Why are honest government officials harassed? Abha & YP Singh @ Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture

August 1, 2016

If you are corrupt then things are easy but if you want to be honest then be prepared to suffer,” stated social activist and lawyer, Abha Singh at the 10^th Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture held on July 30 at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration. It was organised by the Prakash Kardaley Friends’ Forum.

Ex-police officer, Suhas Gokhale’s book, ‘Kaidi Number C-14861’, was also launched at the hands of the chief guests, Y P Singh and Abha Singh.

The theme for the lecture, delivered by the guests, was ‘Why are honest government officials harassed?’. Y P Singh, who is a former civil servant and now a well-known lawyer, has authored two books. The first, ‘Carnage of Angels’, is about the complexity of corruption, right from the grassroots to the higher ranks in the police administration. ‘Vultures in Love’, his second book, is a scathing fictional commentary on corruption in the customs and income tax departments of the country.

Singh expressed his views on the book and even mentioned that whatever he has to say will be said through his film, ‘Kya Yahi Sach Hai?’. “The film is very authentic in nature. There are numerous films made on the police but this film shows what none of the other feature films have portrayed before,” he explained.

The two-hour film was about the downfall of an IPS officer and his wife who chose to remain honest in the system and not succumb to the corruption of the bureaucrats and ministers. After the screening, there was a brief interaction that Abha Singh had with the audience. Singh mentioned that it is important for the media and the public to come together to support an honest officer or a whistleblower.

“You have to ensure that the truth comes out. Thanks to the social media, nothing is hidden and there is constant pressure,” she said.

On being asked “Should we still have faith in the police force?” by someone in the audience, Singh responded by recalling her experience with the infamous hit-and-run case that involved actor, Salman Khan. “There were so many wrong summons that were issued. The system is that bad. It is all about political intervention and money. People become blind and the good officers are outnumbered. The system has to be transparent. Power shouldn’t be in the hands of a person but in the system itself,” she expressed.