Civil Servants

My Muse - Farewell to Arms

Author: 
Subhash Mathur
Post date: 
15 July 2016

Subhash Mathur was born and brought up in small towns in Rajasthan. During his school and college education at Jaipur, he was keenly involved in sports, journalism and public speaking. His civil services career has given him a platform for spreading his ideas about modernising tax administration to benefit the commmon man. Post retirement he is devoting his energies, along with his wife Tilak, to public and humane causes.

When Popeye became the Boss the comfort levels within the Zone changed quickly.

Popeye was well built but not tall. He walked with grace and asked inconvenient questions, politely. His speech was a bit slurred, making it difficult to make out his exact words and meaning.

I chose to go largely by the drift. It resulted in some very ugly mix ups. But nothing very damaging, either.

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Painting

Author: 
Rajesh Vasavada
Post date: 
6 July 2016

After completing M.Sc. (Physics) from Jodhpur University, Rajesh Vasavada did short stints as a medical representative and in a Bank. Thereafter, in 1978 Rajesh joined the Department of Customs and Central Excise. Rajesh retired on superannuation in 2012 after 34 satisfying years. From childhood Rajesh was fascinated by watercolors and paintings. He started training himself on his own from the tutorials and books on watercolor techniques available on the web. Paintings, photographs and sketches done by Rajesh are available for viewing on TouchTalent.com.

A collage of paintings and photographs by Rajesh Vasavada.
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Birding

Author: 
Manjula Mathur
Post date: 
2 July 2016

Manjula Mathur is a senior, retired civil servant of the Government of India, Ministry of Defence. She is an ardent birdwatcher and is interested in bird photography and conservation of birds and their habitats. She is married to Satish Mathur, a senior Indian Police Service officer and lives in Mumbai. They have two sons, Sachit and Suchir.

A collage of bird photographs taken by Manjula Mathur, an avid birder.
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Annual Appraisal Report

Author: 
Jitendra Sanghvi
Post date: 
22 June 2016

Jitendra Sanghvi joined the Customs Department in the year 1972 and took voluntary retirement in 2003 as Deputy Commissioner. He served as a faculty member at the National Academy of Customs and Central Excise Mumbai for 8 years. Upon voluntary retirement he started Sanjosh Consultants with two former colleagues. He was also a special counsel to Central Board of Excise and Customs. A keen sportsperson since childhood, he played cricket for his college, the Customs Cricket team and several clubs. He practises Vipassana and is a keen environmentalist.

Amirchand and Zaverchand worked together in a non-descript government department. Amirchand retired on superannuation and Zaverchand followed him. I was a new entrant in the department and thus looked at them with curiosity. They were like inhabitant of a pond where water was stagnant and life meaningless. The only sparks in their life was pay commission reports, mandatory promotions etc... Their working can be summed up - The dusty files made its journey from table to table and crumbling yellow paper bore the meaningless notes and remarks like – pl. speak & put up draft.

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Bander Abbas Express

Author: 
Jitendra Sanghvi
Post date: 
18 June 2016

Jitendra Sanghvi joined the Customs Department in the year 1972 and took voluntary retirement in 2003 as Deputy Commissioner. He served as a faculty member at the National Academy of Customs and Central Excise Mumbai for 8 years. Upon voluntary retirement he started Sanjosh Consultants with two former colleagues. He was also a special counsel to Central Board of Excise and Customs. A keen sportsperson since childhood, he played cricket for his college, the Customs Cricket team and several clubs. He practises Vipassana and is a keen environmentalist.

Rummaging office was situated in the docks, it had grand panoramic view. Sea attracted him and thus his free time was spent looking at it; especially the early morning. He shut his eyes briefly and could see vividly the cross island off Victoria dock, in the distant were the refineries. His vision slide past the Oil jetties of Butcher Island and settled behind to acknowledge the port of Nhava-Sheva . He visualized further, he saw the mountain range nestling elephant caves, minor ports like Mora, Uran, Karanja and Alibag. He could see the vast open sea on the right except the naval base nearby.

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Vaishnav Jan To - Enlightenment

Author: 
Kamlesh Tiwari
Post date: 
17 June 2016

Shree Kamlesh Tiwari joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1971 and superannuated in 2007. At an early age Kamlesh to play the flute under the tutelage of Pandit Bholanath ji of Allahabad and his famous disciple Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Kamlesh was accepted as Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia's disciple after a stern test in 1972. During his service years Kamlesh got several opportunities to perform at official and informal functions. Kamlesh is currently a graded artist of vocal and flute with All India Radio (AIR) Allahabad. Music runs in the family. Kamlesh’s father was also an All India Radio artist at Allahabad. Post retirement Kamlesh lives with his spouse at Allahabad.

Kamlesh Tiwari performs a vocal and flute rendition of Vaishnav Jan To, a popular Bhajan by Gujarati poet Narsinh Mehta. The Bhajan was a must at most prayer meetings of Gandhiji.

This recording is one of many from Kamlesh's archives.

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Office Lunch

Author: 
Jitendra Sanghvi
Post date: 
14 June 2016

Jitendra Sanghvi joined the Customs Department in the year 1972 and took voluntary retirement in 2003 as Deputy Commissioner. He served as a faculty member at the National Academy of Customs and Central Excise Mumbai for 8 years. Upon voluntary retirement he started Sanjosh Consultants with two former colleagues. He was also a special counsel to Central Board of Excise and Customs. A keen sportsperson since childhood, he played cricket for his college, the Customs Cricket team and several clubs. He practises Vipassana and is a keen environmentalist.

Today was the day of office lunch. The associates and a few friends began dropping in. There was mirth and bonhomie in the air; after all they were friends for ever.

His friends invariably wanted to go to an Udipi Hotel that was where they had spent meal time in their early years. He mused it was funny to call a restaurant to be hotel. But he was not inclined to go there for the obvious reason, they could not seat together for their lunch. That day, he agreed provided they went there before the lunch time.

10 minute walk to hotel was miserable with sun blazing and humidity high. Add to it difficulties in weaving through the moving cars through the narrow lanes. He cursed for agreeing and his mate looked away to avoid eye contact.

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A District Odyssey

Author: 
Bhupendra Hooja
Post date: 
31 May 2016

Bhupendra Hooja (1920-2008) studied in Lahore before partition. He worked in All India Radio (AIR), BBC London and Delhi Administration before joining the IAS. He served mostly in Rajasthan. Post retirement, he was active as a seminarist, writer, editor, pamphleteer, inspiration and mentor for many NGOs and authors. He was editor of the Indian Book Chronicle, Jaipur for 21 years. In 1994 he published A Martyr's Notebook, an edited and annotated version of Bhagat Singh's jail notebook, which has subsequently been brought out in many English editions by various publishers and translated into multiple languages.

There is something memorable about one's first District assignment; something in the nature of a first love that even after decades one can recall quite vividly, the varied impressions and experiences of the district life. This was in the erstwhile district of Mahasu in the then Union Territory (UT) of Himachal Pradesh in the early 1960s.

My posting (or deputation) to Mahasu district in Himachal had come to me as a surprise. Perhaps, in those days, there was no established practice of consulting a prospective deputationist before he was sent out of his parent state to a different state or UT or on an assignment under the Government of India. Somehow, I had neither been consulted nor forewarned, though in the early summer months of 1962, I had a vague feeling or premonition that I would soon be shifted from my assignment as Secretary to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The orders came and I set out for new adventures amidst unknown frontiers.

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Musical Chairs Part 2 at Ajmer

Author: 
Subhash Mathur
Post date: 
21 May 2016

Subhash Mathur was born and brought up in small towns in Rajasthan. During his school and college education at Jaipur, he was keenly involved in sports, journalism and public speaking. His civil services career has given him a platform for spreading his ideas about modernising tax administration to benefit the commmon man. Post retirement he is devoting his energies, along with his wife Tilak, to public and humane causes.

It's Jolly (The Good Fellow) times again.

Even Stevens

Surely retribution will follow the cardinal Sin! [There are no independent Umpires!] And sure it did.

In October I joined Ajmer Division. Inspection of Ajmer Division was announced for 10th November. So sweet! By Collector himself! Jolly no less.

I knew my 'achhe din' at the Division were coming to a premature end. Surely this would be an Inquisition!

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My muse – If Music be the Food of Life!

Author: 
Subhash Mathur
Post date: 
21 May 2016

Subhash Mathur was born and brought up in small towns in Rajasthan. During his school and college education at Jaipur, he was keenly involved in sports, journalism and public speaking. His civil services career has given him a platform for spreading his ideas about modernising tax administration to benefit the commmon man. Post retirement he is devoting his energies, along with his wife Tilak, to public and humane causes.

It's Jolly (The Good Fellow) times again.

The Republic Day morning in January 1981 was gloriously sunny and cool at the same time. The sky was clear blue, dotted with wafts of cirrus clouds thinly spread.

The Flag hoisting ceremony was at 8.30 am sharp. Followed by fun and games for children and adults. The proceedings went with clockwork precision. We were on course for 9.30 date with refreshments. Spread of freshly baked Hot Samosas and juicy Jalebis from Suchha halwai, Lays wafers, bananas and a choice of Wagh Bakeri tea or coffee! Nescafe!

Jolly inspected the Guard of Honour without much fuss, and followed it up with handshakes with a few Retirees. (How much he disliked them – parasites living off the Dept even in retirement.)

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