Concerned over a number of “senior civil servants” jumping into the electoral fray, the Election Commission has asked the government to bring in a “cooling off period” clause between leaving the government job and joining a political party by these officials. In Nagaland also it is a very normal thing for a retiring bureaucrat to contest elections. In many cases government employees resign from their job to enter the poll fray. So over the years many of our leading politicians and Ministers have been government servants. Even IAS and IPS officers have joined political parties and contested elections without any reservation. And in a democracy everyone has the right to contest an election as long as that person is a citizen. However the concern of the EC over the regularity of senior bureaucrats jumping into the electoral fray is something that needs to be looked into. According to media reports, the Department of Personnel, Government of India has recently received a letter from the Election Commission in this regard, suggesting amendments in service rules of IAS, IPS and other class 'A' services officials. While there are rules at present which restrict a civil servant from joining a private job for at least a year after he or she retires or resigns from the government service, there are no rules regarding joining political parties or joining active politics.
And so the EC has asked the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to suggest a “suitable” cooling off period for these officials so that they remain impartial during their tenure as civil servants and take decisions with integrity while they serve. This is a valid argument, which needs to be looked into because when doing public service one should be seen as remaining above board whether of personal interest or party politics. One cannot serve two masters at the same time. It is inappropriate for a civil servant to eye party politics when he or she is a paid employee and when your primary duty is to serve public interest without fear or favour. And so a law must be made to prevent civil servants from joining political parties in their respective states just after retiring or putting in their papers to join the battle at the hustings. As suggested a “cooling off period” clause must be brought in for those officials leaving the government job and joining a political party. This will to some extent prevent misuse of power and authority.
As already commented in these columns, the politicization of our State bureaucracy is something that should concern all of us. What is expected is for our government officials to maintain their professional ethos and perform accordingly fully conscious of the dos and don’ts. For instance a bureaucrat should be able to distinguish one’s self from the political executive who is elected on a mandate and therefore the role and responsibility of the two is different in nature and purpose. It appears to be the case that some of our (Naga) officers do not seem to be mindful of how they are supposed to conduct themselves in public life. Firstly they are too closely identified to the political establishment and some of them even act as though they are part of the ruling party. Then off course because of their intention to enter the electoral fray after they retire or at the end of their service, some bureaucrats knowingly conduct themselves as though they are already running for public office. The concern raised by the EC as mentioned needs to be addressed so that the civil service remains above all other interest including political.
