My transfer from Yamunanagar district to Karnal district came as a surprise to many. About spending three months in Yamunanagar, I was asked to relocate to a new place. Of course there was a rationale to this decision — few metrics and analysis were taken into account thereby leading to my transfer. While a part of me resisted this change, I was also preparing myself to take up this challenge.
This transfer did not just mean new place but also new projects, new people, new challenges, new officers and a new start. It could have been seen as a new beginning or a beginning from scratch. I had mixed emotions about this situation and no one to talk to. Time is a major constraint in the program and I was scared of being defeated by time. More than anything, I was extremely sad about losing my older projects mid-way and for a long time, I was unable to let go of the past. This decision brought me closer to the reality of transfers in the ‘world of bureaucracy’. I was still an outsider experiencing something like this for the first time and that is when the daunting thought of all those who are part of the system and adjust themselves with such an experience crossed my mind. This incident compelled me to talk to the best of officers who shared their bitter sweet anecdotes of transfers.
Officer 1
Sir, how many transfers have you seen so far?
(Laughing) I forgot the count after 10.
Do you find this system of transfer a fair deal?
Hmm, not really but nothing is fair in this world, we all know what we are signing up and it is part of the system. There is a reason for this system to be in place.
What about your family?
Initially I wanted them to be with me but now that my children have grown up, this nomadic life is reserved just for me. It is difficult to explain to them why we have to shift. For them, they need to change their schools every time and a new school would mean new friends, which is difficult to manage every time.
How often do you get to meet them?
I visit them every weekend or usually they meet me here. There are times when we don’t get to meet for few weeks.
You said that there is a reason to have this system in place. Would you like to explain?
Well for one, stagnation and monopoly are the greatest threat to bureaucracy. If officers stay in one place for long, there are chances of them getting stagnated. New place brings a new challenge as well as fresh ideas to deal with the situation. It adds to your personal growth. I look at this parallel to a very simple example — in schools, when the teacher allows rotation of class monitors, it is only then that every child has the hope that a fair system is in place. A system where talents and mistakes are recognized.
Many shared good experiences and supported this system while others had a different perspective.
Officer 2
What do you feel about your recent transfer?
When you are not doing the right things i.e. pleasing the right people, you get transferred.
Our positions are purely political.
What about the projects you undertook in the previous district? Will they be continued?
That is the problem with the system. No matter what you do, no matter how much efforts you put in systematic change, if you don’t have the right connections, all your work comes to zero. Of course I remember all the projects I initiated in each district and the struggles I have faced to make things work but one transfer puts an end to it.
Also the projects you initiated, may or may not be continued. It is the individual’s call of the new person who has succeeded you.
What about an emotional attachment to a place, people and work you were doing in the previous place?
As officers, we have learnt to let go emotional attachment, since it will always pull you back. It might be a grey area of this job but also a reality and we have gotten accustomed to it.
What is the best thing about the transfers?
(With a smile) The best part is when you are missed for the good work you did. Good work is always appreciated and that is our reward. I don’t think the transfer is such a big issue for an officer because if your values are in place, no matter where you are, you can do wonders.
This was my orientation to move forward with a new vision and confidence in the new district. There is no guarantee of what the future holds but one thing is for sure that time is a constraint and it is better to work with it, than against it.
Disclaimer- The names of the officials have been kept confidential. Views shared are personal.
