Jagdish R Sharma
Certain politicians or bureaucrats achieve power with the sole aim of an obsession with red beacon cars, grandeur and absolute authority. At the same time, have disdain for the masses for whom they are meant. They are obsessed with power in such a way that they forget everything. They even forget their limitations, consider themselves superhumans and act as if they are above the law.
The term Megalomaniac is appropriate for them. This is used for such a person who is a pathological egotist, that is, someone with a psychological disorder with symptoms like delusions of grandeur and an obsession with power. We also use the word megalomaniac for people who behave as if they are convinced of their absolute power and greatness and think that” they are born to live a royal life and other people are their subjects”
They are in some way abnormal and several things contribute to their behaviour and personality. The most common are anxiety disorders and personality disorders. People with anxiety disorders feel a need to control everything around them to feel at peace. They may not trust anyone else to handle things the way the things can be. They usually feel a strong desire for power and wealth, which is never satiated. The need to accumulate is rooted in their profound disconnection from the world and other human beings. The obsessed person often cannot accept a rejection of any kind. These abnormally behaving persons are useless to society and don’t empathise with others. Instead, they are harmful to the nation as a whole.
The controversy surrounding Puja Khedkar, an IAS probationer, who is in the headlines nowadays, is one such example under discussion. She has allegedly submitted fake disability and caste certificates to get selected. The controversy has intensified with a spate of charges emerging against the trainee IAS officer and her family.
It is said that “Vinasha kale viparitbuddhi”. It means that when one’s doom approaches, then one’s mind, and one’s intelligence work perversely. “Destruction dark contrast wit”. It means destruction due to an intelligent mind without care for consequences
The Union Public Services Commission initiated action against controversial trainee IAS officer PoojaKhedkar, issuing a notice for the cancellation of her candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022.
The Commission in a communique said that it investigated the matter, in which, it was found that Khedkar fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit of the examination’s rules. Khedkar faked her identity by changing her name, mobile number, address and other details to seek additional exam attempts. Adding more trouble to the officer, the Commission has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) in the matter. Khedkar has also been barred from taking future examinations and selections related to the civil services body.
This all began when Ms Khedkar allegedly was found abusing the use of power (seeking perks not allotted to trainee IAS officers) and faking disability and her OBC certificate came to light. After disclosures of Ms.Khedkar installing a beacon on her private luxury sedan and illegally putting a Government of Maharashtra sticker on her car came to light, skeletons began tumbling from the cupboard of the Khedkar family itself with revelations emerging of the misdemeanours committed by her parents – Manorama and DilipKhedkar. Now the sword of termination lies on her head. Instead of enjoying ‘ the extraordinary fruits of misuse of bureaucratic power ‘, she is in unending trouble.
Had she not invited trouble by asking for illegal perks and facilities, she would have been enjoying the plum job. It has been truly said that wrongdoers never go unpunished. The Karmic cycle keeps moving and makes the person to meet its consequences. In this case, the consequences are obvious.
As you sow, so shall you reap” is a known proverb to everyone. This proverb has great significance in our life. It means as the action is, so is the result. Actions decide the consequences. The word sow means to plant a seed, and reaping means enjoying the crop when the seed has grown. It means whatever seeds you plant, you get the fruits of the same plant only. This in-depth means whatever you do comes back to you. If you do good things to people, you will be rewarded with good things, and if you do bad to others, then bad things will come back to you.
This may not be an isolated case. People face such people in Govt offices occasionally and face hardships while dealing with them. Some Megalomaniac Politicians may also win the electoral battle and pose problems to the people. But they may not get a second chance.
Sardar Patel, the first Home Minister of free India, was the father of modern Indian civil services, who believed that civil services must intensify unity amongst Indian citizens. He referred to civil servants as the ‘steel frame of India’ in his speech, meaning that civil servants, who work at various levels of the government, play a pivotal role in supporting the country’s administrative system.
All the officers from the lower rung to the higher hierarchy are organs of Govt. machinery and contribute to its functioning. It is not that all of them are alike. Most of them work in synergy and dedication and so we are a progressing nation and going to achieve the title of the third-largest economy in the world shortly. But a small fraction of inimical elements can pose a danger to the nation and its people.
Any body organ working contrary to the body is detrimental to the health and may lead to malfunctioning. It needs to be removed surgically . Likewise, the Megalomaniacs pose a problem to the country and its people. Their malignancy shakes the consciousness of the nation and its people leading to the failure of the system. These incidents tend the people to lose faith in the administration and an atmosphere of trust deficit prevails. The message should be loud and clear ‘ No one is above the law.’
These unpopular and condemnable actions of politicians and civil servants are in no way acceptable to any civilized society. It is the right time for the Govt. to come up with an action-oriented plan to weed out such elements. Govt is expected to come up with a robust mechanism in place to prevent these elements from entering the system. Such elements can also be found in many other departments.
Strict and exemplary punishments should be handed out to these elements. Already there are forces active in India and outside, which may utilize the minor distrust towards institutions to malign the image of the country. It is the right time to stem the rot. Nip the evil in the bud is the right phrase, which needs to be implemented in the right earnest. It is already too late, the Nation cannot wait.!
(The author is formerly Principal
JK Education Department)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
