Moa Jamir
Encountering Life: Antics of a Govt. Servant
Khehiye K Sema
Heritage Publishing House,
Dimapur, 2015, pp. 329, Rs. 500.00
Paperback, ISBN:
798-93-80500-67-6.
How do we ‘really’ measure the success of bureaucrat’s life? For many, a cushy placement at the right location, but for some cohorts of its fraternity, it can be reflected by the number of transfers they embark during their services. Using the yardstick, one can safely assert that Khehiye K Sema I.A.S (Retd.) that had a monumental career – 25 shifting in 36 years of services.
In “Encountering Life: Antics of a Govt. Servant,” KK Sema, exuberantly recounts such adventures taking the readers through a rollercoaster ride on the journey of life using peculiar prose narrative interspersed with humorous anecdotes which he alone could successfully master.
A candid diary of a former bureaucrat, it also gives a panoramic and insightful journey of life as well as the working of government machinery in his indomitable style.The books running into 329 pages makes an effortless reading and nothing seems laboured as his account flows seamlessly, explosively at times, strong enough to rattle varied nerves in the process.
Divided into two parts – His Childhood & Years in Service – the first part offers early glimpse of how his resolute outlook of life and character was moulded by life’s challenges and circumstances.
How does one ponder over the compulsive mysteries of life? He posed in the opening chapter. For the self-admittedly incorrigible and adamant, KK Sema “Each step is being determined by the value system of our upbringing” - as memories waffles through highs and low of life.
By his own admission, a raw village ‘urchin’ was transformed into something he would have never imagine shaped greatly by the values inculcated by his parents, especially his ‘iron-willed’ mother, who took over the rein of the family affairs after his father untimely demise.
His childhood years alos gives a rare peek into the life in tumultuous 50s and 60s when Naga political issue was gaining ‘aggressive momentum’ and the formation of the State.
By all accounts, if we look at his schooling and college years, he had relatively had ‘royal’ life – from first admission at St. Edmund School in 1957 to passing out of St. Stephen’s College as a post-graduate in 1971. However, a detail reading reveals compelling circumstances justifying his assertion that his growing years was a not a bed of roses. It also gives a glimpse of the man he would be in his coming years. His antics and adventures are many and epic, but are left for readers to discover.
His service years can be taken as a template by young administrator as ‘How not to live your service years’- 25 transfers in 36 years of services, which included 11 times serving less than 9 months and an apparent demotion. (The first 21 transfers occurred during 25 years of services). But for those entering the service with clear motivation and integrity – these are gems he had to offer:
1. The problems in any administration can human, nature and super-natural phenomena. Of this, the foremost is the hardest.
2. Be sensitive to your subordinate. It’s a team work - consider them on your colleague not a junior.
3. Reckless enthusiasm should be avoided in making administrative decision.
4. Never receive your senior or other officials unprepared.
5. A posting in remote and neglected area can be rewarding experience. Take it as a challenge.
6. Earn and instil respect in your Service and facilitate welfare of the people you are administrating when the cases are genuinely justifiable.
The book also portrays how challenges in Nagaland are perennial which the Government of any times had failed to resolve comprehensively resulting in its recurrence. Border issues, corruption, political nepotism, community conflicts etc - All these issues have confronted the State before and still lingers.
The part on the onset of Village Development Board (VDB) in Nagaland as well as the revelation that 25% of its Grant-in-Aid is reserved for women was indeed revolutionary and illuminating, at least for the reviewer. Such cache of trivias, which the book offers aplenty, makes it not only an entertaining but also a compelling and educative exercise.
Curiously and tacitly, the author has blank out his children and wife from his narrative. He might have his reasons. However, more section on his courtship might also have added new emotional dimension to the story.
Despite the exterior machismo, discerning readers will discover that he is a hopeless and foolhardy romantic at heart. His abortive attempt to elope and marry his (would be) wife, Theyievituonuo, whom he admits he still cannot spell or pronounce probably, can beat classic rom-coms any day. “It was a problem of tongue and not of heart,” the Macho romantic confessed adoringly in the next line.
The contentment of reading the book lies is the fact that, not only that he is a flamboyant character with acute sense of humour, but in the countless adventures he had withered, he is observant and almost has an eidetic memory, painting his narrative with vivid visual images and minutiae details taking along the reader immerse in his journey.
If one read the book casually in parts, at times, the reader may find it condescending, preachy and often politically incorrect, but the merit of the book need to be assessed in its entirety. Overall, sentiments will be hurt, egos will be bruised and old wounds re-ignited, but as one traverse among the pages, we realized that almost everyone including the author himself is subjected to his sheer ‘brutal honesty,’ making us to believe it is an unbiased account narrated with utmost sincerity. The merit of book lies therein.
We may agree or disagree with his views on many issues but it won’t stop from enjoying the book with most aptly should have been titled as – Confronting Life.
