Chamchagiri in lieu of merit : Character of Government
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 06, 2012 -

The character of a Government - This may be reflected in many ways and one way in which this is reflected lies in how fairly and justly the Babudom treats the younger officers, who in fact do the work at the ground level.

The point that has been raised here needs to be seen in the larger context, for whatever happens inside the 'off limit zone of officialdom' has an impact on the lives of all the people, irrespective of whether one fits the bill of a Government employee or not.

On this count where does the present Congress Government of Manipur and its top rung officers stand ? To many, this question and the point that has been raised here may appear trivial and mundane, but in reality it is not so.

It is about institutional propriety and no institution impacts on the lives of the people as Government institutions.

The 'system', that is what everyone talks about and 'once one gets into it, one gets suck into it' is the addendum to the 'system' and this has gained a degree of legitimacy.

In other words, this means, young officers who get into Government service must swim with the tide or be damned.

Extend this to a higher plane and it could well translate into, 'stick to your principles' and be 'victimised'.

The telling blow that such an unwritten but accepted dictum has on the morales of young officers, who get into service with a vision to do something different, need not be emphasised.

Everyone, including Government officers talk about the 'system', yet no one in the Government seems ready to step out of the line and try to be the game changer.

Why is this so ? Not rocket science technology. The answer should be obvious to all.

The alleged posers raised over the promotion process of MFS officers may be a case in point here.

What are the yardsticks to judge the performance or merits of Government officials, is a natural question that follows the point raised here.

Promotions, postings, works or responsibilities allocated etc are the obvious and visible reflections of performance or merits, but looking at the manner in which the 'system' has been functioning for decades, there is more than enough room to indicate that diligence, merit and dedication to the job at hand have not been the yardsticks.

Or else how does one explain the rot and inertia that have become synonymous with the 'system' that we are talking here.

Butterball is a term usually associated with school students who cosy up to the teachers for favours, but take this culture to the realm of actually implementing the policies and programmes of the Government at the ground level, then merit is hit for a big six, to borrow a cricketing term.

This is when chamchagiri, connection with the people placed in the seats of power, playing up to the people who matter, become the norm.

Chamchagiri taking centre stage over performance and the result of such a culture is there for all to see.

This is the reason why we say that the manner in which the officialdom treats the subordinates impacts directly on the lives of the people, from the common man on the streets to the farmer toiling in the field to the women vegetable vendors selling their wares in the market, for after all it is those who come lower down in the pecking order who are actually out there on the field.

Sycophancy is the antidote to excellence. Unfortunate but this is apparently the pervading culture in the corridors of power.

A conscience check may be what the doctor would prescribe for the officialdom and the political class of Manipur.