(on march 7, 21)
Shri Dilip Patel welcomed all the participants for sparing their time for taking part in the online launch of the ‘Community of Ethics in Public Service’ (CoE), the desirability of which was unanimously declared in the past three exploratory webinars held over last three and a half months or so. The present online meeting was for the launch of the CoE, open to all the previous participants of ICCfG’s signature programme in ‘Ethics in Public Service’, whether at Panchgani or other locations, belonging to the AIS or PSUs or other organisations.
He said that ethics are a part of everyday life with no finishing line, as it involves a continuous process of learning and evolving. Shri Patel read out the ‘We believe’ document displayed to all the participants on the screen as follows:
Shri Dilip Patel requested Dr. Suresh Kumar to give his brief introduction and share his experience as a member of the public who witnessed and participated in the initiatives taken by Shri Prasanth Nair, IAS, the then collector of Kozhikode.
Dr Suresh Kumar informed the participants that he is a doctor based in Kozhikode, deals in developing community based palliative services and heads the WHO centre for the same. He mentioned that he has worked very closely with Shri Prasanth Nair when the latter was the collector of Kozhikode.
Dr. Suresh spoke about ‘Compassionate Kozhikode’ initiated by Shri Nair, the basic principle of which was the engagement of the common man in it. Shri Nair enabled the people to take up the responsibly of the initiative, and this is the reason why it is continuing even after he is no longer posted at Kozhikode. Another programme that is continuing is the District Collector’s internship programme, to induct youngsters in the initiative.
Shri Nair was able to connect with the common people as one of them, which had many advantages in terms of gaining public support. There were disadvantages to this approach as well, as it made him more vulnerable to criticism and ridicule. Not all civil servants can be as courageous. Engagement with the people has now become the norm at Kozhikode, and three more DCs have taken charge there since Shri Nair, but they have all maintained this principle. The concept of Compassionate Kozhikode is still going on, although with different DCs the approach has been different and perhaps not as bold as under Shri Nair.
Shri Prasanth Nair [currently Managing Director, Kerala Shipping & Inland Navigation Corporations (KSINC) & Managing Director of Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC)] spoke about Compassionate Kozhikode and how it all began. He said that Kozhikode already had social capital developed by people like Dr. Suresh, and that he was posted there as DC at the right time. It could also be that he was a risk taker and a maverick, which prompted him to take certain initiatives. Another thing that prompted him was the feeling of helplessness at the state of affairs before him.
He gave the example of the pathetic conditions at the mental hospital in Kozhikode (established in 1872) that he visited, with massive congestion above the actual capacity, inhuman conditions of living, archaic rules and regulations, and the place feeling more like a jail to confine people than a hospital to treat them. It was a place for people abandoned by their families, who had no voice and no one to stand up for them and their rights. In a democracy, people who do not matter (as vote banks) are often sidelined.
As the DC, he felt that he had the responsibility to do something for the hospital. He has always used Gandhi’s Talisman as his guiding principle.
He procured a list of requirements from the hospital, which was the same since many years as there was a perpetual shortage of government funds to fulfill those requirements. He decided to give a call to the public and put up the list of requirements on the official Facebook Page. Within one week, all the requirements were met, donated by the people. No money was asked for- only donations in kind as per the list of requirements were taken. Volunteers at the backend sorted the stuff received and provided all logistical help. All this was done without any government funds.
The menu at the mental hospital had not been changed since 1975, and only consisted of wheat gruel. The patients had no choice in the matter and were dependent on the benevolence of the State. He made sure that the menu at the mental hospital was redesigned with the help of nutritionists.
There were patients there with long overdue surgeries, but they could not get them done as they did not have any friends or relatives who could accompany them through the whole process of surgery. Members of the public actually volunteered to be the ‘relatives’ of the patients at the mental hospitals who required surgeries.
He said that he did not really lead Compassionate Kozhikode, as the leaders emerged from the public itself. As the DC, he connected people who needed help, and those who could help them.
He emphasized that he made sure that the dignity of the needy was never compromised in the whole process. Giving the example of Operation Sulemani, he mentioned how he contacted the Kerala hotels and restaurants association and devised a system to feed the hungry. The Association owns the project, and it is continuing even now. The good thing is that the photo of not even a single beneficiary has been displayed anywhere.
He gave the analogy of a mother feeding a child, and how she never creates a fuss about it or adversities it; food is a natural requirement for life like oxygen, and any person who is hungry should be entitled to get food without compromising his dignity.
He said that he was lucky to get a good team and passionate volunteers. It felt like they were just waiting to exhibit their compassion. This whole process transformed him internally. We take so many small things for granted, when they matter so much. Compassionate Kozhikode was never registered as a Trust or Society – it is just an amalgamous entity where people come together to make things happen. The compassion needs to continue, not the label of Compassionate Kozhikode.
3) Shri Jitendra Soni, District Collector, Nagaur, Rajasthan, spoke about the ‘Raasta Kholo Abhiyaan’ that he initiated after being posted there in July 2020. Coming from a family of farmers in Rajasthan, he was well aware of the problem of illegal encroachments in the paths leading to the farmlands in the villages, and what a huge problem it was. Tractors, equipment, etc. could not reach the farms, and many remained without crops for this reason.
He said that 80% of the population in Nagaur resides in rural areas, and explained the three kinds of pathways to farmlands existing there, one of which was not on any kind of official record at all. These were the most vulnerable. Caste, politics and muscle power all played in a role in the encroachments. The cases officially registered went through a long process involving the revenue board etc., and if they reached the courts, they dragged on for 20-30 years. Crime rose due to the farmers not being able to cultivate their lands for years.
Shri Soni asked the 12 sub-divisional officers for reports on the encroached pathways, and got to know that 550 such cases are there in official records. Getting rid of these encroachments was a matter of law and order as well, and the help of the police was required. It was essential to take the public into confidence.
Since July 2021, each SDO has devoted one day of the week to take care of some encroached pathways. The team has worked so hard that as of now, in less than a year, more than 4000 such encroachments have been cleared, ranging from 100 meters long to some that were even 5 kilometers long. Some had remained closed for 50-60 years, embroiled in controversy and court cases. Although the official number was 550 to begin with, as news got around of encroachments being removed successfully, more and more people had the confidence to approach the authorities and that is how the number of cases solved so far has been 4000. CRPC provisions were used where required, and communication without conflict was used when possible.
To institutionalize the whole process and to ensure that the pathways were not encroached again, two dashboards were placed by the authorities at each end of a pathway, with details of when the encroachment was removed, the team members involved in it, and more. Additionally, the names of some bright girls in the area doing well in their studies or extra-curricular activities were also put on the dashboards, which became a matter of pride for the girl children and their families and helped in women empowerment.
The GPS location of each of the cleared pathways was taken and published on a district website for full record. Now, a map is being created, and gravel roads are being laid on the pathways. The commutable distance between some villages has reduced, as the cleared pathways now provide short cuts and direct routes.
Shri Soni introduced the participants to an old woman named Bhamari Devi, who, in her colloquial language, said that her farm had ben lying idle due to the encroachments since five years, but now, thanks to the Raasta Kholo Abhiyaan, she is growing a crop of cumin seeds there.
Shri Soni said that he would like to dedicate the success of the Abhiyaan to the last patwaris in the hierarchy, most of whom he will not even be able to meet. He said that the pathways leading to a farmer’s farm are not just pathways- they mean the pathway to his livelihood, his ability to feed his children and to get them educated. For people like Bhamari Devi, the understanding of ‘administration’ is that they are the ones who can get the encroachments on the pathway to her farm removed.
Shri Dilip Patel said that both compassion and humility were evident in the stories narrated by Shri Nair and Shri Soni, and that the stories were very inspiring. If young administrators could be exposed to such exemplars of ethics in public service, we would witness a dramatic change in our country.
Shri Kaushal said that Shri Soni and Shri Nair are examples of ethical leaders; they ensure that the benefits reach the last man. Such processes need to be institutionalized. A lot can be achieved by taking of small things with the right attitude to serve the public.
Shri Laxminarayan said that God is visible to people through persons like Shri Nair and Shri Soni. He said that very often civil servants find it difficult to remain motivated and give up after some attempts blaming circumstances- turning the first round of the wheel is the most difficult. He asked both Shri Nair and Shri Soni how they managed to remain motivated and turned the first round of the wheel to set the journey in motion.
Shri Prasanth Nair said that Compassionate Kozhikode was not just Operation Sulemani; in fact, they tried around 100 different things and kept on trying. Many ideas failed, and some really succeeded. Even brilliant ideas can fail due to a variety of reasons. One has to keep trying to do positive things, and something or the other eventually succeeds. It is also important to accept and learn from failures.
Shri Soni said that officers preceding him also tried to do good. However, sometimes some things just pick up momentum, just like ‘Raasta Kholo Abhiyaan’, especially when you have the support of the public. Public support comes when they witness the sincere efforts of the administration. Circumstances, planning, etc., all play a role in an initiative’s success. For example, they started the Abhiyaan with the most simple to remove encroachments, rather than the most difficult. By the time they reached the difficult encroachments, the Abhiyaan had already gathered some momentum. One should keep trying, the motivation of the team should be sustained, and administration should gain the trust of the people. People should feel that the DC is just one of them.
Shri Prabhat Kumar said that we had the opportunity of listening to two very powerful stories today, and thanked Shri Nair and Shri Soni. He asked if we needed mavericks as administrators to do such fantastic things, or could the good practices be replicated otherwise well? He requested Shri Nair, Shri Soni, and others to think about the replication of best practices, which would be a valuable addition to the CoE.
He thanked everyone for their participation today and said that we would soon be informing them about the next meeting, which would be after a month or so, on a Sunday and with duration of 90 minutes, not 60. Meanwhile, people could send in their feedback and views via email.
