Government Gambit

Government Gambit 

 A chance encounter is what it takes to bring on unforeseen change, as it happened on that rainy afternoon circa 1989. Working for the Government of India resulted from one such encounter for me. 

 I was in Baroda (now Vadodara) for a routine visit that I frequently made from Calcutta where I was posted. In the corridor of the head office building, I ran into the Chairman of the company I worked for. A gentle soul, he enquired how was I doing and if I would like to be deputed to the Ministry of Petroleum & Chemicals as a Deputy Secretary cum Project officer. 

 I was quick to ask him if this would help my career, and his equally quick response was that it would. The die was cast there and then in the lobby. I stepped into a cabin nearby to telephone my wife in Calcutta and asked her to pack. 

 On my way back to Calcutta, I visited Shashtri Bhavan in New Delhi to meet senior bureaucrats of the Government of India. They all welcomed me like a friend and I remained one with them for the next 5 years. 

 I was allotted room number 315 in the ‘A’ wing of grand and doughty Shashtri Bhavan known as the power hub since it oozed raw power from the high-profile ministers and senior officialdom who occupy the building. 

 My room was open to all people who wanted to visit me; people from industry and trade, other government departments, hangers-on, and journalists wanting to know what is happening in the heart of this government building. 

 One of the early lessons I had learned was that meeting people is education, so I never refused to meet anyone. 

 I worked with some delightful superiors and diligent subordinates, all of them career civil servants. They contributed to my success by molding me into the true traditions of the ways the government work. 

 There was a branch of India Coffee House in the building where we went for coffee and a plate of vada at 11 am. Lunch was usually at the UNI canteen near Parliament Street, famous for its Badam Halwa among other things. Le-Meridian had just opened at Windsor Place, and some good folks often hosted us there for a nice Chinese lunch at the famous Le Belvedere. Two other favorite restaurants of mine during this period were Machan at the Taj Mansingh and Dasapraksha at the Ambassador Hotel in Sujan Singh park. The cafeteria at the Central Hall of the Parliament always proved to be a good call for evening snacks. 

 In the period of 5 years, I watched 4 governments in rapid succession. Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime minister when I entered the government whom I saw in the Parliament but could never meet. VP Singh, Chandrasekhar, and yet later Narasimharao followed him. I was privileged to work with the latter two and attended meetings with them at 7 Race Course road. Mr. Chandrashkeher served excellent coffee in his meetings, whereas Narasimharao’s meetings always had food served, like pakoras and soup. 

 The tenure with the government was most rewarding. It added immense value to my career. Contrary to the perceptions outside, government working is smooth and efficient. Public interest is the bible for the civil servants by which they swear, most of the time. 

 I learned to conduct a 360-degree review of everything that crossed my desk. I learned to listen more patiently. I learned how to work under pressure and yet deliver the results. Lastly, working there taught me how to hold a firm view on something and not buckle under pressure. 

 Expressing a free and frank view on file and being able to stick to it is the greatest gift of our democracy. I was happy to be a part of it.