

“Another distinct recollection that RNK has about his student days in Law College was of communal politics that was practiced even at the level of students’ union. He recalled, ‘While serving as a member of the Executive Committee, I got my first taste of the manner in which communal politics led to aberrations and endless discussions involving people, who otherwise seemed perfectly rational and normal. One of the questions being considered by the Executive Committee at that time was whether the National Flag should be hoisted over the union building or not. This was strongly opposed by a representative of the Muslim hostel, who said that either there should be no flag or that if the INC flag was hoisted, so should the Muslim League flag side by side. All of us argued vehemently that while the Congress flag was the National Flag, representing all communities in India, the Muslim League could not claim that its flag represented anyone else other than its Muslim supporters.”
― R. N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster
― R. N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster
“Unlike most of the bureaucracy, he does not believe in segregation of responsibilities. The government, in his view, must function in a holistic manner. This is only possible with cooperation and exchange between departments. So, if there is shady dealing in one department, he has a moral responsibility to point it out. After all, his ultimate accountability is not to the state CM, but to his appointing authority: the President of India. The political class and its bureaucrats, on the other hand, love compartmentalization. As long as one department does not know what the other is doing, it is always possible to pull off a scam. In the DLF–Vadra case, for example, the Town & Country Planning department was merrily issuing licences without checking with the revenue departments responsible for enforcing land laws.”
― Just Transferred: The Untold Story of Ashok Khemka
― Just Transferred: The Untold Story of Ashok Khemka
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