LEADERSHIP OR SYCOPHANCY?-A THING TO THINK ABOUT.

LEADERSHIP OR SYCOPHANCY?-A THING TO THINK ABOUT.

15-JUNE-ENG 20

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------A strange trend is rapidly growing in the political and social system of Bihar. Some leaders or people who call themselves public representatives, when a government officer or official is transferred or posted, they immediately start sending congratulatory messages. Somewhere garlands are put, somewhere welcome feasts are held, and there is a flood of posts on social media – sentences like “Your arrival will bring new light of development” are being said and written very easily. But the question is – is this leadership or just sycophancy?

The transfer and posting of a government officer is not an honour or reward, but a regular administrative process. Officers are employees of the government, who have been appointed under the Constitution. These officers take salary from the tax money of the public and their main duty is – service to the public. In such a situation, congratulating an officer on his arrival, organizing a welcome ceremony or presenting him like a god is against democratic thinking.

What message do the leaders want to give? When a leader welcomes a newly posted officer, what does he actually want to do? Does he want to express that “we are with you, you should act according to us”? Does he want to express that “we will get personal benefit from your arrival”? Or is it just the politics of flattery, so that one can establish his hold in the administrative system?

If the leaders are true representatives of the people, then they should expect the new officer to work impartially, give priority to the problems of the people, and stay away from corruption. But the sad thing is that now the leaders do not express expectations from the officers, rather they go to their door and start flattering them.

Leaders are forgetting accountability towards the public: When an officer is posted in any area, the public expects him to work actively on issues like traffic, water, electricity, roads, law and order, revenue, education, medical care. But when the leaders shower the officer with flowers and garlands, it gets embedded in the officer's mind that he is accountable not to the public, but to the leaders. This is where the roots of democracy start weakening.

Leaders should cooperate, not worship: Today, the need is that public representatives should definitely meet the officers, but while meeting, they should not show that they are dependent on them. They should participate in building a strong society. If an officer does good work, he should definitely be appreciated - but that appreciation should be on the basis of his work, not just on the basis of posting or transfer.

In a state like Bihar, where there are immense possibilities of development, if the leaders keep on flattering the officers, then the pace of development will stop. It is now important to understand the difference between leadership and sycophancy. The public should also now raise questions on this politics of show-off. Because the officers are the servants of the public, the leaders are the representatives of the public - and the public is the real owner.