CHALLENGE Modernize Governance System

I presume that K.Venu needs any introduction for any Malayalee.  His travel from being a staunch Naxalite to an ardent supporter of Democracy and Democratic Capitalism is spell binding. For those uninitiated ones, a small intro is given below. this appeared in the Internet

"Where religion wasn’t a convincing catalyst, economics was. K Venu was a Naxal ideologue who once debated principles with Charu Majumdar himself in Kolkata. In 1970, Venu was on the editorial board of a government publication when he was mistakenly arrested and jailed in connection with various Naxal incidents. The assaults were actually carried out by another group. During the Emergency, Venu’s group attacked a police station in Kozhikode; he was caught again and incarcerated for five years. Jail time led his comrades to God but it only convinced Venu that “a Maoist-model revolution would not succeed in a parliamentary democracy”.
Till the early 1990s he led a peaceable Naxal splinter group that did nothing more than talk tough; he finally disbanded it just about when the Indian economy was liberalised. (In 1996, he contested the Assembly election on a Congress-led United Democratic Front ticket.) Since then this former revolutionary has passionately embraced the principles of free-market economics. “Don’t call me a contractor or real estate promoter. [I’m] just constructing houses and selling them for nominal margins,’’ he says of his new occupation. But in Olarikkara village near Thrissur in north Kerala, architect-cum-engineer Venu has a reputation: good homes at good prices. A multi-faceted man, the 56-year-old zoology major is also the author of Prabanjavum Manushyanum (Universe and Man)—Malayalam literature’s first science fiction novel. His latest literary project is a Darwin encyclopedia to mark the scientist’s 200th birth anniversary.
A staunch supporter of industrialisation, his new-fangled ideas have earned him critics in every quarter, from communists to green groups and NGOs. “It is impossible to infuse democracy into Marxism. Only in capitalism, democrats can find a place. So as a real democrat, I am opposing Stalinism and all of its dogmas,” says Venu."

I saw an article in the Matrubhumi in the month of June this year. It was written when the present Umman Chandi government was completing its 100 days of governance. Though addressed to the present Kerala Government; I feel any one who aspire to have a clean Democratic Setup should be reading this.
I have made an attempt to translate the same (only some relevant portions) and present it for my readers.
Kindly share your valuable opinions

The chief minister has impressed upon the requirement of transparency in governance and the need to eradicate corruption from all quarters of the system; - a noble and appreciable matter indeed. But for the efforts to bear fruit, the approach to the subject should have a total re-look. 

Our political leadership strongly believes that the bedrock of a Democracy is its rule of law and this rule of law in turn is established and run by a bureaucracy.  Though it may ring true, there is a fundamental flaw in this line of thinking. Importantly one has to assess whether the particular bureaucracy is a democratically constituted one or not.

 The kind of bureaucracy prevalent here was first established by a feudalistic set up. It was then taken over by the colonial rulers.  If the official from peon to the top most officers in a government establishment behaves like a lord, towards the common man, it is because we are still following the same old legacy completely. They still are either not convincingly aware or conveniently ignorant that, in a democratic set up the police and other bureaucrats should be the servants of the public and not vice versa.  

This rule of law established by the bureaucrats who are not democratised will not democratic. This anti-people nature of the government cannot be abolished  or even curtailed by any of the chief minister’s programmes like “meet the people” etc.

There is one more drawback to the Kerala Bureaucracy. A good majority of them, including the Gazetted officers, belong to the unions which are left oriented. Though it may appear that their influence has improved the governing apparatus; the fact is just the opposite. 

Here the communist left wing had never stood as the saviours of Democracy. As far as they are concerned protection of their right is their Democracy. They never had even an iota of concern for others rights. They never considered ‘having respect for opposition’ as a virtue, or an important credo of democracy.  They are lead by the ideology of destroying the opposition, and not respecting them.

 This view easily gels with the doctrines of the existing feudalistic-colonial bureaucracy. In order to serve this common interest, the left unions are not only against the modernisation of the system but also encourage status-quo. Since their unions are very powerful even the up-right and able superior officers are turning out to be helpless.

It is a well known fact that if you have to do anything you have to take the help of this bureaucracy. It is understandable that if the Chief Minister says that 90 percent of the bureaucrats here are good and capable he is keeping this fact at the back of his mind. 

Anyhow it is a fact that the truth is just the opposite. Honest officers are there; but they are about 5 to 10 percent only. There may be officers who have vowed against corruption; at the most 20 to 25 percent. The remaining majority may not be corrupt; but because they are feeble are unable to resist corruption and may be also accepting small favours in the normal case. 

The first 5 percent group always faces all kinds of threats. Examples like the case of Sashidharan of Malabar Cements galore. Government has the responsibility of protecting this crucial minority. The Chief Minister has declared that the government will protect those who give information about corrupt practices. It is a good gesture. Making comprehensive laws to protect these whistle blowers is the need of the hour.  

  

While bringing about transparency in the functioning and the eradication of corruption, this understanding about the existing bureaucracy should act as the base for any action. Introduction of e-governance (computerisation in governance) in comparison to other states is rather a neglected area. Though there is some work done in this regard due to some efficient officers in some of the departments; the overall result is patchy and inadequate. The fact remains that any attempt to introduce a comprehensive and organised e-governance is jarringly absent. 

The reason for this is very obvious. The unionized officials are deliberately torpedoing the programs. If the government files are computerized and a computer network is established between different sections and levels of different departments, making it easy for any authorized person to access any required file with ease, the rule of the officials using the files as a bargaining chip will become nonexistent.  The powerful empire they have created and maintained so far will crumble and vanish in no time; and that precisely is their problem! 

E-governance has started in Karnataka in 2005. Within five years it reached even the remotest corners of its villages. Put five or ten rupees as fee in kiosks and you can get all information about land holdings etc without any hassles. One cannot reasonably expect such a situation in Kerala even after twenty years from now.

 Tamil Nadu and Andhra also are catching up with Karnataka. Lastly leaving every one behind Gujarat has reached at the forefront now. Even after having a head start (Kerala has started this much before any of these states) why this state now is a laggard is something the Chief Minister should ponder and investigate immediately.

    

There are differences in the methodology of governance in each state due to historical reasons. In Kerala it is a very complex one. By the time a decision in a specific matter is arrived, the concerned file has to pass through at least 60 hands on the average. In order to make computerisation viable and practical such wasteful and complex procedures has to be simplified as early as possible.

In short a comprehensive overhaul of the governance is the need of the day. Under the leadership of the present secretaries and department heads this is impossible. Stories of many such attempts to revamp of the governance falling on the way side are in front of us. For a successful culmination of this renovation and the subsequent introduction of e-governance it should be implemented by entrusting this task to a high powered Commission working parallel to the present system. 

A committed political leadership with a clear vision of their goals, government experts who believe that such a change is inevitable, and a team of high level technocrats from the IT field should constitute this Commission and take over the mission. The experiences of the vigilance wing amply prove that the present Governing system can only help corruption.

 Sibi Mathew, who is well known for being an upright police officer, was once entrusted with the task of inquiring about the corrupt practices in the Government departments while he was the chief of vigilance. He took up hundreds of cases of corruption charges, proved the culpability of the concerned, and reported. Action normally was expected to be initiated by the concerned departments. Ironically most of the departments’ whose officers were facing charges opted to shield and protect them.  The government officials are overwhelmingly protected from any disciplinary actions which is undesirable in a democratic society. Instead of waiting for a Lokpal bill to take initiative and tackle corruption inside the government machinery, the Chief Minister should bring about a system capable of and empowered to take actions against corruption immediately. .