Governments are elected to safeguard the interest of the people of the nation. They are elected to create a nation that is safe for women, secure for the old and promising for the young. But what do we have in our nation? A vengeful government?

It seems the government is not done with anti - corruption activists yet. For many of us, its attitude seems to be “How dare you question us? How dare you embarrass us, the elected representatives, How dare you make us bend? We are the government and we’ll teach you a lesson.”

Now that the anti - corruption movement has mellowed, the masses have left and the cameras are gone, the government has sneaked in to serve sweet revenge served in the form of a Government notice.

Activist Arvind Kejriwal was served a notice just before Anna Hazare’s fast began. The Bhushan CD appeared just before the first meeting of the joint drafting committee of which Shanthi Bhushan was the Co - chairman. Kiran Bedi and Prashanth Bhushan have been served a breach of privilege motion just after anti - corruption rally ended. Circumstantial evidence seems to indicate an intent to threaten and pressurise. Should we expect Anna Hazare to get a defamation notice soon for calling Chidambaram “mischievous” and the government negotiators “cunning”?

The Congress keeps reminding us that they are a party that is sincere in its fight against corruption. If so, then why doesn’t the government ask the IT Department why it took six years to serve a notice? The same is the case with Shanthi Bhushan CD. The Bhushans got the CD verified in a United States lab and at a lab in Hyderabad. Both opined that the said CD had discontinuities, which showed that the recording was not authentic. Yet, the Delhi Police gave a closure report saying the CD was genuine! If this was not a pressure tactic, we don’t know what is.

If the government wanted to be seen as an agent of change, a reply such as “It’s a routine departmental matter” will not suffice. It seems now the anti - corruption activists stand vindicated for their repeated statements that government departments are used as mere instruments to further the government’s agenda. This is not the behaviour of a government that promises a clean future for the country. This government has put fear in the heart of every good citizen — fear that they dare not raise their voice.

It makes us wonder how a government that is vindictive towards whistle - blowers and reformers of society can ever come up with a law that protects whistle - blowers. Is it any surprise then that 13 RTI activists have been murdered this year alone and no one has been punished?

So, more than vengeance, is the government sending a message — “You take on the government, you will suffer?” Is it making an example out of Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Prashanth Bhushan? Is it trying to deter and neuter the future of political activism in this country? Is it saying only political parties are allowed to protest against legislative matters? All points to a resounding YES.

This vengeful behaviour should not come as a surprise. It is second nature in our government offices and it’s only natural that even the government is behaving that way.

This ego-based vengeance can be experienced in every government office — the peon is arrogant, the clerk is egotistic, the secretary is condescending, the personal secretary is narcissistic and finally when you get to meet the senior bureaucrat, your self-esteem is so beaten and your wallet so thin that your pride is exhausted and self-esteem extinct.

That is why there are so many brokers around all government offices — from where you get your birth certificate, driver’s license, marriage certificate, Sub-Registrar’s office to the office that issues your death certificate. There are brokers everywhere. If you go directly, you are made to feel worthless and hence it’s better to pay that extra money and get your work done rather than indulge oneself to self - flagellation.

That is why if you ask any Indian what comes to his mind when he thinks of a government office, he will say: fear, abuse, intimidation, insecurity and inefficiency. Ask any Indian what words come to his mind when he thinks of a government servant and he will say: Cunning, conniving, egotistical, vengeful and bribe - taking.

People fear government servants. That is why whenever people come across a good government officer, they do not want to let him go. They fight for him so that he is not transferred. Because such officers are so rare and hard to come by.

A government servant can be very helpful if he wants to, but he can also wreck havoc on your life, when he wants to. If the official purposely makes a mistake in your documents, he claims “it was unintentional and due to oversight.” And with this, his accountability comes to an end.

For example, in a Sub - Registrar’s office, you take an encumbrance certificate (non - computerized copy) on a property you want to buy, to check if there are any loans against that property. The encumbrance certificate states there are no loans and you go ahead and pay for the property. Then you realise the property is attached to some bank and when you ask the clerk at the Sub - Registrar’s office why the loan amount did not reflect in the encumbrance certificate, the clerk simply says, “Sorry sir, it was unintentional and due to oversight.”

Nothing happens to him, but you are stuck with a property with a loan on it and will have to get into a messy court battle. All because you did not grease the clerk’s hand, or because the seller greased the clerk’s hand not to show the loan amount in the encumbrance certificate so the sale can go through.

The same goes for delay in getting certificates even if you submitted correct documents. That is why anti - corruption activists want time - bound delivery services. It is reported that the “Delhi Right of Citizen to Time - bound Delivery of Services Act” is expected to come into force on September 15. This legislation fixes financial penalty between the ranges of Rs.10 to 200 per day for failing to deliver services to citizens and also makes time - bound delivery services from certain government agencies the right of every citizen. But sadly once again, if the government servant makes a mistake and forces you to come repeatedly there is no punishment.

Government departments must function in a manner that people do not fear it. Officers should behave in a manner so people will respect them and their behaviour should reflect among other office staff. So when our government itself is behaving in such a vengeful manner, should we expect any better from its departmental arms?

It is disturbing when a government wants to make an example out of Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi instead of Hasan Ali and Kalmadi. A government that tries to fill fear in the hearts of its people will soon face the wrath of the people — not today, may be not in 2014 election but in time. The government just had a non - violent sample a few weeks ago.

Vikram Muthanna
vikram@starofmysore.com
Courtesy: Star of Mysore