Marching orders to Home, Foreign Secys : Conveying an important point
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 06, 2015 -

No nonsense. This is the message that the BJP led NDA Government seems to be conveying to the babudom.

Days after Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh was removed from her post, the Government once again cracked the whip and made Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami resign.

No allegations of impropriety against Sujatha Singh have been put forward but apparent that the Government was not happy with her style of functioning.

Not surprising since Prime Minister Modi has left no stone unturned to carve out a niche for India in the international fora and the former Foreign Secretary may have been found wanting in certain aspect, apparently with her leadership style in the External Affairs Ministry.

The same however cannot be said of Anil Goswami, since he is reported to have called up the CBI in connection with the arrest of Matang Sinh in the Saradha scam.

Two top bureaucrats shown the door within a few days time and Delhi seems to be sending out the message that all should fall in line.

How well this goes down with the people is something only time can tell, but already the Centre is delivering a statement that no one, how important a post he or she may hold, is above board.

This is all the more reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP need to show that the Government is not interested in witch hunting or in coming down hard on anyone appointed to a plum post during the time of the Congress led UPA Government.

On the other hand Government officers too need to demonstrate that they cannot flex their muscles or influence to deliver a point or two.

There is a reason why it has been held for long that a corrupt bureaucracy is far worse than a corrupt Government in a democracy, for the Government has to come to the people after a certain period, say four or five years.

A point which cannot be missed by the people of Manipur.

A corrupt and inefficient Government made worse by a haughty, corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy.

This has been the bane of Manipur for ages.

So entrenched has this become that to many Government officials, the road to success no longer means efficiency and honesty but perfecting the art of pleasing the political masters.

This invariably kicks off a trend, a trend in which sycophancy is awarded, not merit and honesty.

A vicious circle is thus born and not surprisingly a number of officials come under the impression that the rules can be bent as per their fancy and whims.

Delhi has shown that it will not brook such mind sets and while there may be different takes on the manner in which the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary were shown the door, it should be kept in mind that no one is above the law.

A lesson which Imphal will do well to imbibe. Officials throwing their weight around is something which everyone can certainly do without.