Are we a nation that excels at blaming others? ‘All these are done to shirk away our own responsibilities,’ states Hemashri in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.

Within a couple of hours of joining a new district, a university classmate called on me. I was naturally pleased. We started talking about other friends. He was not in my inner circle of friends during my university days, and I was really touched by his gesture in visiting to wish me well in my new posting. We remembered him well because he was in love with a classmate, and to marry her, he had started appearing for various competitive examinations. Just before our final examinations, he was actually selected for a job at a big insurance company. We were all very delighted to see his determination to marry the girl he loved. After the exchange of initial pleasantries, I asked him how his lady love was.

His reply made me sad. He said he did not marry her because her parents wanted to marry her off within that year, and he wanted some time to settle into his career. All those years, we thought of him as the boy who had worked so hard to marry the girl he loved. It was a rude shock to learn that the girl who had inspired him to get a job had been married off elsewhere.

However, the real shock came when he told me the purpose of his visit on the very first day of my joining. He was assigned election duty and requested that I relieve him of it. I was not handling detail-related matters; an officer junior to me handled them. He tried to convince me of the reasons he could not attend the duty. He said his wife, a qualified teacher for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), lived far away and that their only son was with him. He also told me that he had refused his promotions to stay at home. When I told him that he was in such a good job, I suggested that his wife could actually do something else to earn a living while he stayed with him. He replied that her pay and perks would increase in the future, enhancing family security. I could tell I was talking to a very practical man and felt pity for his wife, who had to stay away from her only child. As a mother, I found it stressful to be away from a young child.

I was completely put off by this practical man, but I told him with utmost politeness that I had just joined, and it would not be possible for me to request anyone to relieve him of his election duty. Perhaps he could read my face, as I cannot hide emotions. As I left my chamber, he told me he felt sorrowful that, despite being a bright student, I had turned out to be such an average achiever. He added that he draws the Government of India pay scale and is aware of the state government’s pay structure. I was only amused thinking that, still, he had to take refuge in me for a favour. He had taken my number and would send messages, which I never replied to.

In our country, everyone knows what the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister should do to improve the state or the country. However, in the state’s most significant democratic process, when they get the chance to serve in the election, their first response is to seek relief from duty. In every election, I meet scores of people queuing up seeking relief from election duty. Once, a man came to seek relief from election duty just before the election, after attending three rounds of the training programme, where I was the trainer. I asked him why he had not asked earlier and had waited until the last hour. With one hand, he indicated the other and said, “I had lost my hand in an accident; still, I thought I would be able to manage. I have been assigned the duty of the first polling officer, and I think it will be difficult for me.” Only then did I notice that the man was right. We immediately relieved him from duty. However, this kind of person is rare, who, despite such serious limitations, is willing to cooperate. Why are we so devoid of commitment?

A few years back, I was part of a team assigned to conduct a study to recommend measures to activate the school management committees in government schools. Government schools have now become poor people’s schools for those who cannot afford expensive private schools for their children. Being a product of a government school, I am a bit emotional. The government has already made it mandatory for the guardians of children in that school to be on the school management committee. It was necessary to know the committee’s status.

My research finally led to the discovery of a third-party evaluation report on the effectiveness of the school management committee. The report had interesting findings. The survey stated that, although schools are a community asset, only 2% of the community takes an active interest in the operation and maintenance of the local school.

Under the prevailing guidelines, there were considerable variations in the performance of the school managing committee (SMC). In one school with a large amount of land, the SMC carried out paddy cultivation and, with the proceeds, purchased various equipment for the science laboratory and sports facilities. At another school in upper Assam, where the wooden door was damaged, the SMC asked students to use the window to enter the classrooms. The same set of guidelines prevailed, but the degree of commitment of the respective SMCs was reflected in performance. Does it all come down to commitment?

To revive the government schools, now a very ambitious project, Gunutsav has been undertaken, with officials from different departments engaged to visit those schools and evaluate various aspects of them. The initial reaction of such an official would be to rush to seek a relieving order. I was sitting in an officer’s chamber, dealing with this programme. Two well-dressed ladies entered and asked for relief from the school visit programme. The officer heard their stories patiently and asked politely, “Madam, are you all getting your salaries on time? If so, why not devote a day to the poor children?”

Ask not what the country has given you, but ask what you have given to this country. We all know what the CM or PM should do, but we care little for what we can do for our community. Is it time to introduce compulsory military training for every citizen of this country? In that case, the queue seeking exemption will be longer than the Earth’s radius.

Can any government be effective with citizens without conscience? Let’s reflect on our own actions before blaming others.

Picture design: Anumita Roy

Hemashri Hazarika

Hemashri Hazarika is an Officer of the Assam Civil Service since 1997. Her research on Assam Civil Service brought reforms in 2015. A first-class Postgraduate in Economics from Gauhati University, she was awarded JRF/NET by UGC in 1997. Her experience as a bureaucrat has sensitised her to human sufferings. A solutionist by passion, she takes an active interest in issues related to Governance, Development, Women, Children, etc. Reading, Writing, Speaking and Painting are her hobbies.