A senior officer made a passing remark about the author’s character in front of her husband, which was humiliating for both of them, as they are officers in the Assam state services. In her weekly column for Different Truths, Hemashri exposes the workings of a government department, the insensitivity of some of its officers, and the lack of respect for women colleagues.

I bear no grudges, but some painful memories never fade away!

A character certificate is a delicate issue. In our field postings, we often received requests from strangers for character certificates that they needed to obtain jobs. It was always a tricky situation. Refusal would result in the rejection of such prayers. As a public servant, it was against our ethics to cause distress to job seekers. On the other hand, in a terrorist-infected, trouble-prone state, it could be very risky to issue such character certificates without proper verification. There was a time when we could not find any guidelines that clarified procedures for issuing such a certificate. a certificate. So we had to handle it by applying common sense. We asked the applicant to obtain a certificate from the principal or head of the educational institution they attended. Based on that certificate, we used to countersign or issue a fresh one. Gradually, we found specific directions for police verification for certain categories of such certificates. certificates. All I learned is that a character certificate is a sensitive matter and is crucial for the one who needs it. It may make or mar a person’s career.

During my time as a student, I had to apply for such a document on several occasions, and I am happy that each time I received very generous certificates regarding my character and conduct. However, one such certificate would remain a painful memory until my last breath.

After ten years of field postings in several far-flung areas of the state, we suddenly received transfer orders. That was some eleven years ago, when both my husband and I were posted to a far-flung, outlying subdivision. The district headquarters lay 133 kilometres away, in a sleepy hamlet where the authorities had established the subdivision a few years earlier. We had two infants to take care of and a critically sick mother, seven hours away from that place. Life was challenging. Most officers in that subdivision had their families in the state capital, so they were away every weekend. The two of us were the only ones available at the district headquarters on weekends or holidays. headquarters. We limited our trips to emergencies involving ailing parents or sick kids. The only reliable doctor in the small hamlet was a general physician, who attended to all categories of patients. Life was pleasant in that green land with pristine, pure air.

All of a sudden, my husband and I received transfer orders to two different locations. My husband was transferred to a further interior place, while I was made an election officer in the neighbouring subdivision, which was under the same district. Elections were due in a few months, and as per official norms, officers serving for more than three years in a district are transferred to another district before elections. So we understood that joining the new posting would lead to another transfer within a few months.

Many officers never saw the state beyond the state capital. Yet, officers like us, who were serving sincerely in an outlying subdivision, were sent off to two faraway locations. We came down to submit a representation narrating our issues. However, the responsible seniors refused even to grant a hearing, a faraway hearing, not to speak of sympathetic consideration. The local MLA of our place of posting was a cabinet-rank minister who treated officers working in his constituency with great respect. He learnt about our crisis, and we later learnt that he had given a note to place us in his department. Accordingly, after serving in far-flung areas for more than a decade, we cancelled our vindictive transfers to two different locations. We both got new transfer orders in two different wings of a large department. The move raised many eyebrows, as we were unknown officers working in interior locations until that time.

The kith and kin of powerful bureaucrats and politicians monopolised postings in the state capital. To welcome me to the state capital after a dedicated tenure of ten long years in various nooks and corners of the state, I became a news item in some obscure local daily, where I was rumoured to be the favourite lady of the influential minister. We took it as our challenge to justify our placement. After a few months, on the eve of the election, my husband was transferred to an interior location again, which was obviously a vindictive move. We both went to submit a prayer; only a few months back, he had joined this new posting. The powerful bureaucrat told my husband, “You go and join this posting. I have not disturbed her until now.” Looking at me, the man distorted his face and told me, “I have gone through your file and seen your background. You may be a bright officer, but why did the minister recommend your posting? I must tell you I have formed an opinion about your character.” I was shocked to hear such cheap comments from a responsible bureaucrat, especially in the presence of my husband. It was not only an injustice to a lady but also a humiliation to a man to berate his wife. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and yet, nonchalantly, I retorted, “Sir, I would like to request you to form an informed opinion about me. Nothing more. While forming an opinion or judgement about my character, my service track record of the last ten years should also be taken into account, instead of just a note of it on some other basis.” I never felt so humiliated. Until this day, that remains the murkiest character certificate in my life. Unfortunately, the minister faced trial and was convicted, yet both my husband and I were in that department for a long time, even after he left politics. My husband earned many laurels as a core member of the team that conducted the first teacher eligibility test, which led to an unprecedented record of issuing appointment letters to 26,000 teachers. The module for this initiative was developed in Andhra Pradesh, and my husband was credited with meticulous planning and the smooth execution of this highly transparent process.

I do not know what the man sitting on his high horse, with faulty ears, now thinks of us, having formed a judgement based on inputs from third-rate people. Often, we cannot access influential people sitting in important posts, but their advisors or favourites give an inkling of how they operate. This man’s most trusted counsel was an officer who was a senior in my college. This confused man’s claim to greatness was that his father was also a disreputable bureaucrat. As people graduate to higher ranks, they should have an obligation to be fair to all. This man in a high post will never, perhaps, even realise what pity I feel for his obnoxious behaviour. No matter where he goes, he will never command our respect.

I have every reason to believe that my character certificate would be deemed invalid if a neutral third party examined it. The man who tried to intimidate could never really scare me. Life moves on.

This bitter incident taught a valuable lesson: be cautious when issuing a character certificate, no matter how humble the applicant appears.

©Hemashri Hazarika 

Photos from the Internet

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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.