Orphaned by self

Sir, - This has reference to the two very thought- provoking articles (July 17), one by a retired DGP of Tamil Nadu, Mr. K. Radhakrishnan, and the other by a retired Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. P. K. Duraiswamy. Both call for protection of two All-India services - the IAS and the IPS. These two services are vital for our democracy. There may be some bad elements but by and large, a majority of them are doing exemplary work. They deserve support from all quarters. The rulers, who occupy their offices after swearing that they will rule as per the Constitution, must protect the services. And officers belonging to the two services should stand up and refuse to follow wrong orders at the behest of the politicians.

R. Sadagopan,

Chennai

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Sir, - The article ``IAS - orphaned service'' Mr. P. K. Doraiswamy presents one side of the picture. The Nehruvian concept of the IAS has been totally defeated. Today it is meant to serve the needs of politicians and their henchmen and not to serve the interests of the public.

The present state of `orphanage' is the making of the cadre itself. They forget that the ignominy which is inflicted on other members of the cadre, at the behest of the politicians, can befall them, and when it occurs, they lament that the Home Ministry is not protecting them.

On the other side, the IAS today has become arrogant and callous to the problems of the common man. Even intellectuals and senior citizens cannot have access to the IAS officers, leave alone the general public. They do not have the minimum decency and culture to reply to letters, let alone redress. The IAS can be described as the ``Indian Arrogance Service''. The present IAS has imbibed the worst of politics and bureaucracy.

G.M. Rama Rao,

Visakhapatnam, A.P.

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Sir, - `The crumbling steel-frame of bureaucracy' and the IAS - orphaned service echo the apprehensions and fears of concerned citizens. Both are a terrible indictment of the present day politicians and the way in which they have used the officers as pawns in their political war to settle scores with their opponents. But what is disturbing is the fate of the people - if the services are used for personal political vendetta, what will happen to the business of administration and the welfare of the people? Beneficial schemes are scrapped when another political boss takes over, without giving a thought to the amount of money spent and the benefits the people have reaped.

Both articles have failed to focus on the officers and their responsibility. It is the sweat and blood of people that goes towards paying the salary and perks the officers enjoy. It is the people the officers are accountable to. The responsibility of being orphaned or not depends solely on the officers. They can decide not only to adhere by professionalism but also become saviours of the people.

Hilda Raja,

Chennai

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