Whispers Forum

DEBATE(2)
Has any IAS Babu, if they are so intelligent, been able to become CEO of any MNC. They are high headed with colonial thought.
R Gupta
IAS officer Alok Kumar in the race for CMD, BEML
Only a distinguished technocrat should be chief of BEML and no one else should be appointed.. I know very well because after my engineering degree I joined the company a few years after its inception. Very long back and I have occupied very responsible posts in the organisation. I have served the company for 38 years If a non technocrat is selected it will be the greatest disservice to the distinguished technocrats in our country. Hope the selection authority has the wisdom to make the right selection
Anti incumbency will lead BJP to take over WB
Among many factors anti incumbency will be the prime game changer for West Bengal elections making Modi’s BJP to take charge with majority for a successful full term. Change is the order of the day & local voters are looking for a global leader like our PM, as a very important state since independence WB should be in the center of affairs & only existing central leaders can make it possible. Success stories of other BJP ruled states will also be a major contributor heard & seen by Bengal voters looking for a big change. Patience, Respect & discipline are the lessons to be learnt for other major political parties.
Vivek Dhawan

DEBATE (1) BABU
The word Babu was earlier widely used as a term of respect ! It meant a literate person of good standing ! In Bihar and Bengal it was also used as an honorific in place of Mr. and Sir. Even now among the Marwari business conglomerates, the word Babu denotes the highest ranking person in the hierarchical structure of the Company, usually the Chairman ! However, the word Babu started being used pejoratively to describe English educated bureaucracy as class distinctions started disappearing between the ruling class of civil servants and the people at large, when after independence elected politicians gradually found their own place in the new governance system and started wielding greater power, and the bureaucracy got gradually reduced to being merely a tool in their hands. This usage reflected people’s as well as political class’s frustration with a slow moving, rule bound, cumbersome and self serving bureaucracy with less and less or virtually no accountability to deliver effective governance . The English movies ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘Yes Prime Minister’ , while being tremendously humorous further reinforced this image of an incompetent and blundering bureaucracy whose only objective was self preservation . It further enhanced this disdain towards bureaucracy in popular thinking. Today a situation has come where bureaucracy is being seen not as a steel frame of fair and good governance but as a hindrance to country’s stride towards development ! That’s why now there is a constant talk about creating an alternative structure of governance , composed of specialists recruited for short periods to cater to specialised sectors of government, and gradually replacing the entrenched bureaucracy constitued of generalists who are seen as slothful, status quo oriented, with risk aversion attitude, who tend to crush or whittle down any of the so called daringly innovative ideas that political parties or their ideological masters come up with. The current bureaucracy is also to blame for a large part of this situation , because it has bent backwards to accommodate the politicians, allowed themselves to be shuffled around like a pack of cards, and instead of giving bold and objective advice, have surrendered to the will of political masters to curry favour to get good postings . The result is an administrative mess, and therefore the politicians find the situation ripe to bring in their favourite persons as lateral appointees and gradually reduce the permanent bureaucracy to a redundancy . The pejorative use of the word ‘Babu’ by the press, politicians, and public at large, and even the Hon’ble PM in the Parliament is nothing but a living reflection of the deterioration and rot that has set into the bureaucracy, and unless the bureaucracy reinvents itself, it is a downhill slide which will eventually result in the replacement of current structure with a politically appointed bureaucracy which will change with every change of government, and work as a tool for the political masters, instead of providing a fair, objective, strong and long visioned administration which was envisaged by the founders of our democracy !
B Ghosh
“Another thoughtless Blunder ”
After PM’s ‘ Babu ’ jibe against civil servants , it is now the turn of Giriraj Singh, a minister in Modi sarkar, to sermonise : "Beat up govt officials with bamboo sticks if they don’t listen". Crass poverty of human decency in Modi cabinet.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

DEBATE (1) BABU
Modiji is trying to terrorise the bureaucrats by criticizing the role of the babus in the Lok Sabha.
Arvind Verma
DEBATE(2) BABU
The word babu has its origin in Bengal. After East India Company spread its wing in India, Calcutta became its main place of activity. Many Bengalis were employed by the company at clerical level and its supervisory level. Almost entirely Brahmins and Kayastha community persons. They used to address each other as babu. Mukherjeebabu, Ghoshbabu, Upenbabu, Arunbabu etc. So English bosses started refering to them as babus collectively. In fact many used to write their names as Babu Batuknath Chatterjee. People of Odisha and Bihar also address each other like that. Like Nitishbabu. It is only the 80s onward, certain groups started addressing civil servants as babus in derogatory sense. East India Company had nothing to do with it.
AK
Disposal in ITAT
Has disposal in ITAT increased of late, in anticipation of becoming faceless ?
Vijay Kumar

DEBATE(1) BABU
For ages Govt servants in particular those in Administration and parastatal have been called as Babus before Independence. There is no derogation in the word but rather it was an upgrading from the word servants. They were employed to serve the public but with arrogance and corruption they continued to enrich themselves.
They are like a mafia whose interest is to delay services, delay projects etc. and no attempt to improve the service. During Nehru dynasty rule almost 90 percent of Babus were part of the heavy bureaucracy who participated in fabricating fake news, Hindu riot etc. How many Babus challenged the corrupt ministers or their own corrupt colleagues ?
Same applies also to our judiciary which is not transparent and rarely takes action against a corrupt Judge. Narmada dam 's foundation stone was laid around 1950. Had Modiji not pushed this project, Babus were least interested. Fake history of India was written by communists. Did any Babu protest ? Atleast one Babu tried to leak news on the fabrication of Hindu terror and published a book .
Has any babu stopped Vadra enriching himself by illegal means ? One who tried was transferred several times but his colleagues were reluctant to support him. Time has come to remind Babus that they are public servants and the pay they get is from the public. So try to give efficient and courteous service to them .If there are constraints in providing service, plan properly.
Time has come to reinvent our IAS, IPS, IFS etc. It is the necessity of the day.
Shashi Desai
DEBATE (1) BABU
You can’t call an administrator as “Babu”.Modiji is working with selected bureaucrats and hence how can he lash out babus.
D P Devgan

DEBATE(1) BABU
I would like to opine that it is not a word that is abusive, it is the conduct, impression, and general opinion which matters. For example Mahatma Gandhi used word 'Harijan' for some SC section of the society. after some time the word 'Harijan' could not change the impression or opinion about the cast of the society.
Babu must have been a respectful word sometime in the past. But the conduct of the officers has degraded the impression over the period and hence become abusive. The Babus must behave to make it correct.
Om Prakash Parashar
“ Oh Kolkatta ”
Several States in line for assembly elections in quick succession, beginning with West Bengal in March end 2021. With bombs, land mines, murders, mayham, violence-free elections remain a pipe dream. The common man feels extremely jittery, distressed by the initial phase of electoral violence in west Bengal. Just the trailor.
Injecting venom of communalism into electoral rhetoric has exposed the political class. India’s secular credentials are at stake. With increasing number of rallies, mega rallies, road shows , the violence is bound to escalate as we go along. In absence of ethical code, politicians have no accountability. All consider themselves above law of the land. The political goons can get away after committing crimes. Rampant showmanship . Thoughtless bravado.
The Media has failed. There is no free press . The captive TV anchors and print journalists get paid for creating media hype and reading pre-scripted stories planted by paymasters. Open Secret.
Let voters exercise their right to franchise after carefully testing their political credentials. Let them rise above caste, community and religious considerations. Do not take these drama actors at face value. Politicians offering freebies, fake promises in manifestos and speeches, must be shown the door.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

DEBATE
‘Babu’, in popular culture, implies a government worker who is lazy, incompetent, deliberately delays processes and enjoys life at the cost of public money. The term that reeks of the colonial era has been rightly stuck with civil servants and other government officials ever since only because of their attitude. Irrespective of the usage of the word ‘Babu’, more important is that it is the ‘Babu culture’ that needs to be changed.
Manish Singh
“Ineffective, unassertive, Lokpal is irrelevant”
The concept of anti-corruption national ombudsman is relatively new in India. It represents public interest. Corruption is rising exponentially due to Criminal mafia - politicians- bureaucrats-police nexus. The law makers must strengthen Lokpal by according it Constitutional status. The amendment bill introduced in the past for making the Lokpal a constitutional body, was defeated in the house. Reasons were obvious: Self-preservation and survival instinct of law makers.
Come to specifics. Lokpal, a full-time functional body was mandated to present annual reports on work done by it to the President. The report is caused to be laid in both Houses of Parliament. Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was appointed as chairperson of Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman which started functioning with eight members, in March 2019.
As per media reports about 1500 corruption complaints have been received by the Lokpal alone, since inception, against several Union ministers, top officers , MPs and other public servants. Strangely, no annual report has been presented by the Lokpal to the President. This is disturbing. One wonders whether any interim report was presented for clarifying reasons for non-submission of annual report.
The Lokpal is an independent, statutary body. Its annual report constitutes an important tool to assess its performance by the Parliament with regard to investigations and prosecution of public servants. This assumes importance especially when union ministers, former or serving , MPs and officers are named in the complaints.
The lawmakers must empower the Lokpal by according it Constitutional status. Let it submit its annual report to the Parliament on the analogy of C&AG , CEC.
Why urgency?
Elections are due in several States in succession. Several politicians would be contesting the elections especially those against whom complaints could have been received. Checking their credentials before accepting nominations,is the responsibility of the Election Commission.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)