TRUTH Versus HYPE

Truth vs Hype 

S Chenkual, New Delhi

Principal Secretary, Govt of Mizoram  vs Chief Electoral Officer, Mizoram

Principal Secretary, Pu Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, IAS  (Regular/ Direct Recruit) 1987, Gujarat Cadre

Chief Electoral Officer, SB Shashank, IAS (Conferred) 2016, AGMUT Cadre 

I am hereby indebted to pen down few thoughts about a series of small and what could be seen as baseless allegations but sensitive issues rather a plotted drama created by Mr SB Shashank, CEO, Mizoram a conferred AGMUT cadre IAS of 2016 Batch, against Mr Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, a Direct Recruit 1987 Batch IAS of Gujarat Cadre.

Mr Chuaungo has been serving as an IAS officer since 1987 till date under various capacities under Government of Gujarat, Govt of India, NEC and Govt of Mizoram as well. He is one of the best bureaucrats North East Region has ever produced. 

Due to his sincerity, honesty and wisdom he was given various important and heavy portfolios in the Government of Gujarat especially under Modi’s Chief Ministership despite the fact that there was a contingent of IAS officers who were academically more decorated. Some of his Important Posts in Gujarat Government include his tenure as 

Principal Secretary, Finance Dept 

Principal Secretary Energy & Petrochemical Dept

Chairman & Managing Director of Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd

Principal Secretary, Labour & Employment Dept

Principal Secretary, Education Dept 

Principal Secretary, GAD

Principal Resident Commissioner, Govt of Gujarat etc.

And he is currently posted under Govt. of Mizoram on an Inter-Cadre Deputation on the approval of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India from 2nd April, 2018 and was given the charge of Principal Secretary, Home and Finance Departments. He is decorated with a number of Awards in the past due to his excellent service.

Whereas Mr SB Shashank, a conferred IAS officer of AGMUT Cadre, 2016 batch is currently posted in Mizoram as Chief Electoral Officer.

As per the first information available on public domain from the Indian Express published on 1st November, 2018 , the later with all secrecy had submitted a series of unwarranted and illusory complaint against the former regarding the Polling Arrangement of so called Brus residing in Tripura Refugee Camps, the repatriation for those have been conducted by the state government countless numbers but still not fully successful  till date due to some vested interests from the people themselves and inconsiderable demands made by them for which Crores of Rupees have been thrown away meaninglessly by the State Government.

In his letter to the ECI, Mr Shashank alleged that Mr Chuaungo has been the sole instrument in abetting Mizoram Governments intrusion to curtail the rights of Brus living in Tripura Refugee Camps.

WHAT CRIME DID THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY COMMIT ILLEGALLY, AMOUNTING TO HIS REMOVAL?

1. The Principal Secretary as an official in-charge and head of Home Department sought an explanation from CEO as to why the arrangement is being made for deployment of Central Armed Police Forces without any prior consultation and discussion from Department of Home, Government of Mizoram, for the upcoming Assembly Elections to be held on 28th November, 2018 in a rather most peaceful state of the country having the distinction of peaceful conduct of any election in the past which is even a good example to be followed by every state. Moreover, The Principal Secretary of Home who took care of the Finance Department as well was curious about the need of such deployment where all expenditures are likely to be borne by the poor state even though in the past there never aroused any incident during elections where things have gone out of control of the State Police Forces or no such incapability is recorded.   

2. The Principal Secretary as a Finance Head had all the rights to seek clarity from the CEO regarding the plan of special arrangements to be made for Bru Refugees in Tripura Camps, the expenses of which will be borne by the State Government only.

3. The Principal Secretary as a Head of Home Department is authorized and competent to seek an explanation from so called CEO as to why he felt the need to make arrangement for deployment of CAPF in the upcoming election which indicates the trust deficit and incompetency of the State Police Forces but for which no failure incident has been recorded in the past.

By looking at the above reasons which the Principal Secretary also clearly stated in his letter to the CEO, there is no direct interference or any order in the form of instructions given to the Chief Electoral Officer to curtail the rights of the Bru Refugees or to curtail the free and fair election in the upcoming polls rather the Principal Secretary himself as a Head of Finance and Home Departments who is son of the soil of a poor state like Mizoram is just of the simple opinion that an economically weaker state like Mizoram it would be an extra burden in the exchequer if extra arrangements are made to those refugees and deployment of CAPF therefore urged that those whosoever interested to cast vote in this election may do so by coming to the nearest polling booth in Mizoram just like every other Mizos living outside the state across the country for those no special arrangements are being made.  

Therefore, It can be safely concluded in this way that all these groundless allegations made by the CEO, A newly entrant in Central Service against the Principal Secretary who is having 32 years of Excellent Reputations in a big state like Gujarat who has been endowed with all important and heavy portfolios rather can be seen as a plotted drama by the external force and the later became a scapegoat in this. Hence, the complaint leveled against the Principal Secretary is just a temporary refuge to escape from the ground reality by the CEO and those who revolve the chair in which he is sitting.

It can rather be concluded as a total misuse of the post of Chief Electoral Officer after the Model Code of Conduct is in place in the poll bound state and seems that the CEO apparently controlled by some people behind the curtain is looking every nook and corner to facilitate the Bru refugees to ensure their votings at any cost who are supposedly inclined to a particular political party for the upcoming election.  

Hence, the target will not be severely missed if a conclusion is drawn that the CEO first plays a blame-game on Principal Secretary to ensure that things are going in a particular direction as wished by some external force to achieve a dirty political mileage so that the main culprits are concealed behind this blame game. 

But as far as Mr Chuaungo’s tract record is concerned, there has not been a single case of allegation or any form of corruption or any indulgence in any unlawful activity in the past in any form during his tenure under various capacities anywhere but instead regarded as one of the best and competent bureaucrats in the Country which proved to be true from the kind of assignments he had in the past.

Rather, it is a massive shock and a very big question that how the conferred IAS barely 2 years in central service collected all the strength and bravery to act against the larger interest of the Government and people for which he is serving and go for the small number of distressed people beyond the political boundary of the state who are supposedly inclined with a particular political entity therefore can be a manifest in itself to hide the truth using hype of the highest voltage.