Babu of the Block

Babu of the Block

 

‘Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed’.

This profound quote that adorns the main gate of North Block as seen from South Block. No one who has served in either of these two Blocks, even the ‘Block heads’ would have missed having stood beneath this imposing Gate to stretch their neck and read it, slowly, absorbing its import.  Though attributed to a eighteenth century maverick cleric named Holton, few Babus can go beyond attributing it to anyone other than Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.  

Few miss standing for a moment and coming under the spell of the famous  ‘Liberty Quote’, feel a sense of being part of the long continuum of the nation’s administration and see oneself as a person of responsibility, on whose shoulders the burden of arising people to this liberty lies.  

A flight of black marble steps lead down from this North Block gate to the ‘The Great Hall’.  Until a few years ago, just anyone could enter this Hall and be enthralled by its pillars and the huge dome above. Today, the general public are denied free access though the Hall remains a short cut for ‘pass holding’ government officials to reach the Bus Stop on the Gurudwara Rakabganj side.

 The first years after Independence saw large crowds of free India’s citizens walk around the Blocks and the ‘Great Hall’ itself was said to be a place where leaders exhorted babus to be the ‘enablers’ in the cause of enabling ‘people’ to ‘rise themselves’ to liberty.  Unlikely so though, as even whispers tend to reverberate here.  Till this day, the Great Hall and its Dome have a mesmerising effect on the young government servants.   

North block is however not the intended subject for this narrative.  It is in fact South Block, the building across the Rajpath and one’s office address for about thirty years of service life.

Moving away from under North Block’s ‘Liberty Quote’ gate toward South Block,  another inscription, positioned in mirror reflection on the corresponding gate  becomes readable. This one is in the Persian Script.  Few could read the scrpt and it was generally accepted to be a translation of the ‘Liberty Quote’.

There is no corresponding ‘Great Hall’ on the ground floor of South Block.  An umimpresive poorly lit staircase descends from across the corridor which itself is dark and somewhat musty. Surprisingly so, as Lutyens, and Francis, the duo who planned New Delhi had provided large vacant spaces between rooms on the inner side of all corridors in both Blocks to enable natural light and ventilation.

 Space constraints had resulted in these open areas within these Blocks being  converted into temporary rooms, resulting in the corridors being dependent on low powered overhead lamps on their majestic high roofs.

 South Block has its own version of the ‘Great Hall’ on the first floor. Earlier known as ‘War Room’ it is now a modestly sized auditorium though being the venue for the most important of Ministry if Defence Conferences and functions.  In present day context, 129D South Block has more claim to greatness than the one in North Block. The issue of reverberation here has been cleverly controlled through a ‘military’ solution of placing large flags of various formations all around the edges of the room.   On the roof are large insignias of Princely States of yester-years many whose gold paint glimmers in the bright light of the regal chandelier that drops down from the dome.

 It is on the  ‘dark and misty’ corridor on the immediate right on entering this gate that the Military Secretary’s Branch  is located.  This is where decisions relating to career aspects of Army Officers are administered - postings, promotions etc and the Branch enjoys a long standing reputation for complete lack of predictability in its decisions that justify its sobriquet of ‘Movers and Shakers’  or the ‘Mystery and Suspense’ Branch.

 

To be fair to the Branch it must be mentioned that decision-making hence involves several variables. The prime driver though is always  ‘organisational interest’. 

 

The first floor of South Block is ‘corridor of power’ housing the offices of the truly high and mighty -  Prime Minister, the External Affairs and Defence Ministers, their Ministers of State and Secretaries, besides the Chiefs of the Army and Naval Staff. There are no dingy corners here and the entire lengths of the parallel corridors are cleanly maintained, floor polished.  Lush green plants placed in brass potholders adorn both sides as add glitter to the equally shining brass name plates of the decision makers.  

 ‘Support staff’ have their work spaces in the cross corridors or smaller rooms adjunct to their respective bosses. 

It is the attitude and conduct of this support staff that defines the ‘culture’ and work ethos on the first floor of South Block.  These are invariably loyalists who are weathercocks to the mind-set and mood of their boss. Their perceptive eyes and ears are a constant source of ‘additional’ information and in critical times,  they become a channel of communication between bosses who do not wish to interact directly – a not uncommon feature.  There is hence a ‘brotherhood’ amongst the ‘support staff’ community.

 A different culture prevails on the second floor of South Block where the ‘worker party’ functions – one that bears the brunt of hard work based on which the First floor makes its decisions.  A few ‘bosses’ here may enjoy some ‘delegated’ powers but not that many to dissuade first floor functionaries ‘look down’ upon those on the floor above with some disdain.

 South Block is indeed a world by itself. Its ‘eco-system’ comprising the procedures, work cultures and subcultures have been a steady constant. 

 The only permanent occupants of South Block are simians, doves and rodents who enjoy free access across to every nook and corner.  Insofar as Babudom, fresh faces emerge and old ones quietly fade away. No one is missed after his time on the Block has been done. No farewell ‘he’s a Jolly good fellow’ on exit. Just a ‘pakoda’ party.   

Late Lt Gen K Chandrasekharan, erstwhile MD Army Group Insurance Fund had a short story to emphasises on just who is indispensable and  irrelevant in South Block.  The story goes that one day a tiger from the nearby Ridge wandered into South Block and made it home devouring one Babu a day as its meal. No one was missed until one day the tiger gobbled up the canteen waiter who brought in the  morning tea to all staff.  Alarm bells rang and the tiger was soon found out”.

Every functionary in South Block would have his or her own moments of indispensability.  It is at such times that the babu is infused with a gush the  ‘Service to the Nation’ adrenaline and a sense of being one of those who bear responsibility to make people ‘rise’ to liberty.

This is the very make-belief sustaining the endeavour and effort of the Babu of the Block.