To my young railway officers!
Dear my young friends in railway service,
I did not want to write first but after reading the anguish filled self-questioning coupled with seeking constitutional institution based protections etc in the letters posted by young officers, at the google site, felt it is necessary to contribute in the interest of the youngsters, in whose place I was decades ago and equally angry with the system.
The only difference is while many a senior cooled down from hot lava state to simple cold wax state after 30 years of "service", I remained same hot angry man in the year of my retirement, as Cabinet Secretary himself mentioned in a personal one to one meeting at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in 2004, called because of my letter to the Prime Minister as a lowly MD of a PSU. I must have been the singular exception of a serving officer filing to CBI a complaint against a Ministry!
How did I survive? Why the system allowed me to pass through? Or did it?
Let me admit frankly, without concern either for my family or my posting, I was acting, but I must say except for one senior, the rest of the seniors through the 35 years of my life, were too gracious and tolerated and did not make it a point to be vindictive to me. Starting from first year in service, when motivated vigilane inspector was dispatched in 1971 by HQrs to "fix" me. Why?
In my first week of service, I inspected and rejected about 100 plus stacks of over-sized & muck filled ballast, as well as the "envelop" very politely and respectfully, belonging to a contractor closely linked to the then Minister of Railways.
That is one thing ..never get angry because you are right and the other person is wrong. Particularly with public, and those who do not belong to your service class, and those who are junior to you, be patient and show respect. Yes with seniors, while being respectful, I freely fought angrily. For some reason, I never hesitated. It does have consequences, but more often than not, remember our service is one of the best in the world.
SO coming back to that first incident in my service life, when the IOW who was the Vigilance Inspector came late in night without notice, within 48 hours of my rejection of ballast, and wanted me to go along with him for ballast inspection, I respected his authority as Vigilance Representative, and went on push trolley next day early morning for inspection of the rejected stacks. The complaint was that I purposely rejected excellent material to harass the good contractor as per Minister's view!
When the Vigilance brought their own sieves and started checking and the reason of my rejecting based on over size was found to be incorrect at site!! Then when he checked for size below 10mm too his results were found to be far better than my check! At first it was surprising but I quickly recovered, and wanted the sieves with Vigilance branch [ they carried Vigilance branch marking!] to be checked at site. The Vigilance Inspector took objection and told me their sieves were not to be checked by us. But I ordered the PWI to bring a tape and we checked for the sizes. Well the sieve had all larger holes for the over size and smaller holes for undersize and by almost 20%!! The inspector was protesting but I got the results of measurement of the sieves recorded and jointly signed by PWI and APWI and asked the Inspector also to sign and got a photograph taken. I used to carry a camera more as hobby. Then I told the Vigilance man in the name of President of India, I was placing him under suspension!!
Well from the day one of service, I took it seriously that I represent President of India!
Imagine what happens? I reported in writing to HQrs as well as Division bosses- and the CVO himself spoke finally to me apologising for what happened.
This type of incident then makes sure that your path is now like walking on the knife's edge. One step you miss, mercilessly you are cut in to half. Yes , Sir, courage and standing by your values and conviction leads you on the right path but not comfortable path.
I was finally shunted out to RDSO and well it is all a different story.
The point I make is we have a choice to choose our path.
But recognise the system is stronger and much mightier than you. No one in the organisation starting from Railway Board, comes to your help when in trouble.
Even as MD Konkan Railway , can you believe, I and my Director FInance had to make surreptitious escape from our chambers in Navi Mumbai, from Punjab Police who came with arrest warrants at the instance of son-in-law of CM Punjab. The crime? My junior finance officer under delegation of authority from me, invested in to Punjab Govt owned PSU loan instrument, duly rated as per norms , but when they failed to repay and issued cheques which kept on bouncing, filed case in court which issued non-bailable warrants against the concerned IAS offcier who was related to CM and also Director for the company. They fixed a case against us that we gave loan to take kick back!!
Mumbai High court allowed us 24 hours to go to the Punjab court and present ourselves!! My calls to CRB and members elicited luke warm response. Then what happens? I spoke to some one in PMO, a friend in RAW came to know, and then the DGP Punjab hosted breakfast to me before I left for court, and the SP was suitably chided for what he did. The Judge himself after seeing me just said sorry and let me off.
In this incident who helped? The Dharma of keep on doing what you think right helps. At the same time, consequences do follow your actions.
We cannot change the system But we certainly can change life for the small microcosm of world we are given to control.
As class I officers, we are given a great opportunity to exercise power of the President. So long as you view it as Power of taking responsibility, there is no limit to what you can do.
That is what I did. When I hated to see as a simple AEN in my first year, the head carriage of night soil from the colony from hundreds of K type quarters in 1971, the rules said I couldnot replace them. There was no budget. The work is pending for sanction for previous 5 years !!
But I wanted to change. IOW was shocked, how? By brute force? No. Never try to fire your gun using a junior's shoulder. Sat down made & gave written orders taking responsibility, that all cement droppings shall be carefully collected for casting the cement pans, scrap twin tar drums to be used as septic chambers, and contract for excavation awarded under my powers for improving drainage of the colony. Design and drawing from my side, duly signed so that IOW will never be under problem. Note never initiated from IOW. I issued the note and directions.
That is it, once relieved of fear of getting punished, the IOW finished the work within 3 months- 250 units.
The Officer must take responsibility for actions. Consequences one should be prepared to face. Unions in Division and HQrs were in uproar-if an AEN can do what he did, why for all these years the same was not done earlier in 600 other units spread over the division? Of course, I was accused of mis-allocation misleading the administration and abuse of power etc etc.. but the good will prevailed, the purpose won, and the GM smiled at the entire episode. Well, we have a beautiful service, and perhaps we are the only service, where we can always mark advance copy of our communication to our superior & to his superior, for information, pending processing through proper channel.
My young friends in service, these are but a few stories, but that is how we manage and survive with dignity while serving and enjoy too.
It is useless to go on head on confrontation with administration. You lose. Count on your intelligence. Anticipate the crisis before it arises and take all mitigative steps ahead. Just because you are right, do not assume you get support.
Appreciate human weakness of ego massaging they seek, particularly Ministers. Let me give you an incident.
Whenever MR arrives in Mumbai all the GMs there must stand in attention at airport and receive and MD Konkan Railway also was required. I did once or twice. Then thought to myself why?
I had two options-just follow the practice and be peaceful Or just do not go and then create some unpleasantness which I do not know.
But I chose the middle path. During next visit of MR, I told him, that I am very busy doing his work only, and unless, he thinks my presence is essential, I propose that MD Konkan Railway need not come to the airport to receive him as a matter of protocol. That time I spend in traveling all the way and waiting, I can as well utilise to do his work!! He looked in to my eyes, for a few seconds, thought over, then with a smile, just placed a hand on shoulder, and said , it was fine with him and that a special message would be sent in case He wanted me.
That saved me umpteen hours of journey time to airport on protocol duties!!
Well, why I give these small examples? It could have been that MR did not like and told me, no,no, I should come, because he might suddenly get some idea on seeing me!! Well, one has to take that calculated risk. Anyway it matters little. You continue to go to the airport. Nothing worse happens.
Same with deciding tenders worth hundreds and thousand crores. Move fast- acceptances issued before the Minister knows. Well yes, even in my year of retirement, Vigilance was asked to confiscate files to fix a case, but Supreme Court upheld my detailed written reasoned order. Saved again.
Interesting that both at the beginning and end of my service, Vigilance was sought to be abused to set right an "erring" officer.
And then there are some who got so upset with the system, that they choose to resign in anger. This I do not support. In fact I did tell some IAS young officers who resigned in anger and started own NGO initiatives quite successfully that they did a mistake. We should stay within and take opportunity to use the very system to meet our objectives.By being inside our strength is hundred times more.
Matters like reservations etc for minister's people, has to be organised in such a way that the system takes care. Minor issues should not allow you to be placed in confrontational position.
Projects- yes as one experienced Member of Railway Board, was telling me, that was price of democracy! He had a theory. Keep sanctioning projects, but funds allocation anyway would not allow any to progress, but some additional posts help the service and inaugural foundation stones etc please the political class. No one is serious about the project itself. SO financial viability matters little. Well, that is also a point of view.
Then hunger among youngsters to see our railway should be modern and compare with other world railways!
Yes. I too nurtured the same and walked the path. Perhaps many may not be aware that my research paper in International J. [ rejected in RDSO] IRCA , A new Theory for Rail-wheel interaction, was getting cited for dynamic augment estimates for speeds of 250 kmph plus , in the year 1984!
How many are aware that the simple non-signal innovation ACD actually is forerunner for eliminating all fixed signals in its third version with SIL 4 level functionality? Yes the western technology developers and our own professionals in that area are aware.
Why RDSO is failing to produce any new technology? Yes I did write the report on Restructuring RDSO to make it an autonomous technology oriented organisation, with facilities and incentives like one gets in Hitachi research centers.Accepted, partly implemented, then abused the freedoms given, losing the same within two years!! We collectively are one part of the problem.
Finally we become procurement brokers. How can you be modern? As reviewer of ASCE papers sent for publication in US, I had opportunity to judge a few papers received from China on their high speed infrastructure from Chinese Universities. As technology was flowing in to the country, they systematically attached universities
to absorb and analyze and make it their own. We never made such attempt. Knowledge at staff level is the case of RDSO- file based and moving files with precedence taking top slot, in RDSO. Officers roll in and roll out warming the seats, and are forced to act as knowledgeable. We accuse political class, but we department wise fight worse than political parties. A divided railway house we run.
Well, here young officers face the same problems- what Anna Hazare is focusing on. Our country does suffer immense losses and intellectual corruption and manipulation of the system for self-benefit is rampant among services too. Actually political class are not professionally literate. The literate have let down the country over my generations.
Hope lies in younger generations. When simple survival is a challenge and whole time occupation to save skin for honest thinking and sincere working officers for public good, either in Civil Services, or in Railway Services
what can we expect?
Intelligence is a double edged weapon. Use for good, or abuse for self-benefit.
The anguish expressed by the young officers I appreciate. But we our selves , many amongst us, also lost bearings and are drifting while a few motivated ones join the self-centered currying favours and climbing the ladder of ambition.
Can we make a beginning to resolve to be intelligent with integrity and cooperate with each other to use the same system to serve the good of country?
I do not claim to have succeeded. In fact there are more failures only even though a few unique world class moments of happiness of success also were granted to me.
One must train oneself not to expect praise nor work seeking praise. It is difficult but needed to keep your spirit fresh. But never forget to praise others when they good work!!
But I kept my spirit pure and clean and happily continue with my journey wandering at frontiers of knowledge, on date.
My sincere thought for my young friends is it is finally up to you either
1. to make your life miserable having direct fight with the formidable unconqerable administration, or
2. seek happiness in servility killing your spirit, or
3. find the middle path to do as much good as you can within the constraints of the system to your own satisfaction-- overlook trivial issues but address core issues leveraging strength of the system
Let me tell you, Railway Board is one of the best institutional protective structure to us , which is very powerful in reality, but in practice, individuals occupying the seats, practically disabled the effectiveness in controlling the political class.
Please remember constraints are natural way of stabilising any system in the universe. There is no unconstrained universe.
Every Class I officer is highly intelligent and ambitious of course. The path you chose is your choice and please do not blame others or seek to justify your choices pointing fingers at others.
Courage and character mark you out as an officer and a leader.
Our time is over. It is for you youngsters to take the country forward. Make use of all opportunities.
May God Bless all my young friends!
I did not want to write first but after reading the anguish filled self-questioning coupled with seeking constitutional institution based protections etc in the letters posted by young officers, at the google site, felt it is necessary to contribute in the interest of the youngsters, in whose place I was decades ago and equally angry with the system.
The only difference is while many a senior cooled down from hot lava state to simple cold wax state after 30 years of "service", I remained same hot angry man in the year of my retirement, as Cabinet Secretary himself mentioned in a personal one to one meeting at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in 2004, called because of my letter to the Prime Minister as a lowly MD of a PSU. I must have been the singular exception of a serving officer filing to CBI a complaint against a Ministry!
How did I survive? Why the system allowed me to pass through? Or did it?
Let me admit frankly, without concern either for my family or my posting, I was acting, but I must say except for one senior, the rest of the seniors through the 35 years of my life, were too gracious and tolerated and did not make it a point to be vindictive to me. Starting from first year in service, when motivated vigilane inspector was dispatched in 1971 by HQrs to "fix" me. Why?
In my first week of service, I inspected and rejected about 100 plus stacks of over-sized & muck filled ballast, as well as the "envelop" very politely and respectfully, belonging to a contractor closely linked to the then Minister of Railways.
That is one thing ..never get angry because you are right and the other person is wrong. Particularly with public, and those who do not belong to your service class, and those who are junior to you, be patient and show respect. Yes with seniors, while being respectful, I freely fought angrily. For some reason, I never hesitated. It does have consequences, but more often than not, remember our service is one of the best in the world.
SO coming back to that first incident in my service life, when the IOW who was the Vigilance Inspector came late in night without notice, within 48 hours of my rejection of ballast, and wanted me to go along with him for ballast inspection, I respected his authority as Vigilance Representative, and went on push trolley next day early morning for inspection of the rejected stacks. The complaint was that I purposely rejected excellent material to harass the good contractor as per Minister's view!
When the Vigilance brought their own sieves and started checking and the reason of my rejecting based on over size was found to be incorrect at site!! Then when he checked for size below 10mm too his results were found to be far better than my check! At first it was surprising but I quickly recovered, and wanted the sieves with Vigilance branch [ they carried Vigilance branch marking!] to be checked at site. The Vigilance Inspector took objection and told me their sieves were not to be checked by us. But I ordered the PWI to bring a tape and we checked for the sizes. Well the sieve had all larger holes for the over size and smaller holes for undersize and by almost 20%!! The inspector was protesting but I got the results of measurement of the sieves recorded and jointly signed by PWI and APWI and asked the Inspector also to sign and got a photograph taken. I used to carry a camera more as hobby. Then I told the Vigilance man in the name of President of India, I was placing him under suspension!!
Well from the day one of service, I took it seriously that I represent President of India!
Imagine what happens? I reported in writing to HQrs as well as Division bosses- and the CVO himself spoke finally to me apologising for what happened.
This type of incident then makes sure that your path is now like walking on the knife's edge. One step you miss, mercilessly you are cut in to half. Yes , Sir, courage and standing by your values and conviction leads you on the right path but not comfortable path.
I was finally shunted out to RDSO and well it is all a different story.
The point I make is we have a choice to choose our path.
But recognise the system is stronger and much mightier than you. No one in the organisation starting from Railway Board, comes to your help when in trouble.
Even as MD Konkan Railway , can you believe, I and my Director FInance had to make surreptitious escape from our chambers in Navi Mumbai, from Punjab Police who came with arrest warrants at the instance of son-in-law of CM Punjab. The crime? My junior finance officer under delegation of authority from me, invested in to Punjab Govt owned PSU loan instrument, duly rated as per norms , but when they failed to repay and issued cheques which kept on bouncing, filed case in court which issued non-bailable warrants against the concerned IAS offcier who was related to CM and also Director for the company. They fixed a case against us that we gave loan to take kick back!!
Mumbai High court allowed us 24 hours to go to the Punjab court and present ourselves!! My calls to CRB and members elicited luke warm response. Then what happens? I spoke to some one in PMO, a friend in RAW came to know, and then the DGP Punjab hosted breakfast to me before I left for court, and the SP was suitably chided for what he did. The Judge himself after seeing me just said sorry and let me off.
In this incident who helped? The Dharma of keep on doing what you think right helps. At the same time, consequences do follow your actions.
We cannot change the system But we certainly can change life for the small microcosm of world we are given to control.
As class I officers, we are given a great opportunity to exercise power of the President. So long as you view it as Power of taking responsibility, there is no limit to what you can do.
That is what I did. When I hated to see as a simple AEN in my first year, the head carriage of night soil from the colony from hundreds of K type quarters in 1971, the rules said I couldnot replace them. There was no budget. The work is pending for sanction for previous 5 years !!
But I wanted to change. IOW was shocked, how? By brute force? No. Never try to fire your gun using a junior's shoulder. Sat down made & gave written orders taking responsibility, that all cement droppings shall be carefully collected for casting the cement pans, scrap twin tar drums to be used as septic chambers, and contract for excavation awarded under my powers for improving drainage of the colony. Design and drawing from my side, duly signed so that IOW will never be under problem. Note never initiated from IOW. I issued the note and directions.
That is it, once relieved of fear of getting punished, the IOW finished the work within 3 months- 250 units.
The Officer must take responsibility for actions. Consequences one should be prepared to face. Unions in Division and HQrs were in uproar-if an AEN can do what he did, why for all these years the same was not done earlier in 600 other units spread over the division? Of course, I was accused of mis-allocation misleading the administration and abuse of power etc etc.. but the good will prevailed, the purpose won, and the GM smiled at the entire episode. Well, we have a beautiful service, and perhaps we are the only service, where we can always mark advance copy of our communication to our superior & to his superior, for information, pending processing through proper channel.
My young friends in service, these are but a few stories, but that is how we manage and survive with dignity while serving and enjoy too.
It is useless to go on head on confrontation with administration. You lose. Count on your intelligence. Anticipate the crisis before it arises and take all mitigative steps ahead. Just because you are right, do not assume you get support.
Appreciate human weakness of ego massaging they seek, particularly Ministers. Let me give you an incident.
Whenever MR arrives in Mumbai all the GMs there must stand in attention at airport and receive and MD Konkan Railway also was required. I did once or twice. Then thought to myself why?
I had two options-just follow the practice and be peaceful Or just do not go and then create some unpleasantness which I do not know.
But I chose the middle path. During next visit of MR, I told him, that I am very busy doing his work only, and unless, he thinks my presence is essential, I propose that MD Konkan Railway need not come to the airport to receive him as a matter of protocol. That time I spend in traveling all the way and waiting, I can as well utilise to do his work!! He looked in to my eyes, for a few seconds, thought over, then with a smile, just placed a hand on shoulder, and said , it was fine with him and that a special message would be sent in case He wanted me.
That saved me umpteen hours of journey time to airport on protocol duties!!
Well, why I give these small examples? It could have been that MR did not like and told me, no,no, I should come, because he might suddenly get some idea on seeing me!! Well, one has to take that calculated risk. Anyway it matters little. You continue to go to the airport. Nothing worse happens.
Same with deciding tenders worth hundreds and thousand crores. Move fast- acceptances issued before the Minister knows. Well yes, even in my year of retirement, Vigilance was asked to confiscate files to fix a case, but Supreme Court upheld my detailed written reasoned order. Saved again.
Interesting that both at the beginning and end of my service, Vigilance was sought to be abused to set right an "erring" officer.
And then there are some who got so upset with the system, that they choose to resign in anger. This I do not support. In fact I did tell some IAS young officers who resigned in anger and started own NGO initiatives quite successfully that they did a mistake. We should stay within and take opportunity to use the very system to meet our objectives.By being inside our strength is hundred times more.
Matters like reservations etc for minister's people, has to be organised in such a way that the system takes care. Minor issues should not allow you to be placed in confrontational position.
Projects- yes as one experienced Member of Railway Board, was telling me, that was price of democracy! He had a theory. Keep sanctioning projects, but funds allocation anyway would not allow any to progress, but some additional posts help the service and inaugural foundation stones etc please the political class. No one is serious about the project itself. SO financial viability matters little. Well, that is also a point of view.
Then hunger among youngsters to see our railway should be modern and compare with other world railways!
Yes. I too nurtured the same and walked the path. Perhaps many may not be aware that my research paper in International J. [ rejected in RDSO] IRCA , A new Theory for Rail-wheel interaction, was getting cited for dynamic augment estimates for speeds of 250 kmph plus , in the year 1984!
How many are aware that the simple non-signal innovation ACD actually is forerunner for eliminating all fixed signals in its third version with SIL 4 level functionality? Yes the western technology developers and our own professionals in that area are aware.
Why RDSO is failing to produce any new technology? Yes I did write the report on Restructuring RDSO to make it an autonomous technology oriented organisation, with facilities and incentives like one gets in Hitachi research centers.Accepted, partly implemented, then abused the freedoms given, losing the same within two years!! We collectively are one part of the problem.
Finally we become procurement brokers. How can you be modern? As reviewer of ASCE papers sent for publication in US, I had opportunity to judge a few papers received from China on their high speed infrastructure from Chinese Universities. As technology was flowing in to the country, they systematically attached universities
to absorb and analyze and make it their own. We never made such attempt. Knowledge at staff level is the case of RDSO- file based and moving files with precedence taking top slot, in RDSO. Officers roll in and roll out warming the seats, and are forced to act as knowledgeable. We accuse political class, but we department wise fight worse than political parties. A divided railway house we run.
Well, here young officers face the same problems- what Anna Hazare is focusing on. Our country does suffer immense losses and intellectual corruption and manipulation of the system for self-benefit is rampant among services too. Actually political class are not professionally literate. The literate have let down the country over my generations.
Hope lies in younger generations. When simple survival is a challenge and whole time occupation to save skin for honest thinking and sincere working officers for public good, either in Civil Services, or in Railway Services
what can we expect?
Intelligence is a double edged weapon. Use for good, or abuse for self-benefit.
The anguish expressed by the young officers I appreciate. But we our selves , many amongst us, also lost bearings and are drifting while a few motivated ones join the self-centered currying favours and climbing the ladder of ambition.
Can we make a beginning to resolve to be intelligent with integrity and cooperate with each other to use the same system to serve the good of country?
I do not claim to have succeeded. In fact there are more failures only even though a few unique world class moments of happiness of success also were granted to me.
One must train oneself not to expect praise nor work seeking praise. It is difficult but needed to keep your spirit fresh. But never forget to praise others when they good work!!
But I kept my spirit pure and clean and happily continue with my journey wandering at frontiers of knowledge, on date.
My sincere thought for my young friends is it is finally up to you either
1. to make your life miserable having direct fight with the formidable unconqerable administration, or
2. seek happiness in servility killing your spirit, or
3. find the middle path to do as much good as you can within the constraints of the system to your own satisfaction-- overlook trivial issues but address core issues leveraging strength of the system
Let me tell you, Railway Board is one of the best institutional protective structure to us , which is very powerful in reality, but in practice, individuals occupying the seats, practically disabled the effectiveness in controlling the political class.
Please remember constraints are natural way of stabilising any system in the universe. There is no unconstrained universe.
Every Class I officer is highly intelligent and ambitious of course. The path you chose is your choice and please do not blame others or seek to justify your choices pointing fingers at others.
Courage and character mark you out as an officer and a leader.
Our time is over. It is for you youngsters to take the country forward. Make use of all opportunities.
May God Bless all my young friends!
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