The issue of a truant Head Assistant in the office of the sub-divisional education officer taken up by the Mangkolemba Ao Lanur Telongjem (Mangkolemba Ao Youth Forum) exhibit another case of dereliction added with arrogance that the departments experience across the state. The stand taken up by the youth body to highlight the issue and expose the background of the issue is commendable and the higher authorities need to act on the matter.
The person in question may have his own valid reasons but as it unfolds, the errant civil servant was first promoted then after submitting his joining report failed to turn up on duty for 8 months. Moreover a new official order for transfer on attachment to the district where he was at first posted before promotion that ultimately got cancelled brings doubts of shady deals within the department. Such practice which is prevalent across the state sets the wrong precedence, discourages honest and hardworking government servants since ethics and morality is cast straight out the window. It also indicates the arrogance of many of our civil servants who need reminders from the members of the public and various organisations from time to time that they are actually there to serve the people in the first place. The hangover of the last 30-40 years since statehood still exists when the government servants became the biggest lobby and the most influential group in all walks life in the Naga society. Such attitude has to be corrected because the new generation of youth has become more proactive and vigilant unlike the previous decades.
As always this time too it is the education department that is in the current controversy, the one department that has become the most consistent of all the departments to be in some controversy or the other regularly. Such reputation should actually drive the higher authorities of the department to take action immediately. However it was the district administration that first responded the youth body when they were driven to picket the office of the education officer. One exception though is that the teachers association has shown solidarity with the youth body to take action of the errant government servant and that someone new be posted instead.
Such episodes are unwanted and actually sound not from the present century. It paints a dystopian picture of the state at present. However, sadly for the state, things were run for too long mostly for the benefit of the ‘high and mighty’ and those who can influence them.
