Lessons for babus in home secretary exit

The Union home secretary, one of the most powerful bureaucrats at the Centre on account of the responsibilities regarding internal security that he handles, was asked to go on Wednesday, after disclosures related to the Saradha chit fund scam. Anil Goswami put in his papers right away, seeking voluntary retirement some four months before time. His sudden, and let it be said, unceremonious, departure holds lessons for government officials of all types and at all levels regarding their interaction with politicians.

On first principles, in the light of what had transpired, no government worth its name would have persevered with Mr Goswami. He is said to have misused his position to get the CBI, which is investigating the Saradha scam, not to arrest former Union minister Matang Sinh, who prima facie appears to be associated with key players in that case which saw the siphoning off of thousands of crores of ordinary people’s money by promoters of the company in cahoots with influence wielders in politics and government, not confined to West Bengal, the vortex of the unholy goings-on. This is meddling with the course of justice, plain and simple.

Leave alone the question of service rules for a top civil servant, common sense dictated that the outgoing home secretary should have not permitted himself to be railroaded into a course of action which sat ill with the office he occupied. Had, through some previous association with Mr Sinh, Mr Goswami placed himself in a situation in which he could be subjected to blackmail by unscrupulous elements? Such a possibility cannot be ruled out, considering the high risk Mr Goswami took to spring to the aid of a possible wrongdoer. It would be a lot worse in case the officer in question was even indirectly a beneficiary in the Saradha case.

The Union homes secretary’s position is linked to key issues pertaining to national security. Checking smugglers, saboteurs, gangsters, extremists, big-time troublemakers and terrorists is the difficult terrain that the home secretary presides over and is charged with the crucial responsibility of mobilising national resources to meet the challenges to the nation from such elements. A compromised man is unfit to hold such a sensitive position. Henceforth, the vetting of senior officers for crucial and sensitive posts must be made sharper by amending rules or notifying fresh rules, if need be. Ways need to be found to firewall officials from politicians in order to safeguard the very institution of governance.