Are bureaucrats turning politicians?
“PM to DM without CM”.
Now, as Modi adopts the same approach, but for a few stray comments, state governments have been silent. This is both surprising and worrying, especially given that the abhiyan is dedicated to promoting central flagships with publicity material clearly linking programmes to the PM himself. Has Modi, the arch centraliser, succeeded in shifting the federal dynamic? Are we entering an era of deeper, more entrenched centralisation?
There is an even greater risk. This central- ised approach has the potential to blur the lines between necessary activity in the line of duty and political propaganda. Direct, unmediated contact with voters is key to Modi’s personalised political style and likely to be at the forefront of the 2019 electoral strategy. In this context, the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is dangerously close to being part of a larger political strategy. MPS, on whom responsibility for monitoring and publicising schemes legitimately falls, are conspicuously invisible in the ongoing campaign. Are babus becoming netas?
There is a larger issue at stake, one that goes beyond the politics of the day. There is now a discernible change in the IAS’ communication strategy. Twitter and op-eds are increasingly being used to keep the public informed of achievements. Is showcasing government achievements the job of the babu or the neta?
As they stand, the conduct rules prohibit criticism of government. Consequently, any public communication by the IAS is necessarily about achievements. How then are the lines drawn between spreading good news and spinning on behalf of government? By the same token, how should critical reflection be balanced against the need for impartial discharge of duty to the elected government?
Rather than navigate through these difficult questions, our politics has left us vulnerable to the real risk of the babu becoming neta.
Yamini Aiyar is president and chief executive, Centre for Policy Research The views expressed are personal