I vaguely remember reading in newspapers from Assam a few years ago, that a corrupt-free government officer named Rajkhowa came back to Guwahati and made office employees show up on time at work. I am not sure if we are talking about the same person.
And yes, welcome to the group, Mr. Rajkhowa. My living in Houston - my current home away from home is the reason for which I am not fully aware of the details of the situations there - as an ordinary citizen, that is. Newspaper and internet news are our main source of information.
Hope you write here more and regularly.
With best wishes,
- A. Sarangapani
From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: assam@assamnet.org, "j p rajkhowa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: ankur bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [Assam] [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 10:25:08 -0600
Welcome to 'assamnet', Mr. Rajkohowa.I am NOT a member of 'asomonline', but somehow I do get to see mail posted in that forum, even though I have no privileges to post messages to that list.That is why the welcome to assam@assamnet.org, of which I am a member.I have no interest in examining or judging individual performance here.It is not a dependable exercise. However I do have a lot of interest in examining the specifics in and the systemic issues underlying and associated with the subject/s under discussion.As an erstwhile chief-administrator of Assam and as a member of the Indian executive branch, unkindly :-) referred to as the bureaucracy, it will be very beneficial to receive your views on such. You are the very first individual with such a background that has spoken in this kind of an open forum.With that perspective, I am pasting here some of my observations on the systemic side to the subject. Will be much obliged if you would care to share your views and perhaps educate us.Best regards.Chandan Mahanta******************************************************************************At 7:54 PM -0800 11/17/06, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote:I think we all agree in this net that one big problem in India is enforcement of the myriads of laws.*** Glad to see you at least are attempting to scratch the surface of one of the issues, instead of dispensing pithy platitudes about how the people are the problem, with Biharis and the Assamese leading the losers.*** Enforcement of laws however is preceded by the LAWS themselves. It is the myriad of laws, that empower corruption, that discourages individual enterprise,impede development and promote exploitation- albeit as a result of non-enforcement. The concept of letting IAS/IPS/IRS bureaucrats screen out potential law-breakers BEFORE the citizenry ( no doubt criminally pre-disposed ) can even get into the act, but thoroughly impotent to do anything when actual breaches of the law take place, is a profoundly defective concept. It is unique to India, a degenerated version of the colonial rule designed to safe-guard the Empire's interests.*** The enormity of laws, rules and regulations-- much of it hand-me down of Victorian British laws, unintelligible to mere mortals and irrelevant to today's needs of an independent nation, also continue to raise the number of law-breakers. No wonder, the already inept and corrupt investigators and the prosecutors cannot come up with enough evidence in a timely manner, to help adjudicate the offenses. And since the courts are back-logged, now estimated to be around forty years, even the serious violators can rest easy. So the SYSTEM helps promote an environment of an absence of DETERRENCE. Why should anyone be concerned of breaking a law?*** You charge the IAS' with dereliction of duty -- for not enforcing the laws.Is it really a fair thing to do? WHERE is the SEPARATION of powers so essential to the functioning of a democratic state? HOW is it that the executive branch gets dictated to, in fact used as go-fers, PEONS to be precise, by the elected representatives? How does some retired spook or superannuated light-wt. general of a Guvnor have the right to overrule the elected state govts. on matters of prosecution of high officials on charges of corruption? Or how does the Center hold the rights to allow or not allow a state to prosecute an IAS or IPS Babu in a federal democratic state?Add to that the fact of elected reps, political animals, moving up to become the TOP-EXECUTIVES -- the ministers and so forth, who ACTUALLY are the TOP ADMINISTRATORS of the Indian state. What are their EXPERTISE, their SKILL, to administer?For that matter what are the skills of IAS/IRS/IPS Babus to administer? Is the ability to write exams, or being a walking encyclopedia, combined with a 'phoren' degree in Exconomics or what have you, ENOUGH to administer complex mega-projects of today, as the desi-Babus are expected to do?It is yet another profound flaw of desi-demokrasy's pretensions of a socialist state!*** Even if there were to be real separation of powers, the IAS Hakims still will have to depend upon the police and the prosecutors and the courts. The police system is thoroughly broken, totally dysfunctional and corrupted to the core. Can you imagine it to be of ay use without a profound overhaul? Many bright individuals have written at length of what needs done.But where is the Indian political will to REFORM? It is non-existent! EVEN if the desire is there, it is IMPOSSIBLE to muster the political will of the disparate and fractured behemoth.*** And WHO are the movers and shakers of democratic will of the people, who make the laws and sets policies of the state? What are their SKILLS? And if they are not necessarily skilled in specialized areas -- as they could be expected not to -- does the desi system have provisions for BRINGING in the SKILLED people from the citizenry into the policy-making and lawmaking process as consultants and advisers ? Do they involve the PUBLIC on major issues, by holding hearings, receiving public input?Rajen will tell you about that if you didn't know -- about how 'Asom' happened :-).*** Who selects the candidate to run for elected office, and WHO determine the election outcomes by FUNDING these elections? Is it really the local people? Or is it special interests from a REMOTE location--namely the 'high-command' sitting at Indraprastha? Is it a real DEMOCRACY? Is it not an insult to the intelligence of people to suggest that the reps. elewted by Assam are TRULY elected by the people of Assam?The electoral system is defecr tive, it is broken, it is UN-representative.*** Then there is the issue of TYRANNY of the majority perpetrated by both the unrepresentative legislative branch sitting in Delhi, run by vastly majorities that have no clue or no interest in playing fair by regions it considers colonies or un-important, or even non-existent; and the SC that has usurped legislative powers, unchecked either by a Constitution or the elected members, barely educated about democratic institutions, if at all.The Upper House, the Rajya Sabha, that can and should act as a check against a tyranny of the numbers in the Lower House, is little more than a ceremonial puppet.But can India change it? I will bet you a rupee, that India is incapable of such reforms. What with the ignorance and apathy of its intelligentsia.*** Bhuban Kokaideu is thoroughly impressed with the Judiciary. But if you ask sitting SC judges even--SOME will tell you how corrupted the courts have become. How the judges are bought and sold by special interests, with NO OVERSIGHT, with no way to hold them accountable! Yes, some of them have rendered wise decisionson certain celebratory cases. That is commendable and hopeful. But EXCEPTIONS do NOT make the rule. The courts need massive reforms, again something that the fractured and disparate country cannot muster the political will to execute.Because without an effective judicial system, no-one could expect any ACCOUNTABILITY so dramatically absent in desi-demokrasy.*** The ANSWER? Break the country up to MANAGEABLE smaller entities. Undertake complete overhauls to RESPOND to regional needs --- which are NOT the SAME all over. Let the smaller entities free to build their OWN FUTURES ridding them of their DEPENDENCE on doles from that mai-baap at Hastinapur, which have robbed regions of their enterprise and drive to survive and excel. The prevailing common bonds that hark long back into history can continue to remain unbroken. And if necessary or desirable maintain a common defense, foreign policy etc. as the institutional links. And even let those who want to remain together as they choose. But let those who want to go--FREE!Let Assam be the first and blaze a trail. The only WIN WIN solution there is.This enforcement is one of the main responsibilities of the IAS officials. If they don't do it for fear of reprisal and dismissal by the elected officials, they are shirking their responsibility.Just a thought - if an IAS officer stands up for what is right and confronts an elected official, who does he turn to get support for his stand?Dilip Deka=====================================================*********************************************************************At 5:25 PM +0000 11/17/06, j p rajkhowa wrote:Dear Mr. ankur Bora,
I am JPRajkhowa about whose service to the State
you have wanted to know. Well, it's not for me
to give details, because then, there would be people
accusing me of beating my own drums. So, why don't
you take the pains to conduct an opinion poll,
through the print / electronic media, to find out
about his contribution to the State and the people
during 36 years of his service career?
As for his contribution, during his tenure
as Chief Secretary, from August 1 / 2003 to
31 October / 2004, you may consult all
the Dailies of Assam published during
the period; you will find lot of reports
about Rajkhowa.You may also try to find out
information from google.com on JPRajkhowa.
Regards
JPRajkhowa, Narikal Basti, Guwahati- 24.
On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 ankur bora wrote :
We have a right to know what Mr. Rajkhowa did
as the chief executive of the state because he was
a government servant. We pay our hard earn money
as tax to fill government exchanger and pay for
the salary of the bureaucrats. So we have every
right to know how did they serve.
The question is , Mr. Rajkhowa inspite of enjoying
all the government privileged,
did he make a significant change in people's life?
Ankur,
Austin, Texas
From: "s hazarika" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: assamonline@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 12:24:26 +0530
Why is it necessary to be careful in what one writes?
As long as one is not hurting.
When one takes up an assignment, one has a job to pereform.
if one fails, one must be ready to face criticism.
Shantikam hazarika
----- Original Message -----
From: pmalakar
To: assamonline@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours
The general tendency is to criticize others
without being aware of one's ethical stance.
Perhaps it is better
to be a little careful about what we write.
Regards,
Paresh Malakar
----- Original Message -----
From: Shantikam Hazarika
To: assamonline@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 11:57 PM
Subject: [asom] Assamese Fears and Saviours
Exuses are galore.
If the chief executive of the state cannot solve the
state's problems, who can? Me?
I feel i have contrubuted what has been within my capacity
and therefroe I think i have the right to question others.
Shantikam hazarika
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