Mr. Khemka will never be PM
On 1st May, 2025, after a career of 33 years that stood out in the most spectacular way, Mr. Ashok Khemka retires. Having been sidelined from the usual career trajectory of bureaucrats belonging to the administrative services, his life has been a beacon of honesty in a sea of malice, even at the cost of his personal life and peace. Fifty-seven transfers, countless threats and harassment throughout his public and private life, notwithstanding the political vendetta against him by successive governments - nothing deterred this crusader against corruption. It seems unfair to label him a crusader for anything but truth, but in a country where truth and post-truth politics have clouded the public policy space for a while now, it only seems fitting to attribute the fight for justice to the self-sacrificing bureaucrat.
But why indeed, should the fight for truth and justice be self-sacrificial, in the world's largest democracy? There are numerous ways to tell this story, but I'll choose the language our citizen understand best - bhaashan. This practice of a town square lecture by an orator to a population is a practice rooted deep in history, at least back to the Roman era. One remembers Marcus Tullius Cicero, the famous Roman orator who influenced public policy and sentiment in Rome more famously than even Caesar. This skill, of capturing the masses and leading them to a favored position like the Pied Piper, has been a coveted skill throughout history and across civilizations. Humans behave more like hives than we'd like to admit, and all discord and order is an aftermath of something deeply fundamental - policy.
Politicians belong to that ancient school of orators, who have honed their craft over millennia to turn it into a potent weapon of mass hysteria. To captivate the masses with leverage and turn them into an army is what contemporary politics is all about, more evident in our context than anywhere else. In the 75+ years of existence as an Independent republic, and the 5000+ years of rich history behind us, never have we as a civilization tried carving our independent path in policy making. There were attempts, for instance during the era of King Chandragupta Maurya, Harsha Vardhan, Samudragupta, Emperor Ashoka, etc. But these were never linear, mostly contextual and subject to the whims of the ruler. The art of manipulating the "vox populi" has always been shaped along the lines of the townsquare. Policy making has had a very troubled history when compared to politics, and since 1947 we have unfortunately conflated the two into a chaotic beast that props us every time the price of petrol rises or an election is on the horizon. Political discourse has stooped to a remarkable low now, but this is hardly an oddity. It has been always this low, and even lower in the past. The familiar talk of "Roti, Kapda, Makaan" has historically been just that, talk. Promises, Jingoism, License Raj - these have been a mainstay of public polity for the entire length of the Indian republic's existence, and it would be a miracle if this fades in favor of actual policy making.
But the situation has not been as grim as this. The Indian Administrative Service, often touted as the "Iron Frame" of India, has had officers who have dedicated their lives to actual work. Their no-fluff, straight talking attitude has always put them at odds with the politicians of their day, and quite obviously led to a perennial tug-of-war between politicians with their populism and a small section of the public intelligentsia with their pragmatism. There have been incremental advances, sure, for instance with the Swachh Bharat Mission, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, e-Governance, Gati Shakti and other schemes throughout our history. While politicians have had their faces on each scheme, it was this silent army of changemakers who have battled behind closed doors to improve governance from the ground-up. One of these folks was Mr. Ashok Khemka.
There is a common trend in Indian society and aspirants of the UPSC to consider the services as "babudom", implying an elevated set of privileges that set them apart from the common man. However, a few have swam against the tide and actually walked the talk, instead of playing it safe with the politicians. Over his career of 34 years, Mr. Khemka has repeatedly found himself at odds with the political leadership. From cancelling high profile land deals to exposing corruption in recruitment, Mr. Khemka has been a perennial thorn at the side of numerous politicians. Now while this would be considered exactly the job he was hired for, we do things differently here. The common man celebrated him, lauded him and aspirants continue to quote his actions in their ethics answers. However we have failed him fair and square, at every possible level.
As a bureaucrat, Mr. Khemka went out of his way and risked his life and career for the people. Look around the country and tell me, how many honest officers do you see? Where did all the inspiration go? Why do we have IAS officers closing down stadiums for walking their dog, and then simply living life hunky dory after punishment postings? What about officers cheating the taxpayer's money, living in lavish bungalows and enjoying perks that would befit a Zamindar of erstwhile Bengal? Because, we as a country have never rooted for policy makers. We have never cultivated the spirit of policy making, and have instead opted for populists who promise us "roti, kapda, makaan" before each election. We do not understand or entertain policy making as a scientific field. We do not consider policy making to be distinct from politics. And this is why good, honest officers are siloed behind doors and relegated to footnotes, while dishonest officers are elevated to cabinet secretary posts.
And this, is exactly why Mr. Ashok Khemka will never be PM. Because we as a nation, have still not separated policy making from politics. We still cannot tell a policy apart from a political speech. We are still stuck in our town squares, listening to doublespeak and confusing it for truth. Objectivity is a talking head, only to be propped up over steaming cups of tea near potholes and broken bridges.