Smile - its the festival season; we all have recollections of something amusing which we may not write about officially in our notes, its unofficial. Well here's one such incident. Its Festival time, its meant to draw a smile !! Remember this if you do decide to scroll through it. in any case words are all I have to share - Happy Diwali. Keep smiling.
While posted as a DDM one would often come across cases where one just had to laugh it out at the sheer absurdity of the situation which ostensibly was focusing on development. In one of the districts I was asigned to, the NGO Guru Kripa Society was functioning at the village Kotla Nihang. The NGO was funded by a Jesuit order from Kerala and headed by Father Joseph, a Moses like figure. The village was largish, population around 5000 but comparatively under developed. Father Joseph ran the NGO with skill and committment, always calm; collected and slowly but surely would initiate changes or rope in the district adminstration. Then Father Sunny, a youngish, sharp tongued, highly ambitious and somewhat unfamilar with Punjab Jesuit Priest took over. His first step; he decided to take on the etsbalisghed groups of local politicians head on and then got his own nomineee elected as Sarpanch. I told him to cool it as the ruling group was not liking what had happened, but he laughed me off. He called them non committed to actual development, which was maybe quite correct but they wielded the power. Very impatient, Father Sunny would chase the government officials continuously for major developmental initiatives and then complain to me informally about a lack of reponse. I would listen, tell him there were other villages with more problems and priorities and not to disspiate Father Joseph's immense goodwill, but it was difficult to teach him patience and diplomacy.
Aftee some time he came to me and said that the Governor of the state was educated at a school run by Jesuit Priests, he had been approached by Father Sunny directly to sort out the developmental issues of the village. The Principal Secretary Rural Development of the State had actually been requested to visit the village and to interact with the residents. Now, Father Sunny smirked, the village would get a major facelift and the district administration and power brokers at the village would quiten down. He invited me to be present at 0900 hours sharp a week hence at his school campus as the Principal Secretary was coming at 0930 hours. Shortly the DC and ADC contacted me and while asking about our initiatives in the area indirectly cribbed about the NGO being too unrealistic in its expectations. Father Sunny meanwhile was all excitement and advised his staff about how he had overcome all obstacles in one effort. He even assured the calm phlegmatic villagers about the coming developmental bonanza.
Well, the day dawned. I was at the NGO at 0815 hours and saw that 150 to 175 odd select villagers from all segements and faiths were present to interact with the Principal Secretary and to present their requests on drug addiction, drinking, repairs to roads, subsidies etc. Suddenly around 0845 hours to 0915 hours saw a cavalcade of vehicles coming over the dusty roads. All the heads of department of the district, the SDMs, the BDOs, the tehsildars etc and the engineers had arrived with their staff. This puzzled Father Sunny as he had made no arrangments for such a large gathering and neither was he advised. The officials set up maps & boards on development, occupied the front rows and generally sat around self importantly while a hassled father Sunny arranged tea and snacks for them. Around 0945 hours I adsked them about the Principal Secretary, I was told that he was at the district Hqs. Then at 1030 hours I was informed that he was now at a major gurudwara nearby and that I and the ADC etc should proceed there. On reaching there I realised instinctively that Father Sunny was going to get a nasty reality check. The major political leaders of the area had put up a show, a few senior level officers were present and the Principal Secretary was being honoured effusively while the district administration was praised for its committment. A small exhibition was also on of rural products. Our VIP seemed impresssed. I was also requested to speak on rural infrastructure and micro credit. The VIP was obliquely told that the village already had a host of amenities and how lucky it was to have a NGO with funds of its own. Now at 1145 or so we procceeded to the villlage of Kotla Nihang. Poor Father Sunny, impatient and fretting at the delay he was perplexed to see a virtual army of officials around the VIP and virtually got no chance to brief him in detail. The district officials took over the dais and explained the efforts initiated by them already in the district and in the pocket we were present at. The intreraction was brief with villagers and they were actually advised to be patient and to be satisfied that they were much better off than most other villages.
Now the Principal Secretary was taken on a tour of the campus, first to the cowshed and heard of the high quality of milch cattle. He was assured that the Animal Husbandry department had ensured their health, not so whispered poor Father Sunny to me, I have never seen any of these officials. You speak up then , I told him but he was by now tongue tied. Next was too much, a pit was shown in which lay some vermicompost; the VIP and a few of us were handed spades and photographs taken of the committment to vermi compost and farming. But this pit was filled up yesterday only whispered the lost Father to me. The Agrculture department meanwhile dutifully explained they were already ensuring organic farming at the village and wouild scale up now. Next was the orchards etc where the product quality was stated to be a result of close team work with the NGO, then onto SHGs etc. By now Father Sunny had given up and was lagging behind the group as his shoulders dropped while the officers led the way, this in his own campus!!
We ultimately reached an open space, Father Sunny was called up, the VIP stood with him as also the DC, ADC and myself and photographs were taken of us planting roses and trees, we solemnly proclaimed our committment to the environment and development for the media. The VIP thanked Father Sunny, put a fatherly hand on his shoulder and praised him loudly and profusely and then sought his blessings, said he would see me at lunch and zoomed off !. Poor Father Sunny, he was dazed and seemed struck by lightining. He asked for a glass of water and just sat down. After the dust had settled and all officers had driven off, he asked me as to what had just happened. I had to control my laughter though I also felt for him. All I could say was welcome to reality, you just got outmanouvered and never mind. But he was just too shaken up and we sat together and sipped tea silently while his staff smiled at him and cleared up the area.
Tailpiece- Father Sunny left for his home state shortly afterwards on health grounds.
While posted as a DDM one would often come across cases where one just had to laugh it out at the sheer absurdity of the situation which ostensibly was focusing on development. In one of the districts I was asigned to, the NGO Guru Kripa Society was functioning at the village Kotla Nihang. The NGO was funded by a Jesuit order from Kerala and headed by Father Joseph, a Moses like figure. The village was largish, population around 5000 but comparatively under developed. Father Joseph ran the NGO with skill and committment, always calm; collected and slowly but surely would initiate changes or rope in the district adminstration. Then Father Sunny, a youngish, sharp tongued, highly ambitious and somewhat unfamilar with Punjab Jesuit Priest took over. His first step; he decided to take on the etsbalisghed groups of local politicians head on and then got his own nomineee elected as Sarpanch. I told him to cool it as the ruling group was not liking what had happened, but he laughed me off. He called them non committed to actual development, which was maybe quite correct but they wielded the power. Very impatient, Father Sunny would chase the government officials continuously for major developmental initiatives and then complain to me informally about a lack of reponse. I would listen, tell him there were other villages with more problems and priorities and not to disspiate Father Joseph's immense goodwill, but it was difficult to teach him patience and diplomacy.
Aftee some time he came to me and said that the Governor of the state was educated at a school run by Jesuit Priests, he had been approached by Father Sunny directly to sort out the developmental issues of the village. The Principal Secretary Rural Development of the State had actually been requested to visit the village and to interact with the residents. Now, Father Sunny smirked, the village would get a major facelift and the district administration and power brokers at the village would quiten down. He invited me to be present at 0900 hours sharp a week hence at his school campus as the Principal Secretary was coming at 0930 hours. Shortly the DC and ADC contacted me and while asking about our initiatives in the area indirectly cribbed about the NGO being too unrealistic in its expectations. Father Sunny meanwhile was all excitement and advised his staff about how he had overcome all obstacles in one effort. He even assured the calm phlegmatic villagers about the coming developmental bonanza.
Well, the day dawned. I was at the NGO at 0815 hours and saw that 150 to 175 odd select villagers from all segements and faiths were present to interact with the Principal Secretary and to present their requests on drug addiction, drinking, repairs to roads, subsidies etc. Suddenly around 0845 hours to 0915 hours saw a cavalcade of vehicles coming over the dusty roads. All the heads of department of the district, the SDMs, the BDOs, the tehsildars etc and the engineers had arrived with their staff. This puzzled Father Sunny as he had made no arrangments for such a large gathering and neither was he advised. The officials set up maps & boards on development, occupied the front rows and generally sat around self importantly while a hassled father Sunny arranged tea and snacks for them. Around 0945 hours I adsked them about the Principal Secretary, I was told that he was at the district Hqs. Then at 1030 hours I was informed that he was now at a major gurudwara nearby and that I and the ADC etc should proceed there. On reaching there I realised instinctively that Father Sunny was going to get a nasty reality check. The major political leaders of the area had put up a show, a few senior level officers were present and the Principal Secretary was being honoured effusively while the district administration was praised for its committment. A small exhibition was also on of rural products. Our VIP seemed impresssed. I was also requested to speak on rural infrastructure and micro credit. The VIP was obliquely told that the village already had a host of amenities and how lucky it was to have a NGO with funds of its own. Now at 1145 or so we procceeded to the villlage of Kotla Nihang. Poor Father Sunny, impatient and fretting at the delay he was perplexed to see a virtual army of officials around the VIP and virtually got no chance to brief him in detail. The district officials took over the dais and explained the efforts initiated by them already in the district and in the pocket we were present at. The intreraction was brief with villagers and they were actually advised to be patient and to be satisfied that they were much better off than most other villages.
Now the Principal Secretary was taken on a tour of the campus, first to the cowshed and heard of the high quality of milch cattle. He was assured that the Animal Husbandry department had ensured their health, not so whispered poor Father Sunny to me, I have never seen any of these officials. You speak up then , I told him but he was by now tongue tied. Next was too much, a pit was shown in which lay some vermicompost; the VIP and a few of us were handed spades and photographs taken of the committment to vermi compost and farming. But this pit was filled up yesterday only whispered the lost Father to me. The Agrculture department meanwhile dutifully explained they were already ensuring organic farming at the village and wouild scale up now. Next was the orchards etc where the product quality was stated to be a result of close team work with the NGO, then onto SHGs etc. By now Father Sunny had given up and was lagging behind the group as his shoulders dropped while the officers led the way, this in his own campus!!
We ultimately reached an open space, Father Sunny was called up, the VIP stood with him as also the DC, ADC and myself and photographs were taken of us planting roses and trees, we solemnly proclaimed our committment to the environment and development for the media. The VIP thanked Father Sunny, put a fatherly hand on his shoulder and praised him loudly and profusely and then sought his blessings, said he would see me at lunch and zoomed off !. Poor Father Sunny, he was dazed and seemed struck by lightining. He asked for a glass of water and just sat down. After the dust had settled and all officers had driven off, he asked me as to what had just happened. I had to control my laughter though I also felt for him. All I could say was welcome to reality, you just got outmanouvered and never mind. But he was just too shaken up and we sat together and sipped tea silently while his staff smiled at him and cleared up the area.
Tailpiece- Father Sunny left for his home state shortly afterwards on health grounds.
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