Describing political intervention as a necessary element in a democracy for addressing public issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Yesterday (Tuesday) advised civil servants against viewing it as a hindrance to their functioning. At the Civil Services Day function, Mr. Modi’s observation about bureaucrats listening to him with all seriousness drew a hearty laugh when he said: “I have never been to Mussoorie [Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration where All-India Service recruits undergo training], but do you remain serious like this there as well? … Why have you all been sitting like this, I am not going to ask you for any new work.” Stating that a bureaucrat’s life should not remain confined to files, the Prime Minister said though they were good at time management, they needed to spend quality time with their families. “A stressful life … I do not think under these circumstances anyone can do justice to any cause … How would you run such a large country, if you become dull,” he said adding he needed colleagues filled with energy. Mr. Modi drew a distinction between political interference and intervention, stating that the first one ruined the system but the other was necessary and inevitable in a democracy, for public interest-driven decision-making. “Political intervention and democracy go hand in hand in a democracy,” he said.
