Reflections of Rajaram Bojji

Ha Ha ! Was suddenly lifted back in memory to 1972 and my first line box at Shahabad. That Box I preserved. My wife just 20 yrs of age , found it very intriguing just as much I did, but I had more experience of seeing the seniors' boxes and , of course the trolley-man with his red turban in place, always gently guided. From 1970 to 72 it used to be food from line boxes of my seniors which kept me on track! What a wonderful tradition we had..the senior should always feed and take care of the junior! My CE used to make sure that I get my cup of tea from his saloon! This tradition we followed throughout our service. Yes, it is difficult not to get emotional and deeply miss my colleagues, innocent gang men I spent time with in railways. I am truly grateful for this article the HINDU, Open Page the HINDU, Sunday OPEN PAGE, August 28, 2011 We went online much before the computers came Mrs. Prema Ramakrishnan The Hindu The phrase “being online” is very much in vogue toda...

Anna has woken up India. Jan Lok pal Bill is now on the table of the Parliament. While many without examining implications, just do not trust the government any more, and hence blindly believe that the Jan Lok Pal Bill will do wonders for us. Even the authors cannot guarantee the same. But as some friends of mine say, if thousands of "Lok Payees", the employess/inpsectors of Lok Pal, spread out and start descending on every office, with their vast powers of search and seize practically every government office stops further work. Even routine work gets dislocated. Our experience of Vigilance shows that it is not always the corrupt gets caught, actually they manage the vigilance too, but truly honest officers became victims of getting in to the case file covers and superior officers lacking courage to say or write on vigilance files allowed the attitude ."let law take its own course" and the time it takes, truly destroyed many an innocent career. I know quite a nu...

This song and drama show that the Government has imposed on us under the benevolence of granting RTI Act is a sham. Public has fundamental right to know the process of governance. How it became a secret, unless appealed and applied under some ACT, rationed information will be given out? How our innocent citizens are made to believe that they got some wonderful Act! I strongly hold to my position that the file noting and proceedings should be equally public as the order that got generated so long as it is public domain order. Any order which is issued in public domain shall necessarily be accompanied by the background file image on a secure web. There shall not be secrecy. Any secret activity can have secret orders and secret files. Just like Judiciary or the Parliament cannot act in secrecy. a bureaucrat also should not act in secrecy. During the process of the file, till issue of the order, things can be kept secret. But not after issue of the final order. This one single...

I agree--Carnatic music is very soothing! One thing one learns early in service is that except self, every one else has the smarter answer and no one actually listens to any one. Some develop a hobby of gardening, some others specialise in to painting, others in to jogging ,mountain climbing, and yes of course the golf, the royal pursuit apart from closed circles of card game clubs with happy hours. Intelligent but misunderstood by every one else, quite a few railway officers seek solace in areas external to own service areas. One of my friends and a batch mate did so much of research in to Carnatic Music that he finally published a much acclaimed treatise by the end of his service! The point is , as I do advise many a friend, enjoy the wonderful privilege of being a member of an organised service, -- a rare club where 24 hours you are taken care of, provided with games of exchanging meaningless notes, which the country thinks to be very important work, and finally rewarded wit...