Salutations sans Shoes
Salutation sans Shoes
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Believe it or not , it happened in less than 40 years ago at my first place of posting as the BDO in the eastern part of the State. Before proceeding further, locational details of the office building in a few more words are necessary for proper appreciation of the situation.The office happened to be one of the earliest ones established under the ambitious rural development project called "Community Development" in the early fifties. It was a U-shaped pucca building with asbestos roofing and a wire fencing around it, probably to add respectability to the otherwise humble edifice ; as there was no human habitation within a radius of atleast one kilometre (except a dozen or so of staff quarters a little away from the office building on its rear corner) to keep off grazing animals. It was a conspicuous structure standing on a vast dry patch of land.It must have been a landmark in its own right as there was no such thing as BDO Office in the neighbouring police stations in its initial years.When I assumed office I found hardly anything that could be termed as fencing ; but the structure of the gate with iron trappings, albeit in rundown condition was what remained intact.
Over the years, human habitation had cropped up but that too a little away along the state highway.Even in the late seventies, the office continued to look lonely except for first 4/5 hours of the office hours on working days.Another noteworthy fact was my daily routine to visit the local police station in the company of the Cashier after he had assessed the requirement of cash to be disbursed that day to the waiting Gram Panchayat Pradhans, Paymasters of relief schemes and others for payment of miscellaneous bills. In those days, the B.D.O was not authorised to open any bank account for transaction of such financial business. An embedded cash chest used to be maintained in the local police station to keep the bulk of the cash under double-lock system. Another smaller cash chest was there in the office to keep the "petty cash" and "residual cash"at the end of the day (if not a big amount) therein.
One day while going out on the daily schedule of visiting the local police station on the office jeep I noticed a pair of slippers just outside the office gate. It looked well past of its prime; but not one that was totally worn out and appeared not to have been discarded for good. It appeared to be a little odd to see that. Neither the driver of the jeep nor the Orderly Peon ( a post since abolished) who accompanied me could provide me with any clue on that. On my way back to office after about an hour, the same pair of slippers was lying by the side of the gate as it was.I returned to my cabin and asked the orderly peon to enquire and let me know why a pair of of slippers was abandoned just outside the office gate. I was somewhat taken aback when I was told by the Orderly Peon that the pair belonged to one of the visitors waiting to see me . Then I gathered further from him that the said visitor did not want to present himself before me (the B.D.O) wearing shoes; as he thought that that might amount to showing disrespect to a government officer. Initially I was surprised to think how such line of thinking (or call it a local custom) could linger well into the late seventies, no matter if it happened in one of the so-called socio-economically backward districts.
I sent words to that visitor waiting to see me that I would meet him immediately only if he took back his pair of shoes left orphaned outside the office gate and wear it. I had to make it clear to him that I did not mind at all in receiving barefoot visitors, but the raison d'etre of his conduct on the day was not welcome.
Well, after a couple of minutes, the person was ushered into my chamber with shoes on. We exchanged namaskar and talked business preceded by some informal queries about his parents and children to put him at ease before requesting him to discard such archaic practice of showing unwarranted reverence to any public servant irrespective of his/her official position. It appeared that he felt assured enough to give his conduct of the day a serious re-look.
This is a real life story that I remember not to pat my own back for doing any great job.I recall it because what happened on that day appeared to be somewhat extraordinary in the relevant period of time.But at the same time it prompts me to explore the larger question of the usual conduct of the government servants vis-a-vis the aam admi (members of the public).
I may recall what happened to a Collector who preferred to greet the Prime Minister with sunglasses on at the airport a couple of months back. He was rightly reminded of the dress code for the officers in force in such occasions by the concerned administrative department. That is what the government machinary usually take notice of so promptly.
On the other hand rather casual approach toward communicating with the members of the public in official capacity by the officers, especially posted at grass-root level, would often leave much to be desired probably sidestepping the fact that they exist primarily to serve them. It is practically difficult to prescribe a set of norms of conduct for the officers to follow in day-to-day official transactions. In my service life, I have come across official advice on how to attend to the people's representative whenever they visit the BDO office. But I am not sure if there exists any unambiguous advice to the government servants( irrespective of his/her status) on how to communicate in writing with others.
In this respect, I may recall the relevant provisions set out in the manual (probably the Practice and Procedure Manual) in force during much-malinged British Raj.Therein we find classification of official mode of written communications. It prescribed 'memorandum'( addressed in third person)for all communications of routine nature between officers. The 'demi-official' format was earmarked for exceedingly urgent and more-than-regular matters needing personal attention of the addressee officer. And the 'letter' form( with the formal address as 'Sir'/'Madam') was prescribed for any communication to 'the members of the judiciary' and 'members of the public' by any officer. That shows to a large extent that the colonial rulers, atleast officially, wanted its officers to treat their subjects with due deference. It may be argued that it was nothing but tokenism on the part of the otherwise oppressive foreign rulers.
Even if one endorses such a view on the conduct of the foreign rulers, it may be considered to be a healthy practice to be imbibed in heart in free India, on as one of compulsions under a labyrinth of government circulars and rules. Some officers may be following the desired practice on his/her own, but the seeds of natural respect to the aam admi in official transactions should be sown at their grooming stage. After all it is the members of the public, the public servants do exist for.
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Believe it or not , it happened in less than 40 years ago at my first place of posting as the BDO in the eastern part of the State. Before proceeding further, locational details of the office building in a few more words are necessary for proper appreciation of the situation.The office happened to be one of the earliest ones established under the ambitious rural development project called "Community Development" in the early fifties. It was a U-shaped pucca building with asbestos roofing and a wire fencing around it, probably to add respectability to the otherwise humble edifice ; as there was no human habitation within a radius of atleast one kilometre (except a dozen or so of staff quarters a little away from the office building on its rear corner) to keep off grazing animals. It was a conspicuous structure standing on a vast dry patch of land.It must have been a landmark in its own right as there was no such thing as BDO Office in the neighbouring police stations in its initial years.When I assumed office I found hardly anything that could be termed as fencing ; but the structure of the gate with iron trappings, albeit in rundown condition was what remained intact.
Over the years, human habitation had cropped up but that too a little away along the state highway.Even in the late seventies, the office continued to look lonely except for first 4/5 hours of the office hours on working days.Another noteworthy fact was my daily routine to visit the local police station in the company of the Cashier after he had assessed the requirement of cash to be disbursed that day to the waiting Gram Panchayat Pradhans, Paymasters of relief schemes and others for payment of miscellaneous bills. In those days, the B.D.O was not authorised to open any bank account for transaction of such financial business. An embedded cash chest used to be maintained in the local police station to keep the bulk of the cash under double-lock system. Another smaller cash chest was there in the office to keep the "petty cash" and "residual cash"at the end of the day (if not a big amount) therein.
One day while going out on the daily schedule of visiting the local police station on the office jeep I noticed a pair of slippers just outside the office gate. It looked well past of its prime; but not one that was totally worn out and appeared not to have been discarded for good. It appeared to be a little odd to see that. Neither the driver of the jeep nor the Orderly Peon ( a post since abolished) who accompanied me could provide me with any clue on that. On my way back to office after about an hour, the same pair of slippers was lying by the side of the gate as it was.I returned to my cabin and asked the orderly peon to enquire and let me know why a pair of of slippers was abandoned just outside the office gate. I was somewhat taken aback when I was told by the Orderly Peon that the pair belonged to one of the visitors waiting to see me . Then I gathered further from him that the said visitor did not want to present himself before me (the B.D.O) wearing shoes; as he thought that that might amount to showing disrespect to a government officer. Initially I was surprised to think how such line of thinking (or call it a local custom) could linger well into the late seventies, no matter if it happened in one of the so-called socio-economically backward districts.
I sent words to that visitor waiting to see me that I would meet him immediately only if he took back his pair of shoes left orphaned outside the office gate and wear it. I had to make it clear to him that I did not mind at all in receiving barefoot visitors, but the raison d'etre of his conduct on the day was not welcome.
Well, after a couple of minutes, the person was ushered into my chamber with shoes on. We exchanged namaskar and talked business preceded by some informal queries about his parents and children to put him at ease before requesting him to discard such archaic practice of showing unwarranted reverence to any public servant irrespective of his/her official position. It appeared that he felt assured enough to give his conduct of the day a serious re-look.
This is a real life story that I remember not to pat my own back for doing any great job.I recall it because what happened on that day appeared to be somewhat extraordinary in the relevant period of time.But at the same time it prompts me to explore the larger question of the usual conduct of the government servants vis-a-vis the aam admi (members of the public).
I may recall what happened to a Collector who preferred to greet the Prime Minister with sunglasses on at the airport a couple of months back. He was rightly reminded of the dress code for the officers in force in such occasions by the concerned administrative department. That is what the government machinary usually take notice of so promptly.
On the other hand rather casual approach toward communicating with the members of the public in official capacity by the officers, especially posted at grass-root level, would often leave much to be desired probably sidestepping the fact that they exist primarily to serve them. It is practically difficult to prescribe a set of norms of conduct for the officers to follow in day-to-day official transactions. In my service life, I have come across official advice on how to attend to the people's representative whenever they visit the BDO office. But I am not sure if there exists any unambiguous advice to the government servants( irrespective of his/her status) on how to communicate in writing with others.
In this respect, I may recall the relevant provisions set out in the manual (probably the Practice and Procedure Manual) in force during much-malinged British Raj.Therein we find classification of official mode of written communications. It prescribed 'memorandum'( addressed in third person)for all communications of routine nature between officers. The 'demi-official' format was earmarked for exceedingly urgent and more-than-regular matters needing personal attention of the addressee officer. And the 'letter' form( with the formal address as 'Sir'/'Madam') was prescribed for any communication to 'the members of the judiciary' and 'members of the public' by any officer. That shows to a large extent that the colonial rulers, atleast officially, wanted its officers to treat their subjects with due deference. It may be argued that it was nothing but tokenism on the part of the otherwise oppressive foreign rulers.
Even if one endorses such a view on the conduct of the foreign rulers, it may be considered to be a healthy practice to be imbibed in heart in free India, on as one of compulsions under a labyrinth of government circulars and rules. Some officers may be following the desired practice on his/her own, but the seeds of natural respect to the aam admi in official transactions should be sown at their grooming stage. After all it is the members of the public, the public servants do exist for.
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