Respected Modiji,
Shanti!
Let me begin on a positive note. During your 2019 re-election campaign, I requested several of my disciples in North India for a guru dakshina. Since South India, especially Tamil Nadu, lacks respect for sannyasis (partly due to Nityananda’s controversies), I did not make the same request there. Many of my disciples in the North were ready to offer whatever I asked, even requesting my bank account number. However, I only sought their vote as my guru dakshina, which they gladly gave after I explained why it was essential. In fact, even one staunch Congress supporter was convinced to vote for you after I shared my article “Why Modi Again.” Most of my disciples voted for you in 2019.
Despite the opposition’s natural duty to criticize, many people like me still have strong faith in you, even though we have reservations about certain fringe elements in your party and organization. However, my concern is that you may not have successfully communicated your vision to your party workers and various government offices, which could harm your chances in future elections. Urgent reform of these government offices is necessary.
When you became Prime Minister in 2014, you promised “Minimum government, maximum governance.” You began ambitiously, clearing unnecessary documents that were cluttering Parliament, and introduced transformative initiatives such as digitalization, which aimed to reduce office workloads and help the common people. This vision also promotes environmental responsibility by reducing paper usage. Yet, I fear this vision has not been fully realized by the government workers.
Take, for example, the Aadhar and PAN card system. Despite digital integration, whenever we visit the bank, we are still asked to provide physical copies of both cards repeatedly, even though the information is already available in their system. Recently, I went to my nationalized bank to close one account and merge it with another. They asked me to produce copies of my Aadhar and PAN cards, even though I had submitted these several times before. When I questioned this, the officer insisted it was required again. This practice does nothing to improve governance and only increases the grievances of the public.
Senior citizens, especially, face significant challenges. If someone forgets their documents, they must return home to get them. If there is no nearby Xerox shop or it’s closed, they must travel even further, often incurring additional expenses such as auto fares. Those coming from rural areas face even greater difficulties.
Another issue arises with services like the Post Office. I once wanted to send ten copies of my book to Nepal. When I went to my local post office in Hosur, they directed me to another branch 12 kilometers away. As a senior citizen with health issues and a caregiver for my 95-year-old mother, this was a major inconvenience. I finally had to ask my Muslim neighbor, Janab Abdullah, to help me send the parcel. Despite his efforts, he was told to bring additional Xerox copies and forms after traveling 24 kilometers. The next day, he returned to the post office, only to be told he could have sent the parcel from the local branch after all.
The post office system lacks coordination, adding to the frustration of the public. Officials create their own rules to reduce their workload, while senior citizens and those with physical challenges are left struggling. In my case, Abdullah had to open the parcel at the post office to check for explosives, even though it was well-packed. While it’s within the post office’s right to inspect packages, it would be more considerate to provide tape or packing materials to allow for re-sealing.
The inefficiencies continue, as every registered or speed post is digitally recorded. Yet, we are required to travel long distances to certain post offices to send packages abroad. This system places an unnecessary burden on senior citizens and others who may not have easy access to transportation. If private courier services can collect parcels from our homes, why can’t our government services offer the same convenience? This inefficiency raises the question: Are we paving the way for the privatization of public services, pushing them into competition with private companies?
Though leaders like you have a vision for India to become a superpower, the disconnect at the local level, where government offices increase grievances instead of alleviating them, could undermine your efforts. I urge you to address these issues, especially to help senior citizens and the physically challenged, and to ensure that your vision of “minimum government, maximum governance” becomes a reality.
I wrote this in 2020, and the situation remains unchanged. Yesterday, I sent my Air Mail post to the nearby Main Post Office in Thally through my village post office in Maruppalli. Unfortunately, the same issue occurred again. They returned it, stating that it could only be sent from a specific post office in Hosur. I was also required to open the package, show its contents, repack it in their presence, attach a copy of my Aadhar card, and fill out a declaration form.
At my age, living in a remote area, it is challenging to send letters abroad if such facilities are not provided even at nearby Main branches like the one in Thally. For investments in Post Office schemes, various facilities are offered, including assistance from local post offices, as these investments generate income for the Post Office. However, when seeking similar services, they are denied.
Despite the tall slogans about “Good Governance,” for common people, especially senior citizens living in rural areas, governance often becomes a source of grievance, regardless of which party is in power, whether at the Central or State level.
Swami Dayanand Bharati
[15-2-2020] Revised on 12-09-2024
Hosur, Tamil Nadu
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