The title of the book Those Were the Days, My Friend is the oft-repeated refrain in a popular English song of yesteryears.
The book is a collection of anecdotes of a civil servant from pre-independence times until the late 1970s, letting in the reader to discover little known facets of public administration in India which have shaped the ethos of our system of governance. The period it spans is formative not only for Bihar, which is the locale of the narrative, but also for other states and the central government in the process of their evolution. Many of the events described here would draw parallels with incidents that occurred elsewhere in different settings, but the discerning reader will not fail to identify the similarities.
The book describes in some detail the insidious influences of caste in administration, the propensity of the political executives to place personal gain over public good, the growing trend among politicians to meddle in routine administrative functions and their disappointment with upright civil servants who resisted their stated or unstated desires. The chapter on the Ramgarh Affair is particularly telling for the depth to which public administration had fallen.
The decline in norms of ethical conduct that began in Bihar has slowly but surely spread its tentacles far and wide. The author is almost prophetic in asserting that the rot that set in in Bihar in the 1960s not only consigned Bihar to the ‘Bimaru’ basket—together with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh—but was also the harbinger of the sharp descent on the national stage.
The story needs telling, as TSR Subramanian says in his Foreword—and N.K. Singh adds: “It is a valuable account for political and economic historians”.
Remembering a Mentor
I have benefitted from different mentors at different stages of my life. All of them were very affectionate, considerate and enlightened. Of these, two persons who shaped my attitude to the profession in my days as a junior IAS officer in Bihar were Shri Jagdish Chandra Jetli and Shri Samir Kumar Ghosh.
I first met Ghosh saheb when I was Sub Divisional Officer of Bettiah in the old Champaran district in1969. It was my first independent charge and I had a baptism in fire as the whole subdivision was in turmoil within a couple of months of my joining due to an agitation launched by the Socialist Party and the Communist Party of India for distribution of all vacant government land among the landless peasantry. Shri S.K. Ghosh joined as the Tirhut Divisional Commissioner around that time and decided to visit Bettiah to make an on-the spot assessment of the situation, which was then by far the most serious threat to law and order in the state.
My Collector was not quite confident that a ‘Madrasi’ greenhorn like me would be able to handle the volatile politics of Bihar and might have made his misgivings known to the new Divisional Commissioner. Nevertheless, Ghosh saheb took an instant liking for me at our very first meeting and his encouragement did a great deal to pump up my self-confidence. His unflappable temperament restored a certain chirpiness among all of us in the midst of the prevailing tension. He took us on a week-end picnic to the Saraiyaman lake where we were joined by his family. Indeed it turned out to be a highly informal outing for all of us with the Commissioner acting as head of the family. Looking back, I realize how important this picnic was in restoring camraderie and cool professionalism in dealing with a difficult situation.
My interactions with Shri S.K. Ghosh sharpened my understanding of the socio political environment in which I was to operate as a civil servant in Bihar. Though I did not have the privilege of working under him later in my career, our personal bonds grew stronger with the passage of time, especially as his son Abhik Ghosh became a very close personal friend. The administrative acumen and instant humour of late S. K. Ghosh set him apart as an exceptional civil servant and his affectionate nature and kind heartedness made him a great human being. The opportunity to work under Shri S.K.Ghosh early in my career was a great blessing for me.
K. Roy Paul
Former Secretary, Government of India
& Member UPSC
In Remembrance
Shri SK Ghosh was the Divisional Commissioner of Chhotanagpur over four decades ago when I joined as Deputy Commissioner, Ranchi. I still recall vividly that Shri Ghosh - who treated me like a son - was always warm, accessible, eminently practical and had a great sense of humour. What I learnt from him in the six months that he was my Commissioner stood me in good stead during my remaining years of service.
N. K. Sinha
Former Secretary, Government of India
