Law Kumar Mishra | Team TrickyScribe: Conduct of certain civil servants in Bihar has recently come under intense scrutiny following a series of alleged incidents involving disrespectful treatment of local officers.
The most recent case involves Yashpal Meena, a 2014 batch IAS officer posted in Vaishali, Bihar, following his earlier posting in Nawada. Meena reportedly used derogatory language to address revenue officers in Hajipur, referring to them as “thieves” and disparaging local Bihari officers in a public setting. The incident sparked widespread criticism and has intensified discussions on the attitude and conduct of certain civil servants in the state.
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This isn’t an isolated event; a series of similar incidents have raised questions about the behavior of senior officials. Just a few months ago, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) KK Pathak allegedly verbally abused deputy collectors in Bihar, reportedly using derogatory terms and calling some of them “idiots.” Incidentally, Pathak has his origins in Uttar Pradesh, a fact that has fueled debates around regional bias and lack of cultural sensitivity among some civil servants from outside Bihar.
In another high-profile incident, Shobha Ahotkar, a DGP-ranked officer from Maharashtra, engaged in a heated confrontation with Vikash Vaibhav, an Inspector General (IG) in the fire services department. During a meeting, Ahotkar allegedly shouted at Vaibhav, telling him to “get out” in an aggressive tone that Vaibhav claims posed a direct threat to his safety. This incident escalated into a series of exchanges, with Vaibhav protesting against what he termed as “threats” to his life, sparking further debate about the treatment of local officers by senior officials.
Such confrontations are not limited to the IAS cadre! In another incident, ASP Sweety Ahlawat, reportedly clashed with IPS veteran Nikhil Kumar, a former commissioner of the Delhi Police, in a public disagreement. Ahlawat, in the presence of citizens, reportedly lectured Kumar on policing methods and even refused a meeting with a former Member of Parliament from Aurangabad, who was senior to her by several decades. This incident, too, has raised eyebrows about the attitudes of some junior officers toward senior and retired officials, particularly in matters of public decorum.
This pattern of behavior raises questions about civil servant training and the attitudes ingrained during their formative years. The prestigious academies in Mussoorie and Hyderabad, where officers are trained, may need to reassess their curriculum to emphasize the importance of cultural sensitivity, particularly in diverse regions like Bihar and Chhattisgarh. A lack of respect for local customs and people seems to be a recurring theme; a recent incident in Chhattisgarh involved an IPS officer who allegedly used inappropriate language towards local women protesting police actions. The situation escalated to the point where the officer was physically attacked by an angry mob.
Instances like these suggest that despite over 70 years of civil service training, there remain gaps in the approach to community relations. The need for respectful and culturally aware behavior from public servants is vital to maintaining the trust and cooperation of the communities they serve. As these incidents highlight, the gap between officers and locals can quickly turn into open confrontations, which not only undermine administrative morale but also public confidence in civil service institutions.
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