1054 (2 of 10 series) Some Musings on retired IAS and IPS Officers entering Politics

Trigger for this: News Reports that Shri J.D. Lakshmi Narayana, IPS Officer, Additional DGP, Maharashtra, and formerly CBI Joint Director who looked after the Corruption Charges against Shri Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, YSRCP Party, President, -- has applied for voluntary retirement and that he will shortly be joining either Jana Sena or BJP shortly. To start with my writing in this post, my Clarifications: I neither love or hate Respect Shri Lakshminarayana or anybody else. Nor am I here, to pass value judgements, enhance the character or assassinate the character of anybody. I always try to restrict the scope of my writings only to spread the principles Atheism, Marxism (and its extensions Socialism, Communism, etc.). Occasionally, I may write on my other pet subjects such as Indian Economic Problems, Java and PHP Languages, Carnatic and Hindusthani Music, Sanskrit and Telugu Literature, some approach-studies on Historical Analyses of Mythologies of India etc. etc. What I anticipated was that: Shri Lakshminarayana would join BJP someday or other. It is not because I have any special intuitive powers or clairvoyance, but because, I thought that as Mr. Narendra Modi is a lover of Swami Vivekananda and inasmuch as Shri Lakshmi Narayana is a lover of Swami Vivekananda, they have something to share commonly. It is a different thing that, I had somewhere in my blogs expressed a feeling that neither Shri Modi or Shri Lakshmi Narayana might have read Swami Vivekananda's Complete Works in depth.

Links to my previous blogposts relating to the work of Shri Lakshmi Narayana:

Click here to go to https://problemsoftelugus.blogspot.in/2013/10/024.html

Click here to go to http://problemsoftelugus.blogspot.in/2016/03/704-part-110-india-can-probably-change.html

Click here to go to post No. 706, at this blog.

Click here to go to post No. 719, at this blog.

Click here to go to post No. 733, at this blog.

There are five more posts, continuation of the above link. I shall try to pick those links and give them here.

First my apologies to my Readers. I could not regularly make my postings here, owing to numerous personal reasons. Consequently, I missed some important events which have taken place during my interregnum. I know that I have very few readers. Hence, I can say with much confidence that as nobody will be eager to read me, I need not be too much apologetic about my erratic working methods.

Question: You seem to be a 'dog' of Shri Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy?

Ans: It is also necessary to re-clarify that I am not a supporter of Shri Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, though I have not written much criticism against him at this blog. I have not criticised Shri Jagan enough because his Disproportionate Assets Case is sub judice. Besides, in the Disproportionate Assets and Quid Pro Quo cases, there is ample evidence to convict Shri Jagan, unless Shri Jagan, through his protege and A2 in his cases Shri Vijaya Sayi Reddy, Rajya Sabha Member succeeds in winning the grace of our Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and gets a boon from him, so as to weaken the CBI's side of arguments in the Disproportionate Assets Case. Courts will become helpless whenever Prosecuting Agencies and Witnesses renege.

Shri Jaganmohan Reddy may benefit if the Cases are dragged on for some years, at least beyond 2019; in the meantime if some witnesses die, or something else happens to dilute the cases. With overt or covert support of BJP and Jana Sena, he may even become Chief Minister of Residual Andhra Pradesh. If that happens, he can get some of his sins washed.

Are you a 'dog' of the TDP and Shri Nara Chandra Babu Naidu?

Ans: Why should I be? Am I in any sinecure or serfdom job in the Establishment of our Hon. Chief Minister? Do I run any Media House, which will compel me to kneel and prostrate, before the Powers that Be? I am an apolitical individual, with independent views. If I criticise TDP or BJP, or Govt. of A.P., or the Govt. of India, my criticism will not ordinarily be against Shri Naidu or Shri Modi, as individuals, but it is against their Policies and Practices, especially those which hurt the Poor and Lower Middle Class People on the Streets, of our Towns and Cities, and in our Villages. Nothing beyond that.

There are numerous allegations of corruption against Shri Chandra Babu Naidu, even before the Notes for Votes case. Unlike Jaganmohan Reddy who seems to have invested all his funds in easily identifiable assets in India, Shri Chandra Babu seems to have invested wisely abroad (Evidence needed. This is only an indication of a possibility), tracing of which requires co-operation of the respective Governments in those countries. Some 18 applications are reported to have been filed in Courts by Jagan's family members/supporters seeking inquiry against the Corruption of Mr. Naidu, and they are reported to have been stymied by obtaining stay orders. As Shri Jaganmohan Reddy himself was facing CBI Cases, involving huge amounts, the Writs filed by him and his Family members might not have been received well in Courts. A pot cannot call kettle black.

Another problem is, everything revolves around evidence. Courts can do something, only when there is solid evidence. Politicians before undertaking Corrupt Transactions will have to ensure that they do not leave evidences of their Corruption on the path, so that pinning them down becomes easy. This type of error apart from Jaganmohan Reddy, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav too seems to have committed. One reason for leaving trails of evidence for Investigators, seems to be a sense of over-self-confidence tantamounting nearly to arrogance, believing that "Nobody can do anything to me. I can hoodwink anybody."

Question: How do you view the great Investigation Job done by Shri Lakshmi Narayana?

Ans: Basically, almost all the IAS, IPS, other All India Service Officers, non-IAS-IPS Officers in State Governments (referred to as Group I Officers in Andhra Pradesh), watch for Orders from their Superiors , and keep an Eagle's Eye on what their Bureaucratic and Political Superiors expect from them. Pleasing the Boss was, has been, is, and will be the Work Culture in India. If they fail to dance according to the tunes of their bosses, ordinarily they will be pushed aside into loop-line posts, or entangled into cases of negligence or failure to follow some rare instruction in the Rule Books.

Hence, every Bureaucrat will try not only to perform exactly as per the Expectations of the Bosses, but also try to ensure that adequate publicity is given to their acts of "Compliance and Conformity". It will not be sufficient if a person does his duty diligently. He-she should also arrange for some Publicity to ensure that his Work goes to the Notice of the Bosses.

The Writ petition which led to cases against Mr. Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, as far as I can remember, was filed by a Congress M.L.A. from Telangana by name Shri Shankara Rao. Court's Orders on the petition led to CBI Investigations. In the meantime, Shri Jagan had revolted against Top Congress Leadership, and the Top Congress Leadership too might have wanted that Jagan should be, somehow, entangled. The then Chief Minister of United Andhra Pradesh Shri Kiran Kumar Reddy seemed to be neutral. Anyway, Communication Lines from both Central Political Bosses, and Bureaucratic Bosses were very clear that the CBI Investigating Officials should work hard, and should not be lackadaiscical or non-chalant in their approach towards those cases. This might have resulted in Shri V.V. Lakshmi Narayana, exercising exra - diligence in discharging his duties. Else, he might have been changed, and replaced with some other obliging person.

At the same time, the top two Telugu News Papers and TV Channels of United Andhra Pradesh spent extra pages and extra screen hours, eulogising the Work of Shri Lakshmi Narayana. Shri Lakshmi Narayana too may be a Media Savvy Officer. Or his Assistants might have made available all the Information sought by the Top Two Media Houses, who gave top priority to any news which highlighted the Corruption of Shri Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and his Son Shri Jaganmohan Reddy. Thus, the CBI JD of those days, seems to have got larger-than-life-size Publicity from the Media. It also suited the Central Rulers of those days.

Question: You seem to be eternally cynical / pessimistic / frustrated.

It is possible. I might have become eternally cynical / pessimistic / frustrated after seeing the happenings in this country post-independence.

Anyway, the above reflections of mine, on the work done by IAS/IPS/Group-I Officers indicate the behavioral trends of bureaucratic and political bosses, and their subordinate bureaucrats and political followers.

I am not belittling the work done by Shri Lakshmi Narayana. His work was praiseworthy. At the same time, it will be apt to point out that, if any other IPS Officer was in his place during that same period, that particular IPS Officer too might have performed with similar efficiency and diligence. Reason: Need to satisfy Superiors, both the Superiors in the Line Management Ladder, and also the Superiors in the Political Arena who decide the Postings and Transfers. Though promotions of IAS and IPS Officers seem to be guaranteed based on Seniority as per the Custom, there is no such guarantee in respect of Postings. For this reason only, in any State in India, there may be ten DGPs, 20 ADGPs, 50 IGs, some 100 DIGs and innumerable number of SPs. But the Actual DGP who calls the Shots at the top, will be only one, and that person, we can call Line Supremo, whereas all other DGPs and most other ADGPs may only be heading what are called 'Staff' Functions in the Terminology of Business Management. In other words, they may be rankwise, and for payment of salaries and perquisites, they may be DGPS and ADGPs, with no enough real Controlling Work. They will have to hybernate and wait for an Opportune moment, till such a time the Deciding Supreme Top Political Bosses change.

Shri Lakshmi Narayana is reported to be holding the Post of ADGP Planning and Development in Maharashtra. He might, or might not have pleased / displeased the Political Rulers of that State. And, he will have to wait for his turn to become one of the DGPs, and then further wait to become Truly Controlling Line DGP (Supreme Police Boss). That wait may sometimes be really frustrating, and full of uncertainties and humiliations.

Prima facie, Shri Lakshmi Narayana seems to be a very diligent, efficient and ambitious Officer. If that is true, waiting indefinitely for a Line Post may be full of uncertainties. He might have had aimed really big, just as Former President Late Abdul Kalam advised children and College Students to aim high.

Will he succeed in Politics?

To continue in the next post.

This will be completed shortly.