Saturday, 02 April 2022 | Paritosh Kimothi | Dehradun
At times, the symptom or manifestation of an ailment elicits much public attention along with outrage and other reactions. As is the tendency with the general public, whatever the result of such manifestation, in most cases the ailment is soon forgotten till the next manifestation of a symptom grabs public attention. The recent case of an associate professor in the Government Doon Medical College resigning due to the alleged high handedness of the Health secretary could be seen as one such incident. The doctor was called to the home of the bureaucrat to check his wife and after the secretary’s wife reportedly talked uncouthly to the doctor, the lady doctor left the official’s residence. She did not apologise to the bureaucrat’s wife as reportedly asked by some officials and was later transferred to Almora on the same day, after which she tendered her resignation. The chief minister intervened the next day and cancelled the transfer while also ordering an inquiry into the whole matter. In the meanwhile, the case has become the subject of continuing debates especially on social media with various aspects being put forward. Needless to say, one must behave properly with all professionals, especially doctors, considering the gravity and importance of their task. Many are asking whether the bureaucrat was right in calling a government doctor home to attend to his wife. This elicits focus on whether public servants do actually behave like servants of the public and whether the sense of entitlement is limited to a few and that too only in the government services. Some state that the bureaucratic/government system is affected by a colonial attitude which makes the public servants behave like masters of the people they are duty bound to serve. However, it is not only the bureaucracy which is affected by this attitude. One could opine that employees (public servants) in most government departments behave likewise even though there are bureaucrats and other government employees who work as required. But then, is it logical and fair to blame only the government system? Going by one’s observations during the past decades in Uttarakhand one can say that many of those who feel bad about special treatment to government officials and politicians are very happy when they themselves get access to similar treatment. It may seem as if people dislike others receiving special treatment unless they too get the same. This makes one wonder what is the reason for the general tendency to seek preferential treatment. The issue may be complicated and have several facets to it but in general, this proclivity can be blamed on a general failure of the system. In an ideal situation, the system will work as desired and the people will appreciate it without seeking any special treatment. This doesn’t mean that all aspects of the system do not work properly. Though the government system may be blamed for many problems, many of those working in it do deliver while facing various challenges and pressures in the interests of the public. Many of those working in government hospitals, the police and various other departments are working as required but then the good is often overshadowed by the larger ills. Here again, can the government alone be blamed for the ills afflicting the system? Take the simple example of civic sanitation. The national level Swachchh Bharat Mission was launched in 2014 for a cleaner India. Efforts were made from top to bottom and are still underway, to raise public awareness and enhance the system to ensure proper garbage disposal and sanitation. In Dehradun, the municipal corporation collects garbage from homes and establishments but still there is no dearth of people who continue to dump garbage in public places- literally poisoning the soil and air by either littering or burning the toxic trash- to their own detriment too. Of course, the system is not perfect but then do the citizens realise and discharge their own responsibility? The authorities can be blamed for gaps in the system and not taking stringent action uniformly but can they also be blamed for the attitude of the citizens? In the end, it may seem convenient to criticise the system and blame it for all problems but it is logical and necessary to understand our own role in creating this situation because it is the citizens who are the key to the solution.
