From the India Gate: Left is right, IAS vs IPS in Tamil Nadu and more

LEFT IS RIGHT

CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has an opinion to offer in gratis on everything under the Sun. But ask him about the media being silenced by the Left government in Kerala, and he scurries for cover.

When Asianet News’ journalist was hounded for reporting how Left student leaders were sabotaging academic processes, national media sought Yechury’s comments. "Talk about how the Central government is heckling the media. Why about a state," he muttered something to this effect before wriggling out.

Response from Prakash Karat was also along similar lines. Karat said the Left always stood for media freedom. But it seems he was blissfully oblivious to what was happening in his home state. Other voices, who would normally vie for prizes for the loudest lungs on national issues, including Brinda Karat, Annie Raja, Vandana Shiva, etc, were quiet too. 'Comrades, has the cat got your tongue?'

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DRY CLEANERS

Washing dirty linen in public is a part-time political hobby. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK has become an object of ridicule following the ED raid and arrest of its minister Senthil Balaji.

Almost all top leaders of DMK visited Balaji in the hospital where he is undergoing urgent treatment for a critical cardiac issue. Though politicians assume that public memory is short, TN voters remember what Chief Minister M K Stalin had said about Balaji when the latter was with the AIADMK.

Stalin had called Balaji a corrupt politician. But when the ED, which is investigating the same case, arrested Balaji, Stalin was quick to call it a conspiracy by the BJP-led Centre. He also termed it an attack on the opposition parties in India. Maybe, he is expecting allegations to have an expiry date.

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BUREAUCRAZY

Indian bureaucracy is potholed with stories of service rivalry, especially between the two premier services, the IAS and the IPS. The extent to which this is trivialized was visible in the Karnataka Assembly election. An IPS officer turned politician from Tamil Nadu was in charge of the BJP machinery and an IAS officer handled the war room for Congress.

With the Congress victory, the grapevine had that the IAS strategy was more effective than the IPS one. Now, with less than a year left for the Lok Sabha elections, both parties are trying to xerox the same experiment in Tamil Nadu. 

Looks like this 2009-batch IAS officer, who had last served as the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Karnataka district, will use his TN root to strengthen Congress in 2024.

Well, this gives BJP’s IPS mascot a chance to prove himself. It will be an interesting clash of brains offering a different realm of discourse than a mundane political shouting match, feel voters.

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EXISTENTIAL DILEMMA

Though a Marxist term, this phenomenon is plaguing two retired bureaucrats in Uttar Pradesh. Both of them had somewhat exemplary career paths. Both officers played a role in the industrial development of UP. Under their leadership, the state was showcased on a global forum. Known for his skill to spot talent, Chief Minister Yogi appointed both of them as his advisors.

At present, one of them takes care of infrastructure development and the other focuses on ushering in new industries. In the pre-retirement era, they had impressed Yogi with their acumen

A former additional chief secretary was the first to assume the advisor’s role. Later, his colleague of the same rank was brought into the CMO. With UP all set to project itself as an investment destination, both the 'advisors' are seeking advice to be seen as important at these road shows.

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