Public Servants, as the name says are "servants of public"; But they are NOT in this part of the globe!

Mehnaz Nasreen *

It's a common sight to see when you visit a government office for an urgent work relating to yourself and you are treated as the dust on their shoes! Unless, you have a "connection" or "reference" with the "officer" (here, even peons act as one!), you are nobody!

Well, I ain't boasting of connections, however, I have seen myself how well I am treated when I go with a reference and when I am not, when I go without any. These so-called people sitting at the helm of affairs have forgotten that at the end of the day, they are meant to "serve the people" and "not their people only".

For an instance, during the organization of this state's biggest festival, many people got the "opportunity" to do a "good" business and on the other hand, there were many potential people who couldn't earn any! (I ain't saying those who did "good" business are not potential at all, well, some of them might be).

Well, you know the reason! Yes, because they didn't or don't have any "connection" or "reference" to boast of. This is just an instance.

Let's see another one. Public was happy when the Passport Office was inaugurated in Manipur as earlier they had to go to Guwahati to get one. They thought it would be easier to get the passport now. Well, those will know if they have applied for one here, in the Imphal office.

Here also, these two "great" factors come into effect- "connection" and "reference". Everyone knows that Passport service has been outsourced to a private company for faster processing but police verification is a must.

Well, it is here that those two factors play an important role! Unless you have a "connection" or "reference", no way your passport is getting delivered on time!

And by the way, you visit your concern police station and they don't shy away in asking the "Kwaa chaanaba khara" thingy! And they do it openly! Don't ask for a proof, everyone knows it and well, I do too! ;)

I ain't accusing every officer or every government offices, however, the fact is majority of them indulge in such a shame! They seriously have forgotten that they are meant to "serve" the public "not to humiliate" them.

Nevertheless, let's look into ourselves. Why do we let it happen to us? Why do we never protest about it? Why time and again, we let ourselves humiliate by them?

Why and why? Hmmm…I guess, we have accepted it as a tradition and we also want to get our work done quickly. So, instead of protesting, we run and search and make calls here and there to find those two factors (connection and reference) to get our work done.

Well, I guess we don't want to humiliate ourselves in front of our so-called "public servants" that's why we say "Sir or Ma'am, I have been sent by this so and so Mr or Sir or Madam or this Minister or that Minister" Or "Sir or Ma'am, I am the son or daughter of so and so or I am a relative of so and so".

Yes, let's admit it! We do it so that we can get our work done fast but most importantly, we do it to not leave the office "red-faced" or like a "dust" because we fear that we might face humiliation in the hands of our own "servants".

The point I am trying to make here is that, unless we stop "encouraging" this system, i.e. showing off of our "connection", all of us will end up in a vicious circle where we can never get out of.

Let's stop using our connection and let's pray that our Public Servants realize why they are and what they are for. I am sure there are few Public Servants who are working crystal-clear way and are ever-ready to serve the public. However, they also need to check below their hierarchy where things are quite messy and humiliating the public.

Well, I am no one to teach what to do and what not to do. Nevertheless, I am also part of the public and the above is just a tip of the iceberg that we, the public have been facing! I strongly hope this annoying culture will end soon. Yes, hoping against the hope. But still, I hope. Yes, one day it might happen. One day… Until then, may God bless us all!