And What Remains in the End : The Memoirs of an Unrepentant Civil Servant

by Robin Gupta

A career civil servant, Robin Gupta has had the unique distinction of serving in four Indian provinces Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab apart from a long period of deputation with the Central Government. He has travelled far and wide across the country and the world and, with an active role in India's governance and politics, he has observed it grow and change over the last four decades. In turn philosophical, sensitive and laced with gentle humour, this is a book that provides the reader with a window into that evolution of India, and the part played by civil servants in its advancement.

From attending lavish parties at exclusive clubs, to working in isolation in far- flung, impoverished corners of India; from dealing with the complexities of bureaucracy, to his contributions to policy-making and development; from encountering both brilliance and apathy in men and women, to the satisfaction of being able to help ones fellow citizens Robin Gupta documents his experiences with candour, warmth and a deep appreciation of the absurdities of the human condition. Lucid and poignant, And What Remains in the End is not only an account of a rich life but also a portrait of a country in motion and a testament to those who dedicated their lives to serving their nation.

Genres: Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Shadin Pranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

ছত্রিশ বছরের চাকরিজীবনে ঠিক কতবার রবিন গুপ্ত বদলি হয়েছেন তার কোনো লেখাজোখা নেই। ভারতে কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের ডেপুটেশনে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, মধ্যপ্রদেশ, হরিয়ানা ও পাঞ্জাবে চাকরি করেছেন রবিন গুপ্ত। যা এক ধরনের রেকর্ড। কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের উচ্চপদে চাকরি করার সৌভাগ্য রবিন গুপ্তের হয়নি। তবুও বিচিত্র তার জীবন ও কর্মজীবন দুটোই। যার প্রমাণ পাওয়া যায় বইয়ের পাতায় পাতায়।

লেখকের পিতা ছিলেন সেনাবাহিনীর কর্মকর্তা ও মা প্রভাবশালী পরিবারের সদস্য। জন্মগতভাবেই রূপার চামচ মুখে নিয়ে জন্মেছেন। ইংরেজ ধাঁচের জীবনযাপনে অভ্যস্ত রবিন গুপ্ত প্রথমে ভারতীয় পুলিশ সার্ভিসে সুপারিশপ্রাপ্ত হন। পরের বছরই আইপিএস ছেড়ে যোগ দেন প্রশাসন ক্যাডারে। বেছে নেন বেঙ্গল ক্যাডার।

বামফ্রন্ট আমলে পশ্চিমবঙ্গে এসডিও ও ডিএম ( ডিসি পদমর্যাদা) ছিলেন। সেই বর্ণনা বেশ রোমাঞ্চকর। যা আরও আকর্ষণীয় করে তুলেছে লেখকের পানাসক্তি ও উদ্দাম জীবনযাপন। একবার কলকাতায় মদপান করার পর পুলিশের সার্জেন্ট লেখকের গাড়ি আটকায়। তিনি নিজেকে আইএএস পরিচয় দেওয়া সত্ত্বেও পুলিশ বিশ্বাস করেনি। তখন তিনি ক্ষেপে গিয়ে ঘুষি মেরে সার্জেন্টের দাঁত ফেলে দেন...

কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারে থাকাকালীন দিল্লির জিমখানা ক্লাবে মদপান করা নিয়ে ক্লাবের প্রভাবশালী এক কর্তার সাথে বচসা হয়। সেনাবাহিনীর অবসরপ্রাপ্ত সেই বিগ্রেডিয়ারকে নিয়ে সমুচিত জবাব দেন। তাতে চাকরি প্রায় যায়যায়। তখন জ্ঞানী জৈল সিং ভারতের রাষ্ট্রপতি। তার হস্তক্ষেপে সেবার রেহাই পান।

পাঞ্জাব, মধ্যপ্রদেশ ও হরিয়ানার যেখানেই চাকরি করেছেন, বেশিদিন টিকতে পারেননি। অনৈতিক সুবিধা দিতে প্রায় কখনোই রাজি হতেন না। তাই বারবার তাকে বদলি করা হয়েছে। পাননি 'ভালো' পোস্টিং। আবার পেলেও তাতে থাকতে পারেননি নিজের 'আনকম্প্রমাইজিং' স্বভাবের কারণে। বিভাগীয় কমিশনার থাকাকালে ঘুস নিতে হাতেনাতে এক তহশিলদারকে ধরেন এবং সাময়িক বরখাস্ত করেন। সেই তহশিলদার বিভাগীয় কমিশনার রবিন গুপ্তকে হুমকি দেয় এবং জানায় দুপুরের মধ্যই সে আবার তহশিলদার পদে ফিরে আসবে ; কিন্তু বিভাগীয় কমিশনার তার পদে ফিরতে পারবে না। মজার ব্যাপার হলো, তহশিলদার দুপুরের মধ্যেই কাজে ফিরে আসে ও রবিন গুপ্তকে প্রশাসনিকভাবে যথেষ্ট হেনস্তা হতে হয়!



একবার বিয়ে করেছিলেন রবিন গুপ্ত। অত্যন্ত তিক্ততার মধ্য দিয়ে সেই বিয়ের সমাপ্তি ঘটে। এরপর আর সাতপাকে বাঁধা পড়েননি। যদিও পাঞ্জাবের এক রাজকুমারীর সাথে ঘনিষ্ঠ সম্পর্ক গড়ে উঠেছিল।

লেখকের মায়ের এক অনবদ্য ভূমিকা রবিন গুপ্তের জীবনে রয়েছে। এক শ বছর বয়সে মারা যাওয়া এই মা সন্তানকে তীব্র মমতায় আগলে রেখেছিলেন। তার মৃত্যু পাঠক হিসেবে আমাকে কষ্ট দিয়েছে।

রবিন গুপ্তের ইংরেজিতে দখল অসামান্য। তার গদ্য একবসায় পড়ার মতো নয়। আবার, আমলাজীবনে সীমাবদ্ধ থাকেননি লেখক। ব্যক্তিগত জীবন নিয়ে অনেককিছুই লিখেছেন। যা কিছুক্ষেত্রে প্রয়োজনাতিরিক্ত।

আমলাদের লেখায় আত্মসমালোচনা দেখিনি। তারা নিজেকে বাদ দিয়ে বাকি প্রায় সবাইকে অসৎ, অদক্ষ ও অকর্মণ্য হিসেবে চিহ্নিত করতে পছন্দ করেন। রবিন গুপ্ত এই ধারার অন্তর্ভুক্ত।

আমলাতন্ত্র নিজে জানতে ইচ্ছে থাকলে পড়তে পারেন রবিন গুপ্তের বইটি। প্রত্যাশা কম রাখবেন। তাহলে বইটা পড়তে হোঁচট খাবেন না।

[Madras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self-serving memoirs by retired bureaucrats are usually interesting only to family members and former colleagues looking to see their names in print. Mr Gupta's effort begins unpromisingly. He states in his prologue that '... had it not been for the IAS ... the centrifugal and fissiparous forces ... would have torn the idea of the Indian nation into shreds.' Not just that: '... civil servants have contributed significantly in developing the country ...'
I almost quit at that point. Pompous posturing is not my thing. Loyalty to the friend who had lent me the book made me continue, though, and the author's essential honesty and the quality of his writing took me through. The book, in essence, is a long repudiation of these high sentiments.
After all, there cannot be too many IAS officers who cheerfully admit to knocking a cop's teeth out when stopped for drunken driving. Or getting into a brawl with the secretary of the Delhi Golf Club (a retired brigadier, no less). Or, having informed us of his dislike of officers who curry favours, tells us how he had a senior politician intervene to arrange a transfer for himself. Or having his well connected mother repeatedly pull strings to steer his career away from self-inflicted dead ends.
Mr Gupta never occupied high office at the Centre. His is a story of action in the administrative trenches. While there are odd lapses into bureaucratic pomposity, there is plenty on how government spins its wheels. I particularly liked the description of the Punjab Forest Department.
Three stars, in conclusion, because Mr Gupta does write well. Perhaps he should turn to fiction. Fiction writers, after all, are not constrained by discretion, and scores can be settled more satisfyingly.

[Prakhar Prateek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin represents the officers of past and I think it shows how the service has evolved over the years especially from the British ICS.

"After sixteen years in service, it fully dawned on me that IAS officers were no longer rulers. Unlike their predecessors in the Indian Civil Service, who were tribunes of an imperial power, today’s civil servants were, at best, advisors and facilitators. They could only exercise power through intellectual dominance over the elected government in power."

He also evinces how it was considered to be superior if you were raised in the English way. But, over the years robin's own metamorphosis is rather fascinating. He becomes interested in Indian culture and religions. His own honesty about his ignorance endears him to reader.
He even speaks about the challenges and expectations in the personal life of civil servants.
This memoir is reminder that in all public professions (politician or civil servant) there are those who work for the welfare of the public altruistically and those who are willing to cheat the country as long as they get a piece of the pie.
It also shows that the price of walking a righteous path is high and many under duress or due to greed fail to do their duty.
Robin, a truly honest and excellent officer shows what is expected and what sacrifices one might have to make to make a contribution to the country and world.
In the end robin asks an incredibly pertinent question.

" Where has the endless galaxy of men and women who laid down their lives to secure India’s freedom gone? Where are men of the genre of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhas Bose, C. R. Das, Tagore, G. K. Gokhale, Bhagat Singh, Maulana Azad, Abdul Gaffar Khan, Sardar Patel, Lajpat Rai and Udham Singh?"

[Avinash Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir starts with pompous and self righteous infatuation by Robin Gupta. But reading through the entire manuscript this mirrors the graduation of maturity from self adulation to self realisation in his voyage from a prudent probationary officer to a seven time commissioner. Landscaping entire eastern and northern India from passive recluse of northern Bengal to wilful neglect and moral decadence of Punjab and Haryana, the psyche of bureaucracy and officialdom of Indian democracy stands nude. Traversing tangentially, thanks to connected assistance of her ‘well placed’ mother which carries a proud heritage of civil services, Robin escapes souring in impertinent lanes of rustic postings. Reviving him from unsolicited wedlock, thanks to expedient settlement, he prefers to remain single with occasional fling with Windy, a royal princess. If you manage to sail through the second half of the book, a lucid and exemplary description of his endeavours in Haryana and Punjab brings the revelation of laid back and corrupt officials shielding the defunct department to milk settlement lands and unlawful mutation of land deals by patwaris and tehsildars to help built what you see today as Gurgaon and NCR. The best part of this manuscript is the unconditional love and faith which paints the whole narration in the most fulfilling relation of mother and son. The swinging fortunes of civil servants with change in ruling government will frequent desire to taste the creamiest postings to fulfil avaricious intentions in described in details. With upright approach to benefit the downtrodden with might of his pen, he shows the breath to which a servant can push his boundaries to benefit the society at large despite political malevolence. A must read for ‘common man’ who wants to peek in the murkier galleries’ of power and bureaucracy.

[Shubham Srivastava · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book on the journey of an IAS officer through various turmoils and tribulations that the service offers. A vivid description of the real issues and circumstances that are prevalent in the administration. Robin was used good expression at explaining controversial situations with apt choice of words but the writing style could be helped with.
Also, a little of elitism and dis-connect is reflected in his writing, use of flying vocabulary at few places and a little disconnect with the staff and commoners. The ending can both be perceived as heart-touching and inspiration but with a tinge of pessimism at the existing state of affairs. The message seems to be too straight-forward yet it's true after all looking at the stressed administrative setup in India.
His love with Mother are moments that add to his commitment to her and her demise seems grievous.
Overall, this is somewhat a satire on the existing state of affairs and a call for inducing a new set of behaviours in the administration for ensuring Good Governance and welfare of the masses.

[Meghna · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests it indeed is an excellent memoir of an unrepentant civil servant. His memoir gives us an insight of Indian politics and how IAS has evolved from ICS. His memoirs recounts the encounters both good and bad, during the duration of his service and helps us understand what kind of a person Robin is. It is a must read not only for civil service aspirants but for everyone.

[Manjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book offers insights into the inner workings of India’s administrative machinery while also exploring the author’s personal journey, from his childhood in post-Partition India to his eventful career in civil service. Gupta brings alive the characters he encountered—politicians, civil servants, and common people—through vivid anecdotes, often laced with humor and a keen sense of observation.

[hareesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book to get insights of bureaucracy in India. Although the author seems to deductive in his approach.

[Dhyan Dinpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir by an retired IAS officer. Give an insight about how bureaucracy work in India under politics. This very sad that after independence we could not maintain the system that British developed.

[Pallav Ranjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book explaining the life of a honest civil servant. A must read for all who are critical of IAS officers and also for those who aspire to become Civil servants one day.