I met this bright young lass, who is also a DJ in a FM channel, rummaging through some books at the Landmark, helped her move away from the usual section and pick up Milan Kundera. Then met up some people and watched the platform being set at the landmark book store (the last minute works) The setting was fantastic, with books staring at you and a Grand debate was expected.
What a let down I must say. The topic was an interesting one, “Is civil services losing its charm?” Its started out with Radhakrishanan of the Hindu, spewing fire even as the moderator, Sanjay Pinto, needs to carry the ‘can’ for introducing the topic with some really frivolous quotes and jokes. Dr Santosh Babu, the IAS officer, had to defend, and he did a very fine job but moved into the subjective side and then came Vivek HariNarayanan responding with some definitions and wry humor, finally Rajesh Das pinned it with some display of emotions and brought a bit of cheer to the audience.
Well by this time the debate had moved into the red hot zone, it was slugfest time.. But fun. Just that I could not personally take it, let me explain why.
My expectations were very high. Landmark was contextually primed to discuss the future of Civil Services, and I realized that a super topic as this was being discussed the way Harbajan slapgate or the 3 idiots’ get discussed in TV channels.
The discussion of the changing social climate and the influence of the information era and the changes it ushers in was completely set aside.
Well I guess the social media revolution, driven by the world wide web, has empowered the private citizen and facilitated connectivity with like minded people to form social groups that can handle issues collectively. The Estonia clean up model as the prime example.
If that be so, the withering away of the traditional governance framework becomes inevitable. We will all become Politicians and Bureaucrats while they become ordinary citizens – a social leveling is bound to happen with the knowledge explosion.
As of now we, in India, are straddling the Industrial and Information age, the Biotech era is on the doorstep when computing technologies will achieve unimaginable levels.
There was this steel and plasticity tack being discussed quite elaborately. Bureaucracy was considered to be the steel frame for the country (J Nehru) so today’s malleability of the officers was criticized. Well personally I think it’s the rigidity that is harmful, at least at this stage of development. The steel must be replaced with some self correcting, self healing and self performing substance, when even the destructive cells in their destructiveness will help in progress of mankind.
Tilted Plus 