“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” - St.
Augustine
The Winter Study Tour or the
Bharat Darshan is the climax of the training period in the
life of an IAS probationer. While it is impossible to experience the whole of Bharat, for all vastness of its
geography, diversity of its culture, richness of its heritage and multitude of
its administrative challenges, we did humbly try to touch various aspects of
our country in these two months.
Travelling, they say, is the
best way to explore a place. But I realized that travelling is also the best
way to explore oneself. The outlook that one generates by looking at stark
contrasts existent in a single nation, and beyond-the-bookshelf perspectives
that are formed by experiencing first-hand the realities on ground are unparalleled.
And what can be better way to travel than on a government sponsored tour across
the country in a group of 17 likeminded and yet very diverse officer trainees?
We clocked nearly 20,000 kilometers across the mountains and plains, rivers and
bridges, beaches and coasts, islands and sea, travelling by almost every
possible means of transport, visiting close to 18 cities located in 12
different states and UTs, which not only tested the tenacity of our bodies but
also minds to cope up with sudden changes in climate, food and languages.
Every journey begins with a
small step, and so began ours on 20th December, 2014 as we left the
portals of our academy with starry eyes. We had a 10 day long attachment with
Indian Army in Jammu sector. The attachment was the longest in duration that it
well deserved. The first thing that caught my attention was the warmth and
hospitality of army in those inhospitable conditions. We visited different
companies, posted at various forward posts along the fence guarding Line of
Control, under 4 different battalions and 2 brigades. Everywhere the
discipline, punctuality, sense of duty, dedication and yet the humor and
liveliness of jawans and officers
amazed us. In these 10 days we watched the life of a soldier from close
quarters and also tried to live like one. It was thrilling to see enemy in
their posts 100 meters away, ready to pull triggers at first command. We could
feel the patriotism oozing in the atmosphere, and the interactions with
officers ranging from majors to brigadiers were always inspiring. I still
remember one of them passionately telling us about his eagerness to win the
whole enemy land for India. It was however sad that such beautiful mountains
have been blotted by presence of militants and military and the serenity of the
heavenly valleys destroyed by the noises of bombs and guns. We could also sense
the disconnect between the civil administration and the military forces which
we as members of IAS need to bridge, lest we leave our bravehearts, who protect
our borders living away from their families, in discontentment.
We also had visits to the
Air Force and Naval Establishments where we tried to understand their roles and
responsibilities, apart from getting hands-on experience of their cool machines.
But undoubtedly it was the Army that stole our hearts with their passion and
professionalism.
We had the fortune of
meeting some inspirational seniors like Dr. Krishan Kumar who showed that a
dedicated and coordinated administration can even defeat threats like Phailin
cyclone. We also met Sh. Alok Shukla, the man who revolutionized Food
procurement and PDS in Chattisgarh through his innovativeness and conviction.
We learnt that it is not necessary to do something extraordinary in order to
leave a mark. Just doing one’s duties sincerely can mean a lot of service to
the nation as many wheels in the administrative machinery don’t move just due
to lackadaisical approach of some officers. Apart from these, we interacted
with many other officers serving in capacity of collectors, directors, principal
secretaries and chief secretaries. I felt that the individual personality of an
officer defines in a great way the impact his or her office can make. More than
postings, it is the person who fixes the scope of work. Also the attitude of an
officer in dealing with public and other colleagues is highly noticeable and
hence it is very important that one remains humble, polite but strong.
The highlight of the whole
tour was a three day visit to Dantewada for tribal attachment. Amidst the
preconceived notions, we expected Dantewada to be more like a forest with poor
tribal population, blasted roads and Naxal flags all around with no
developmental infrastructure to be seen. But instead, we found some of the best
practices of administration that were exemplary in efficiency, financial
congruency and innovation being implemented there. The endeavors such as Choolo Aasman, Saksham, Aastha, Bachpan Banao, Tamanna, Kshirsagar were bringing huge changes in the life of the people,
especially the children. Here we realized what the real sense of service is and
how IAS can make a difference. It was really a proud moment to attend the
celebrations of India’s sovereignty – the Republic Day in this Naxal heartland.
We got deeper insights into
the working of a PSU at HAL in Nashik, learnt about management of a Port Trust
in Goa, understood the work culture of a private social enterprise at Jain
Irrigation Ltd. at Jalgaon, appreciated the strength of a joint venture at
Maithon Power Plant in Dhanbad and imbibed the dedication of an NGO from Tagore
Society for Rural Development in Kolkata. We got acquainted with the
industrious Marathi manoos whose
honesty is worth emulating, we found great hosts in Punjabis who put their
hearts out to serve their guests, we learnt the art of doing business from
astute Sindhis of Mumbai and we took pride in the intellect of our Bengali
brethren.
Learning was the core
objective of this tour. But we made sure that fun also remains its integral
component. We drenched ourselves in the natural beauty of ‘Incredible India’
during this tour. From the snow clad peaks of the Pir Panjal, to the pristine
beaches of Goa, from the mangroves of Bhitarkanika to the dense forests of
Jharkhand, from the brackish waters of Chilika Lake to the blue waters of Bay
of Bengal, from the magmatic rocks of Western Ghats to the coral reefs of
Andamans, we had it all. We also encountered largest salt water crocodiles
basking in the sun, caught glimpse of the rare and playful Irrawady dolphins
diving in synchronization, spotted the spotted deer lurking behind trees and
clicked checkered keelback snakes slithering between leaves. We rediscovered
India’s rich past and heritage in the centuries old caves of Ajanta and
Udaygiri and temple remains of Konark, Shore, Mahabalipuram and Rajarani. We
also found hidden treasure troves in relatively obscure forts of Bidar and
Buddhist and Hindu monuments of Sirpur. We prayed for a better world at the
altars of Harmandir Sahib, Jagannath Temple, Basilica of Bom Jesus and Haji Ali
shrine. Here we also realized how much more we need to work to make India a
tourist destination, be it in marketing our cities in India and abroad, or be
it in preserving and keeping our monuments alive.
Any travelogue about India
is incomplete without mention of food. We had the good fortune of eating the
wholesome Punjabi food in Amritsar, tasting Sula wines in Nashik, cracking
freshly cooked crabs in Goa, munching the Bhel puri of Mumbai, feasting on
mouthwatering prawns in Port Blair and relishing Sandesh, Rosogulla and
Nolengurer in Kolkata.
After the completion of
Bharat Darshan, we were left with many learnings for future and some beautiful
memories to be cherished. But what I believe is most important are the bonds of
friendship that we made in these two months. i found some good friends in not
just the people we met across India, but more importantly amongst our group of
17, friends that I hope shall stay forever.
