The Hindu Business Line : Be humane, VVIPs!

RECENTLY, on behalf of a civil society organisation devoted to clean politics and good governance, I happened to write to the Chief Secretary of a State on the unconscionable delay, in violation of a High Court directive, in taking action on a matter of public importance, because of which a highly respected 78-year-old Gandhian, in frail health, felt it necessary to go on a fast.

The message reached the exalted functionary four weeks before the date announced for the fast. Total silence followed, forcing the old man to go through the ordeal at the risk of his life.

Similar is my experience with the Chief Secretary of another State who has erected such an impregnable firewall around him that my attempts for the last five months to make him respond to a simple request have ended in utter frustration. This personage, whenever I phone him, brims with sweet assurances, but thereafter just does nothing.

The interesting part is that both these personages are years junior to me in the IAS, and yet that does not seem to work.

This want of consideration, leave alone respect, for elders is inexplicable coming from gifted persons who must have had good upbringing or adequate grounding in values. It is not that government officials alone are deficient in observing decencies towards the public. The private sector tycoons are no better. I know of a chairman of a widely known private sector firm who is also given to stonewalling those approaching him with a request.

Most such luminaries will deal with even distinguished citizens only through their personal staff and will not deign to come on line. Returning the calls or replying to messages is a far cry.

It is common for those working for public causes in civil society organisations in India to be subjected to cruelties of this reprehensible kind from apparently well-bred dignitaries in high positions.

Try inviting any prominent personality as a speaker at a seminar or public function. I have found it takes the persistence of the mythological Bhagiratha to get him at the other end of the telephone line and make him commit himself one way or the other.

Honourable VVIPs! We bow in abject obeisance before your might and majesty.

Be humane to fellow human beings. For, you too, one day may be needing consideration from others on some account or the other and we would not like what happens to us to happen to you!

B. S. Raghavan