Politicisation of the state machinery

THE AFTERMATH of Tamil Nadu Assembly elections has been marked by changes in the higher echelons of administration with those concerned with police preceding those in civil administration. While the convention in the past has been that only political appointees like the Advocate General will resign whenever there is a change at the political helm, large scale reshuffle of officials in the permanent services has also become a sorry but common spectacle in various Indian States in recent years.

According to a report (TheHindu, May 18), Tamil Nadu elections results were followed by the immediate transfer of four senior police officials (including the Police Commissioner and the Additional Police Commissioner) and orders of compulsory wait for six IAS officers serving in the outgoing CM's office. Speculation on other postings has been rampant in the State, once placed high among the most well-administered States.

It is not as if such changes are taking place only now. Old timers will recall at least two instances - when Kamaraj Nadar assumed office as Chief Minister, after internal politics in the Congress party, he transferred the then Commissioner of Police, S. Parthasarathy Iyengar, a well regarded I.P. Officer, out of a pique over his not being allowed by the Commissioner to greet the visiting Prime Minister, on the tarmac when he was only the chief of the Tamil Nadu Congress party.

When the Congress lost power to the DMK and C. N. Annadurai took over as Chief Minister, the first transfer he wanted to make was that of the then Commissioner of Police, Madras. It was widely believed that his predecessor in office M. Bhakthavathsalam telephoned CNA to advise that it was better for the Chief Minister to have a compliant cop, who can keep confidences, as the Commissioner of City Police than an honest officer who knew all the rules and would be ready to cite them to the Chief Minister.

Three categories

More recently even when Mr. M. Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister in 1996, there were advisers such as former bureaucrat, the late Sanjivi Guhan, who were outside the official establishment, to draw up lists of officers to be considered for various posts. It was mentioned at that time that the Tamil Nadu police officers were divided into three categories - pro-DMK, pro-AIADMK, and neutral. While the first two categories were evenly matched in their size, the third category of neutral officers had apparently only six or seven officers! Such `reports' were then considered `bazaar talk,' but this view may need reconsideration in view of the recent statement by none other than Mr. Karunanidhi himself (TheHindu, May 31, 2001) that the DMK regime appointed Mr. Rajagopal DGP though he was perceived to be close to Ms. Jayalalithaa and that ADGP, Mr. A. X. Alexander, perceived to be close to MGR, was not shunted when the DMK took over.

This statement of the former CM only adds to the surprise caused by TheHindu report that Mr. Muthukaruppan's posting as Commissioner of Chennai Police (May 18) indicating that ``he has spent a good many years as Deputy Commissioner and then as Joint Commissioner'', and that ``His being a Scheduled Caste officer is an added advantage, especially when another senior incumbent from the same category was being eased out.'' The report added that ``Apart from his proximity to the Dalit leaders, Mr. John Pandian and Dr. K. Krishnasamy, the new Commissioner is considered close to the retired Director General of Police, Mr. Walter Dawaram, who is one of the key advisers to the new regime.''

The reference to the caste of an All India Service Officer, and his alleged proximity to political leaders as reasons for choosing him to the sensitive post causes dismay, and may also lead to doubts regarding the objectivity with which the officer will discharge his police and magisterial functions. This will impair the efficiency of entire City police force apart from embroiling it in avoidable controversies. It is not clear whether the new Commissioner's alleged proximity to Mr. John Pandian is the reason for the prompt arrest of Mr. Parithi Ilamvazhudhi, but it would have redounded to the credit of the new administration, if such perceptions could have been totally avoided. Ironically enough, service as Deputy Commissioner and Joint Commissioner for many years was reported as a plus point for Mr. Muthukaruppan, but when it came to Mr. Balachandran, it is stated that ``the problem seems to be that he has stayed on in Chennai, that too with Greater Chennai Commissionerate, for `too long'.'' Apparently the norms are not uniformly applied.

Decline in standards

The decline in the standards need not perhaps be solely attributed to the political birds of passage. One can call into question the propriety of Mr. Guhan, a former IAS officer and Mr. Walter Dawaram, a former IPS officer, operating in the background and influencing the postings of police and civil service officers, which is more appropriately handled by the DGP and the Chief Secretary. It is indeed sad that persons, familiar with the rules and regulations of the All India Services, should on their retirement be perceived as instruments, unwittingly or otherwise, in the politicisation of police machinery and bureaucracy.

It does not matter whether the politicisation is partial or total and whether the party in power is the DMK as in 1996 or the AIADMK in 2001. It certainly harms the State's reputation for fair and capable administration. The need of the hour is to raise the levels of efficiency of bureaucracy, eschewing petty political considerations in programme implementation and careful marshalling and deployment of the available human and financial resources of the state machinery for the long term betterment of the trusting public. Little useful purpose will be served by squandering the enormous good will and trust the public have bestowed on her, if the transfer of officers was perceived to have been made on grounds of proximity to political leaders and advisers and not of their aptitude and professional background.

One only hopes that the new Chief Minister who has won a massive mandate from the electorate will utilise the opportunity to refurbish the image of Tamil Nadu administration rather than follow the path of her predecessor.

V. K. SRINIVASAN

Former Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh

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