The Babu Log
The Babu log
Apologies for the delay ! Was neck deep in work and hence no time for play!
Babus of Orissa! I am always amused to watch them at work and play! As a child I have seen them from real close quarters as many of my uncles were in govt. service. Babu watching is pure entertainment !
Here is a very modest attempt to put down my observations and I hope my dear readers shall enlighten me further!
The English Lord:
A very dominating and overbearing personality with a strong paternal attitude towards his subordinates and subjects. He is the one who can take no nonsense from netas and is unperturbed when they threaten him with transfer. Has an excellent sense of dressing and is usually dressed for the occasion which is quite rare I must say nowadays. Does not step out without his shoes polished to perfection. His suit is impeccably pressed and wears it with a matching tie. Would rather die than attend office in T-shirt and chappals !
He was the last survivor of the “koi hai” Brit civil servants who forged the steel frame of the rigid Indian bureaucracy! Usually loved to smoke and drink but in absolute moderation. I still remember the aroma from the Havana cigars they smoked ! Also was a true gentleman who opened doors for ladies and rose when a lady leaves or arrives!
Almost all of them are now retired and now live a life of quiet solitude forgotten by their erstwhile admirers. Usually, this class was clean and even frowned upon routine “bhetis” like a big fish or a bottle of scotch!
They were very good in work and knew the rules by heart. Generosity and munificence were their two distinct hallmarks. They never hesitated to stretch the rules if that meant benefiting a friend or even the poor or weak. I truly miss them!
The First generation types:
These were the babus who joined the service in the fifties and sixties . Since they had excellent masters, they tried to emulate them. They used to attend office on time. Disposed off the files on schedule; usually carried out the orders of their superiors and attended to public greviances with all sincerity. Work was serious business with them and rarely did they shirk it.
Never thought of swindling the state exchequer! At the most did not mind a big fish or a bottle of ghee as a small gift from his supplicants but in general was not a devil who harassed the public for a bribe!
During disasters, they never hesitated to wet their feet and work hard to ensure relief to victims. Official tours to the districts were strictly work…………files to be checked, public greviances to be heard, work to be inspected, etc. Not like nowadays, when it becomes an unending night long binge with plenty of booze and kababs!
What a sad contrast today! Most babus arrive at 11:00 and depart for a never ending lunch break at 1:30 p.m. to return after 4:00 p.m. While most get their favourite siesta , a few do not think twice before swilling down a couple of pegs at the preferred babu den of Bhubaneswar! The Club which claims to be “proud to be in Orissa,” whatever that means!
The new Sultan :
A poor struggling student bright in studies makes it to the coveted All India service and life changes for ever! Chucking the memories of grinding poverty and the hard working father who struggled to pay his hostel and tuition fees, the lad quickly becomes the new sultan. He is happy to be snared into a mismatched marriage with a tycoon’s daughter who is desperate for an IAS son in law to get his files cleared.
Wife sneers at him since his salary would not be enough to pay her beauty parlour and kitty party bills! Dear father in law does not hesitate to send monthly gift cheques in order to enable son in law and daughter to keep up with the Jones.
Humiliated by the shameful arrangements, dear son–in-law soon acquires a repressed inferiority complex and usually degenerates into a hopeless alcoholic. In some cases abuses and beats up his wife to show the fat cat father in law that he is still the boss and calls the shot.
Wife usually does not like the in-laws from the remote village to visit them! She hates the sight of the paan chewing pa-in-law wandering around the Type VII quarters in a crumpled dhoti.
Son also feels the pain since he does not want to be reminded of those sad days when he had to beg and borrow to buy his books. Soon the old couple get the shocking message that they are unwelcome and stop visiting them! These babus are the most disgusting turncoats . I wish we could banish them to Sibera!
The Climber:
The third type are the state officials who get the much coveted promotion towards the end of their illustrious careers! Commonly mocked at as "promotees" they are rarely revered by their minions and subjects !
After being used to a lifetime of making camp arrangements for their Class I bosses in the outbacks of Orissa and hearing orders being barked out, suddenly, they realize that they have to take the final decision. Not used to this, they continue to send the files up seeking orders from dear boss even when they do not need to.
Unusually unctuous, they never stop trying to impress their boss with their groveling and attend to his every whim and fancy! They ensure that Madam’s every little desire from special pickles, to fresh prawns and crabs from Chilika is pandered to! This ensures that they continue to cling to their lucrative posting so that they can continue to bleed the state!
They continue to be people friendly and usually maintain a very good relationship with the local populace. They also do not hesitate to dip into the till now and then since through sheer experience, know the various ways through which public money can be looted. Assiduously, they go on skimming off the cream bit by bit so that by retirement time have a good house in Bubaneswar and a fat bank balance to fall back upon.
The Single pocket Babu
This Babu exercises a vice like grip over the administrative machinery but does it with extreme cunning. He rarely makes a public appearance, hates to see his name in the papers and prefers to miss powerful social dos. Though the least visible of all babus, every babu dreads him since the files sent to the Queen's office are done by him. They dare not rub him the wrong way! Otherwise, they will promptly consigned to Malkangiri where the reds rule the roost!
He prefers to hide but be sure to find him at all govt. meetings where important decisions are made. Even here, rarely speaks out unless forced to but is the real decision maker since the Queen has 100 % trust in him. After all does the nitwit have any choice, with his pea brained head ! Even the newspaper interviews of the Queen are written up by him !
Slowly and steadily puts his men in place at all important positions to ensure that his bidding is carried out. Soon the banias find out this and make a beeline to fatten his pockets. This is the guy who shall call up the district collector to ease your land problems, the police chief to get you security, the mines guys for your lease, etc. Must say the arrangement perfectly suits the banias since is a one stop departmental service! What the Queen calls " single window" but methinks it should be single pocket! Ha Ha !
Right now, this guy is the hatchet man of the Queen and rules his office! Meet the " single pocket babu".
posted by Kalinga Sandha at
10:34 PM
35 Comments:
Dear KS,
Great Posting. Loved the description on each. You missed one. He is close to the Climber, joined the government job 10 to 15 years ago with the sole purpose of making (read minting) money. He burnt the midnight lamp, sacrificed meals, shunned the good times, ignored the TV, demonstrated a lot of determination and got into the coveted job. Once there he wants nothing but to see how he can make the "dui paisa". He does not mind any posting anywhere as long as the 'dui paisa' is there. He will take a hefty dowry too even if he has to marry a lame lady. He is obsessed with money and will work hard to get it. I know some of these people who have been under vigilance purview within 3 months of their joining, such is their urgency. Good to call them the Tarbaria Babu.
hi dude
great to have u back on the weblog
keep bloggin
wonderful readin ur insightful comments
ur FAN
Hello KS
Great posting. But there are quite a few Babus in every sphere of life. Hope you know about the "jokers" of babus in the NGO sector and the Media. One NGO fraud keeps telling his paid chamchas ( employees ) that he kicked the IAS job even after he was selected because he was chosen by the Lord to serve the "poor" adivasis. This "forward-going" joker would do any thing to get funds from the "phirangs",even lick their boots but pretends to be more "radical" than the Maoists !
There are other kurtawallah NGO babus too who emulate their IAS comrades in the most comical manner possible.
But the greatest of all babus in Orissa is the Babu who operates from the 3rd Floor. No he is not an IAS officer - he is a man in spotless kurta and pyjama. No prizes for guessing.
Buddhadeb in WB not only took the moral responsibility for the Nandigram mayhem but has even scrapped the SEZ out there. And look at his poor counterpart in Orissa who at the instance of his babus ordered the police to open fire against the poor adivasis but does not have the guts to own it up. This half-Punjabi is also a half-man.
To Last Anon,
Who told you that the half-Punjabi is half a man ? He is zero man!
The only thing manly about him is his whittled down tool which has never performed in life!
To Oriya Toka,
Thanks for your brilliant observation on the fifth category! Yeah there is a class whose sole aim is to loot..... loot and loot!
They are in a definite hurry to loot! Hence the apt name...........Tarabaria babu!
I would like to marry a well settled babu! Sigh.........
Then I need not spend time to do the cooking and washing!
What a privilege! An army of servants at my beck and call and a fleet of cars to use!
This new RTI thing is a big pain in the ass of babudom!
Suddenly, they and their actions are now open to public srutiny! I bet they hate it !
Do any of you guys know how much the BDOs and other block staff are making ?
With crores flowing into each block , it is hey day for them!
I agree Puri panda!
The babus are now lobbying to get the Act scrapped! They and netas are equally threatened!
Dear Jhia,
Fleet of cars? Why wld u set ur eyes on babus for that..all they seem to offer in this category are rusted ambys n noisy jeeps.
Why not look at the NGo babus? For they are the ones who ride the heppest SUVs these days...
Don't be taken for a ride...
hi dude
thirsting to read ur juicy dope
out of sight out of mind
keep the juicy comments flowing
dont dry up
chem on this
ur fan
a top cop pointed out “ the situation is worse than Uttar Pradesh, where the Rule of Law
exists for those officers, who bend , crawl and lick the political bosses.”
Naveen shunts out honest cop
Phulbani:5/April/2007
Now the cat is out of the bag.
Accusing fingers are being raised against the so called transparent administration, which tom toms the honesty plank in the administration
Take the case of a dare devil young honest police officer.
He is Gajbhiyie Satish Kumar Iswardas a 2002 batch IPS officer of Orissa cadre, presently superintendent of police (SP) Kandhmal.
Gajbhiyie has been shunted out to Malkangiri on April 5.
His mistake was that as the SP of the tribal dominated district he dared to demolish the alleged Rs.500 crore hemp business of the ruling Lords of the district.
This is being discussed in the corridors of state secretariat after the Government shifted Gajbhiyie from Kandhmal to Malkangiri.
Watch the chronology of the events.
Gajbhiyie joined on October 5, 2006 and laid the crackdown on the massive hemp cultivation, which is the biggest one in the country on November 18.
20 cases have been instituted over the matter.
After two days of raids he was issued marching orders to go for backward march.
The hemp trade in the district is estimated to be above Rs 100 crore per annum and the majority of the profits were allegedly going to some local leaders belonging to the ruling BJD.
With the massive raid the top honchos of BJD felt the shiver.
Then issue was raised in Orissa Legislative Assembly (OLA) and the finger was pointed against Naveen’s blue eyed minister Padmanav Behera who is in charge of steel and mines department.
All of a sudden the destruction of the hemp cultivation was stopped abruptly.
While the worth of hemp cultivation in Kandhamal district is estimated to be more than Rs 500 crore, the District Police was allowed to demolish the hemp of only Rs 50 crore.
The mystery over the stop of the crackdown links to the Minister’s involvement as well as the arrest of a ruling party BJD Sarpanch Lisban Kanhar.
Few days after the Circle Inspector of Police Ambika Prasad Das, who organized the raids was shifted to Malkangiri.
And now the last nail in the coffin laid with the shifting of Gajbhiyie to Malkangiri just after 5 months of tenure.
Commenting on the change a top cop pointed out “ the situation is worse than Uttar Pradesh, where the Rule of Law exists for those officers, who bend , crawl and lick the political bosses.”
Thank you last Anon for raising the issue. Naveen Patnaik has been making money through his agents in the cabinet and the Phulbani hemp scandal is a clear case in point. Not for nothing is Padmanav considered Naveen's "blue eyed " boy. This matric-fail character doesn't even deserve to be considered for the animal husbandry portfolio and yet he is entrusted with the prized Steel & Mines department. WHY ? Because he wouldn't be a pest nor would he ever come in the way of the designs of the unholy Prem Patnaik-Ratan Jindal-Anil Agarwal nexus.
And also stay happy with whatever leftovers are granted to him. Padmanav has also been contributing heavily to the party ( read Naveen ) kitty from his flourishing hemp business. The biggest scandal is that Padmanav, the millionaire does not even have a Pan Card ! At least he has not made any reference to his Pan Card in any of his election nomination forms. And does he pay income tax ?
Hats off to the former Kindhmal SP for blowing the lid off a major cash pipeline that connects the Phulbani Hemp Farm with Naveen Niwas from Kondhmal.
Oriyas should now be willing to revise their opinion of the smoking-drinking and white-clad Sadhu politician
Why have you targetted us , dear KS? We work hard, have little time for our families and have to bear insults and gaalis from netas!
On top of this our pay is miserable and we have to live modestly!
I know a bureaucrat who regularly thrashes his wife after he returns dead drunk from the Club!
I pity this poor lady who comes from an aristocratic family and married this IAS guy who is from the village!
What is the worst fear of a Babu?
Seeing his file notings made public!
A babu's best weapon is annonymity!
A babu's best defence is the system!
A babu's biggest fear is transfer!
A babu loves rules and would rather die than violate rules made by the Brits!
hi dude
latest buzz---fifty lakhs (pooh pooh peanuts)has been PAID to grease the powers that be by a muslim gentlemen (WALLAH--CONTRACTOR)-- to get pp---the prennially drunk babu--proud to be in orissa (whatever that means )bbsr club entrepreneur ---goodie goodie fren of BP--B PATNK ---AND CS A TRPTY---AS INDUSTRIES SECRETARY
BUREAU GOING TO DOGS---
HI DUDE
Is the queen really dependent on ganja/blood money ?!! my god---i thot the honest CM goodies were being suppied by the vedanta bhaina anil agarwala--tch tsch what has the oriya state come to---am sure the SP kandhamal would have gone to malkangiri--afterall he is an outsider and easily dispensable---but surely the sheep needs to be fattened before sending it to the altar for sacrifice---atleast pat him on his back--befool him---bali ka bakhra banao & send him to malkangiri--promise him gallantries--ss fund--DGP discs ah ah ---this has been the modus operandi so far---but under this DG--who is dictatorial--five foot nothing --dictator to his juniors and a chaplusi to his bosses--pyari--bijay--misra--queen etc--it is indeed sad state of affairs---he has conned the system for three decades as he should never have qualified the IPS as he is a five foot nothing character--but orissa mey sab kuch chalta hai---sigh how do u expect the DGP to function when he has skeletons in his cupboard---and what is this about proud to be in orissa (whatever that means) club wallah as secretary industries---wahe guru---we need kalinga sandha there--i strongly suspect that our dude kalinga sandha is an IAS --and he should be industries sec--what say---three cheers---no boozards--please--at least not perenially---24 hour state of drunkards at least----ahem this is if kalinga sandha--is someone who enjoys is drink in isolation--ahem---bijay patnaik chap is a tricky character--selfish---conspiring with the drunkard in his club ka red room/green room//or whatever---proud to be in orissa (whatever that means--ah ah )fifty lakhs--any takers to pay off sixty lakhs to outbid and post kalinga sandha insted---the state is up for sale---three cheers
"Babu Log" is fine.
But what about "Bhaina Log?" -- the exploits of Baristha Sambadikas in Orissa ? Or is there some kind of self-censorship here?
What is happening to Police in our state?
Under the Leadership of Hari Sadhu, the favoured ones are rewarded and those without support are punished. See the recent transfer and postings of SPs. With back dated order, Bharathi was punished for her point blank attitude. SP Phulbani was thrown to Malkangiri at the instance of ‘Matric Fail’ padmanabh behera, who is cultivating ganja, financing naxals and engaged in wildlife and forest trade. SP Fool – bani, open your mouth and expose these bloodies.
SP Bolangir was punished for his hard attitude…
Where the state is going. Hari Sadhu you were swearing to transfer SP working near your nose, what happened. Are you worried about your own chair? This is your intellectual dishonesty..
You have not been appointed by Panel but order was issued from the shoe of Pyari babu. So you will not be covered by the protection…
Well Paika. The baristha bhainas will have their turn too. Don't be impatient. The world of babu-log is yet to be explored.KS has only shown us the tip of the ice-berg.
And one hopes you are not a babu yourself or (God forbid !) their agent. Of course we will find that out very soon.
I am Baristha-agent
KS, WHAT ABOUT THE BIJAY PATNAIK TYPE OF BABUS ?
To last Anon,
Thanks for pointing out.
Many Babus read this blog. Don't know whether they will love or hate this.
Wonder what will happen to string pulling by babus once the police reforms kick in?
Waiting...Waiting...for a write-up on the "Baba-Baristha Sambadika Log".
Last Anon
Kahinki ? IAS wala-nka katha sunile apananka chhati na au kichhi fatoochi ?
Baba re Alo, Banchha gala gala !
Sandha failed his IAS-prelim and now venting his frustration.
Better luck in next birth!
Please dont write on us.
Too many skeletons in our cupboards - if they tumble out, we would be named and shamed.
We took favours/government plots in the belief no one will expose us.
So speare us pleaseeee.
I know both priyabrata and bijoy since my college days.They were studious and were nice to me then and even now.I dont have any business interest in orissa so I wouldnt know much about their style of functioning cept bumping into them once in a while in the club,but one thing for sure they know their job well otherwise the netas will lick them.The botom line is it dosnt matter who takes the money the IAS or the netas.Its all the same.
I am not embarrassed about taking a plot from government.
After all, it has turned out to be a jackpot.
The government gave it on a discounted rate. The plot for which I paid Rs 3.25 lacs is now worth Rs 15 lacs.
To hell with guilt conscience. I am laughing all the way to the bank.
FARTING GREENHORNS EAT CROW
Dear Samabadika
Why don't you launch your own blogsite and expose the wretched and corrupt journalists ?
You'll surely be a big hit.And it will also be a great service to the society at large.
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