A job well done

One of the earliest posts in this blog was about elections. And how I detested the whole process and found it a waste of time and money. A slight correction. I still think its a huge waste of money when there are back to back elections and that we need to find a way to bunch them together the way it was done in Orissa a few days back. But apart from that, I have come to love this period.

I now realise that my dislike for it initially was due to my poor grasp over the language and I used to feel overwhelmed by the amount of reading of rules, circulars, letters that it required. But now, 5 years down the line, a bit better equipped linguistically, I had a bigger responsibility than previously to manage elections in about 6 times the area I previously had done. 

I have reached the conclusion that there is no task better organised than elections. Firstly, the rules of the game are crystal clear. No exceptions.While that seems so ordinary, the fact is, life in the day to day is not like that. Even if I want to keep it that way, there are many people above below and parallel who don't subscribe to that theory, for various reasons (a different debate altogether). This level playing field is absolutely wonderful because you can actually see how people change from this egoistic self obsessed attitude to one where they bow down to the rules. 

Secondly, this is the only task in which the staff remains disciplined. Unfortunately, one of the worst things about our society today is not corruption - that's the symptom. The root of it, is lack of self - discipline across the bureaucracy. Everything else stems from it. When a person thinks that however lower down in the hierarchy his post is, just because he is connected to x, y, z he can get away with blue murder, and actually often does - that's how everything that is wrong with us begins. There has to be a basic minimum of discipline towards our work, in our behaviour to our subordinates and superiors and a basic respect for the fact that the executive branch is separate from the political branch of governance. Anyhow, the point is, elections is the only time when that discipline surfaces, albeit due to fear of the Commission, but its a fear I most welcome. This creates a well oiled machinery working 24x7, days on end, but flawlessly.

Thirdly, things are unambiguous. I mean, you don't have much scope to interpret things differently and I for one, am in complete favour of that. I do realise that it isn't always possible to have iron clad rules for all departments, but I do think that any lee way that is given for interpretation has to be within a broader framework of clear cut rules otherwise it just causes problems and suspicions in the minds of people. However, in elections, this kind of clarity is most welcome. So, although it means that you have to read like a thousand letter everyday, its great  because anyone questions your decision, you can simply pull out the letter and wave it to them. And that silences all opposition!

At the end of the whole gruelling 2-3 months, when the job is done, the satisfaction.. its beyond words. I feel such pride in our team, our management and planning.. I cannot describe the sense of contentment.. I have a beatific smile on my face as I write about it!