AFVOA Newletter August 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2020 Page 148 of 237 24 Humour in the Civil Service Capt R.Sivasailam IAS Genre: Humour ivil Servants are often described as an unusually serious blend of people who will look at rule books twice, even to laugh inside their own cabins! And it's not a ‘desi’ phenomenon but an universal trait crafted well because of the lacklustre and sedentary lifestyle which bureaucracy follows. They are perceived as being wooden and are often accused of lacking in a sense of humour. But I have noticed the subtle humour in many incidents experienced by me and narrated / reported to me. Jokes apart, I am happy to share below some real stories that reflect the fun element amidst the high and dry civil life. Witty Life in and around the IAS Academy at Mussorie : This happened during our IAS training at Mussorie. The Salary cheque did not reach on time and my good friend Ashok Saikia’s name appeared in the defaulter’s list at the Officer’s Mess , not once but twice! Even vendors like Hari (Canteen), ‘Galthi Mauf ’ (Fruit Seller) , Whispering Windows (Bar) and Jackson (Draper) stopped their credit line to him because of his overdrawal. We prompted Ashok to send a “reply paid” express telegram (a great facility those days) to his Collector with this text--- drafted by me : STARVING (.) SALARY NOT RECEIVED (.) Prompt came the reply from his witty Collector: CHEQUE DESPATCHED (.) START EATING (.) A.N.JHA SPECIAL : At the introductory first day of training, an IIT alumnus, who had been selected to the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) said, he had given up his post in the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) to come over to the Civil Service stream. When someone in the gathering commented that the loss to the Railways was a gain to the Defence Services, Director Shri A.N.Jha, ICS retorted deadpan that it could as well be the other way round ! � C