क्या देश के आम नागरिक को वास्तविकता के बारे में बताना अपराध है

कुछ दिन पहले कबाड़ख़ाने में एक ईमानदार आई. पी. एस. अफ़सर अभिनव कुमार को लेकर एक आलेख छापा गया था. मामला यूं था कि इस अत्यधिक प्रतिभावान और पढ़े लिखे अफ़सर की बेबाकी हमारे आला हुक्मरानों के क़तई गले नहीं उतर पाई थी. छठे वेतन आयोग की सिफ़ारिशों में भारी विसंगतियों को लेकर अभिनव ने इन्डियन एक्सप्रेस में दो लेख लिखे थे. बहुत सलीके से भारतीय अफ़सरशाही की बखिया उधेड़ते इन लेखों के कारण केन्द्र सरकार ने अभिनव को बाक़ायदा एक नोटिस भेजा जिसकी तफ़सील आप पिछली पोस्ट में पढ़ चुके हैं.

अभिनव की कलम की ईमानदारी देखनी हो तो उन का लेख 'लोनली मैन विद लाठी' पढ़ियेगा. यह बात दीगर है कि पिछले कई सालों से इस प्रतिष्ठित अख़बार में नियमित रूप से पुलिस कान्स्टेबलों की सरकारी दुर्गति को लेकर लिखे गए उनके किसी भी लेख पर केन्द्र को क्या राज्य सरकार को कभी कोई आपत्ति नहीं हुई.

बहरहाल अपने लेख 'द अदर कास्ट-सिस्टम' में वे लिखते हैं: "अखिल भारतीय सेवाओं ने देश की उम्मीदों को पराजित करना कब शुरू किया? क्या १९७० के दशक में लगी इमरजेन्सी ने? या १९८४ के सिख विरोधी दंगों के समय? या क्या १९९२ में हुआ बाबरी मस्जिद का ध्वंस संभवतः एक बेहतर निर्धारक-चिन्ह माना जा सकता है?"

इसी लेख में आगे जाकर उनका मानना है कि "वैश्वीकरण के पन्द्रह सालों बाद, राजनेताओं और व्यवसाइयों को अपने अन्तहीन लालच से निर्मित खेल की हदें तराशने के लिए आई.ए.एस. अफ़सरों की ज़रूरत पड़ती है, जबकि आई.पी.एस. का काम इस स्वार्थ और लूट से उपजने वाले हिंसक सामाजिक प्रभावों का प्रबंधन भर रह गया है."

इस लेख में अभिनव कुमार छठे वेतन आयोग की सिफ़ारिशों को भारतीय लालफ़ीताशाही के इतिहास की नई मनुस्मृति बताते हुए राजनीति-अफ़सरशाही-व्यवसायी के लौह त्रिकोण को अनावृत्त करते हुए बताते हैं कि कैसे एक स्वार्थप्रेरित साज़िश की मदद से सारा देश लुटेरों के हाथों गिरवी धर दिया गया है.

जाहिर है एक सेवारत अफ़सर के ये बयान आसानी से इस लौह-त्रिकोण को पचने वाले नहीं थे. केन्द्र सरकार की चिट्ठी के कुछ अंश पुनः उद्धृत कर रहा हूं जिसमें अभिनव कुमार से राज्य सरकार की मारफ़त अपना स्पष्टीकरण देने का 'आदेश' दिया गया था:

Shri Kumar has alleged/implied that only coalitions of vested interest come to power through elections and that they take the patronage of the Indian State in cash or kind and has further stated that the IAS exists today only to deliver this patronage in an organized and legitimate manner and take its own cut in cash or kind. He has attempted to paint all parties and politicians with the same brush and has, in that context, alleged/implied that all of them are involved in the loot of the nation in their own selfish interests. It is further alleged that all IAS officers are only engaged in delivering this loot to the politicians and take their own cut in cash or in kind.

The writer has explicitly stated that the nation is presided over by a triad of politicians, businessman and bureaucrat kleptocracy. Kleptocracy is defined as a government or state in which those in power exploit natural resources and steal; rule by a thief or thieves. The term kleptocracy is used for high level corruption by senior officials. Therefore, the writer has implied that the nation is ruled by an evil triad of politicians bureaucrats and politicians and their rule is a rule of thieves. He has also stated that the politicians and the businessmen are even now shaping the rules of the game in a manner suited to their unending greed and that the IAS officers are helping them in this nefarious purpose. He has further made serious accusations by stating that the IAS is concerned only with ensuring its own primacy even at the cost of the national interest.

He has criticized the entire 6th CPC which comprised Justice B.N. Shrikrishna as Chairmen and Prof Ravindra Dholakia, Shri J.S. Mathur and Smt Sushma Nath as Members, by accusing the members of the Commission of seeking to undermine the very letter and spirit of the Constitution by appropriating the Indian state as the plaything of the IAS.

He has also cast aspersions on the integrity of very senior officers of the Government of India who comprise the Committee of Secretaries formed to consider the recommendations of the 6th CPC by stating they cannot rise above service interests in looking into the grievances of officers including IPS officers. It is apparent that he is also casting aspersions on the integrity of the non IAS members of the Committee by implying that they would not have any role to play in the ultimate decision of the Committee. The officers against whom such statements have been made are the Cabinet Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary, the Expenditure Secretary, The Secretary Department of Personnel and Training, the Secretary Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare, the Secretary Department of Posts, the Secretary Department of Science and Technology, Financial Commissioner, Railway Board, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General and Secretary (security) Cabinet Sectt. Implicitly the writer has also criticized the action and the policy of the government and of the highest authority in the government by calling into the question the composition of the Committee of Secretaries and implying that it is not capable of looking into the issue in an impartial, unbiased and objective manner.

अब देखिये इसी चिट्ठी को राज्य स्तर पर प्रमुख सचिव द्वारा कैसे इस अफ़सर तक पहुंचाया जाता है:

आपके द्वारा राष्ट्रीय समाचार पत्र 'दि इन्डियन एक्सप्रेस' (नई दिल्ली संस्करण) दिनांक: २७ मार्च २००८ को 'The Other Caste System' तथा 'दि इन्डियन एक्सप्रेस' (नई दिल्ली संस्करण) दिनांक: २३ मार्च २००८ को 'By the IAS for the IAS' नामक लेख प्रकाशित किए गए हैं. उक्त लेखों की विषयवस्तु अखिल भारतीय सेवाएं आचरण नियमावली १९६८ में निहित प्रावधानों के प्रतिकूल है. उपर्युक्त लेखों में प्रतिकूल तथ्य निम्नवत हैं:

1. You have alleged that only coalitions of vested interest come to power through elections and the patronage of the Indian State in cash or kind and have further stated that the IAS exists today only to deliver this patronage in an organized and legiltimate manner and take its own cut in cash or kind .You have attempted to paint all parties and politicians with the same brush and have in that context you alleged that all of them are involved in the loot of the nation in their own selfish interests. It is further alleged that all IAS officers are only engaged in delivering this loot to the politicians and take their own cut in the bounty in cash or in kind.

2. You have explicitly stated that the nation is presided over by a triad of polticians , businssmen and bureaucrat kleptocracy. Kleptocracy is defined as a government or state in which those in power exploit national resources and steal, rule by a thief or tjieves. The term kleptocracy is used for high level corruption by senior officials. Therefore, you have implied that the nation is ruled by an evil triad of politicians, bureacurat and businessmen and their rule is a rule of thieves. You have also stated that the politicians and the businessmen are even now shaping the rules of the game in a manner suited to their unending greed and the IAS officers are helping them in this nefarious purpose. You have further made serious accusations by stating that the IAS is concerned only with ensuring its own primacy even at the cost of the national interest.

3. You have criticized the entire 6th Central Pay Commission, which comprised justice B.N. Srikrishna as Chairman and Prof. Ravindra Dholakia, Shri J.S. Mathur And Smt. Sushma Nath as members, by accusing the members of the Commission of seeking to undermine the very letter and spirit of the Constitution by appropriating the Indian state as the plaything of the IAS.

4. You have also cast aspersions on the integrity of very senior officers of the Government of India who comprise the committee of Secretaries, formed to consider the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission by stating that they cannot rise above service interests in looking into the grievances of officers including IPS officers. It is apparent that you are also casting aspersions on the integrity of the non-IAS members of the committee by implying that they would not have any role to play in the ultimate decision of the committee. The officers against whom such statements have been made are the Cabinet Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary, the Expenditure Secretary, the Secretary, Department of Personal and Training, the Secretary, Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare, the Secretary, Department of Posts, the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Financial Commissioner, Railway Board, Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General and Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat, Implicitly, you have also criticized the action and policy of the government and of the highest authority in the government by calling into question the composition of the committee of Secretaries and implying that it is not capable of looking into issue in an impartial, unbiased and objective manner.

उपरोक्तानुसार आपके द्वारा अखिल भारतीय सेवाएं आचरण नियमावली १९६८ के नियम ७ में निहित प्रावधानों का उल्लंघन किया गया है. ...

चिट्ठी में कुछ एक-दो औपचारिक वाक्य और हैं बस. आप ज़रा देखिये कि राज्य स्तर पर प्रमुख सचिव जैसे महत्वपूर्ण ओहदे से लिखे गए पत्र में पहले ही वाक्य में अभिनव कुमार को अपराधी घोषित करते हुए उसी चिट्ठी को सीधे-सीधे कॉपी-पेस्ट कर दिया गया है जो केन्द्र सरकार से भेजी गई थी.

मैंने बताया था कि अभिनव ऑक्सफ़ोर्ड विश्वविद्यालय से पढ़े-लिखे अफ़सर हैं और उनकी समझ, मानवीय मूल्यों के प्रति सजगता और ईमानदारी निर्विवाद है. इस पाये के अफ़सर को सिर्फ़ नियम - कानूनों का हवाला देकर, बिना किसी ठोस तर्क के 'धमकाया' जाना न सिर्फ़ अभिनव की समझदारी का मखौल उड़ाए जाने जैसा है बल्कि दशकों से सड़ रही हमारी लालफ़ीताशाही की कार्यप्रणाली को नंगा कर के रख देना भी है.

सरकार के इस कृत्य को मीडिया ने नोटिस किया और अभिनव के समर्थन में वह आगे भी आया. 'कादम्बिनी' के जुलाई अंक में 'कबाड़ख़ाना' के हवाले से इस बाबत एक टिप्पणी लगाई गई थी.

इसके अलावा १ जुलाई २००८ को अखिल भारतीय आई.पी.एस. एसोसियेशन द्वारा आहूत एक असाधारण बैठक में केन्द्र सरकार के इस कृत्य की निन्दा में एक प्रस्ताव पारित हुआ और इस बाबत प्रभु चावला ने 'मेल टुडे' के ७ जुलाई के अंक में छापा:

"Last week, about 150 officers of the IPS officers( Central) association met in New Delhi, among them several DGPs and IGs. Their grouse –Pay Commission, promotion norms, pensions, empanelment etc. The policemen are showing anew belligerence. They are particularly galled that ashowcause notice has been served on Abhinav Kumar, abright young SSP from the Uttarakhand cadre. His crime was that he wrote two incisive articles in anewspaper about the stepmotherly treatment to the IPS. Each time abomb blast takes scores of lives in Hyderabad, Jaipur or wherever, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister appear on TV to wax eloquent about the need to strengthen the internal security apparatus. No dispute on that. But instead of heading for the green room to comb his hair before facing the TV cameras, Shivraj Patil, perhaps the most ineffective Home Minister this country has ever had, should put his money where his mouth is and give these brअ ve officers their due."


हमारे यहां सूचनाओं पर नाग की तरह बैठी रहने वाली सरकारें और अफ़सरशाही अब भी सूचना के अधिकार के अस्तित्व में आने के बावजूद यथास्थिति बनाए रखने की हामी हैं. दफ़्तरों में कागज़-पत्तरों के अबूझ पहाड़ों के तले देश लगातार बिकता रहा है.

ऐसे में अभिनव कुमार का मानना है कि यदि देश के आम नागरिक को वास्तविकता के बारे में बताना अपराध है तो हम सब अपराधी गिने जाने चाहिये. आप क्या कहते हैं?