A decision by the Andhra Pradesh government deserves special attention. It has stopped the system of Sub-Registrars sitting on an elevated platform and attending to the people’s issues. Calling it a “feudal and outdated,” system, the government has ruled that these officials must sit at the floor level on par with the others. This is one small step in a nation where the vestiges of the British Raj combined with the feudal systems run riot. The aim of every official today is not to serve the people, but to lord over them. Elected representatives of the people who govern states under the democratic system for the past over 75 years have been reticent about changing the archaic systems or are comfortable with the ugly scenarios around them. They show no nerve to discipline the systems while every segment of the population is sought to be organised under different banners or are unionised with the sole purpose of protecting and promoting their sectarian interests.
A government performs at different levels, but its writ spans across all spectrums of human life in a specified land mass. All governments are duty-bound to ensure law and order, pay salaries to its employees, find resources to run the government, manage the finances, initiate the development process and guard the boundaries or borders. However, good governments do more. They seek to reform the society and clean up the Augean stables to make life easier for its people. Reforms are a periodic requirement to every system. Unfortunately, however, there’s a deficit in this process here. Lack of good, visionary leadership is the principal reason. The five years of a government passes in a jiffy. What it did or did not do during this period should be subjected to public scrutiny, which too is non-existent.
India practises a system of oligarchy – small segments of the society well-entrenched in power at all levels and officials ruling the roost – all in the guise of democracy. The overbearing nature of several arms of the establishment is spectacular. The characteristics of the British Raj or the rule of the royals were entirely different from that of a democracy as we conceive of it. Yet, situations of officials throwing their weight around are commonplace. By doing so, they cock a snook at the society. Almost every senior official tends to sport his designation on his vehicle, which is ludicrous. His power should be exercised solely in his office. The Supreme Court had in 2013 cried a halt to officials keeping red beacon lights on their vehicles. A free for all is neither in good taste nor acceptable. Narendra Modi as Prime Minister did too little in the last over a decade to clean up the systems. Andhra Pradesh deserves praise for taking a small step forward.
