said or ever done.

Do you blame it all on the politicians and the way they handle bureaucracy and the entire administrative machinery?

Blaming the politicians is the easy way out, in fact it's quite futile and counterproductive. I am not saying it's entirely wrong - a lot of blame has to go them - but what about the administrative machinery? Isn't the chief secretary also responsible to a certain extent? He or she should act as a bridge between the government and the civil servants. I would say it's a failure on multiple levels. The problem is that the politicians gave it a communal angle, which is frankly quite rubbish. But then that's what our democracy has turned into. How do politicians gain power? Competence? No, they offer freebies, lies, do vote bank politics and earn their seat for next five years. Accountability doesn't even come into picture. As I said it's a deeper issue and if we want to change, it has to happen on several levels and not just by blaming the politicians.

How difficult has the job of a civil servant become in today's times? Do you see any drastic change since the time you were an IAS officer?

Believe me, the job has always been hard. This isn't something new which is happening. All these terms which we are hearing on news channels or read in newspapers have been around for decades. Transfers, suspensions, harassment have been a part of our system forever. Our founding fathers gave us an incredibly strong system and constitution and it's unfortunate that working under such circumstances is now deeply embedded in our psyche. I am frankly amazed how far India has come despite operating in such a manner.

Being an IAS officer is a difficult job but if you have three qualities, you will survive. Those qualities are - balance of judgement, integrity and, of course, competence. As a civil servant, you are bound to run into difficult leaders and there will be obstacles. You will be transferred out, don't be afraid. Don't let it affect you. L K Advani during the Emergency told journalists, "You were asked to bend, but you crawled". A lot of our officers, I feel, end up doing the same.

What role can the central government play in such situations?

An IAS officer is the employee of the Union Government of India. His or her tenure can be terminated only by the central government. Officers are just properties of state governments. If officers feel they are being treated harshly or are being targeted by state government, they can appeal to the Union government for justice.