Book review: Nilamadhab Mohanty, Different Colours: Reflections of a Civil Servant
| Author | S. K. Misra |
| Published date | 01 June 2020 |
| Date | 01 June 2020 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120922835 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Book Reviews 263
The book gives a sense of how the state and markets often create a lopsided
and populist leaning and that society must harness its strengths to form some
balance between the two. In a way, ‘Empowering Communities’ to do so consti-
tutes the essence of the book. The subject of the book is definitely popular, topical
and banks on ‘Inclusive Localism’ as the way to move forward.
Indurekha G. Prakash
Former Faculty, National College of Public
Administration and Governance (NCPAG),
University of the Philippines, Manila
E-mail: indugprakash@gmail.com
Nilamadhab Mohanty, Different Colours: Reflections of a Civil Servant.
Haranand Publications, 220 pp., `600.00 (Paperback). ISBN: 978-93-
88409-48-3.
DOI: 10.1177/0019556120922835
Many civil servants in the recent past have come out with their memoirs. The
book, Different Colours—Reflections of a Civil Servant by Nilamadhab Mohanty
is yet another valuable addition to the collection. Both candid and reflective, it
merits compulsory reading by every civil servant aspiring to make a mark. It is the
fascinating journey of a civil servant who was born and bred in a remote village
in Odisha under harsh conditions. Nevertheless, through grit and perseverance, he
fulfilled the dreams of his parents by excelling in whatever he did—whether in the
Balasore Zilla School, in Ravenshaw College at Cuttack, at the then prestigious
Allahabad University or later in life, studying for a Master’s degree in Economics
at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. He reflects on how things have
changed during this journey, and with a feeling of nostalgia observes:
In those days there was a sense of idealism and nationalism among the young men of
our generation, a desire to serve the nation in the public service arena and to discharge
one’s professional responsibilities with honesty and integrity.
The urge to make money at any cost and to amass material wealth as soon as possible,
was not as intense as is the case today. The society was not politicised to the extent it has
happened in recent years and the general public, including the old generation politicians
were treating public servants with respect and appreciation.
As a civil servant myself of earlier vintage, I can fully testify to the regrets men-
tioned in the book by Mohanty. However, he bemoans the fact that attitudes of
some classes of public servants have not changed since pre-Independence period
while they should have attuned to meet the changing circumstances. He refers
specifically to police behaviour, especially in remote areas, where public scrutiny
is not very effective.
Unlike developed societies, police is rarely seen as a ‘friend’ by an average
citizen in our society. A person is reluctant to go to a police station with his or
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