A Tale of Two Curtains

SS Kaimal 15 March 2021

Economy & Nation

Recently, there were reports in the press about lavish amounts being spent on renovation of toilets in the office of the Planning Commission in New Delhi. In response, Planning Commission officials stated that the works were done by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Having had my career as an engineer in the CPWD, I had occasion to hear and witness many tales about the “progress” we have made since independence, on public expenditure for private whims and vanities of VIPs. The following are two such tales.

In 1962, when Dr Radhakrishnan was President, the division in charge of the maintenance of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, was under the control of a superintending engineer, who was a meticulous perfectionist with very refined tastes.

Once, during an inspection he felt that the curtains in the room in which the President received foreign dignitaries, were not quite up to the mark. He promptly ordered the executive engineer (EE) to change them after getting the sample of cloth approved by the President.

During his next inspection, he found that the curtains were unchanged, and pulled up the executive engineer. The EE pleaded helplessness, because, he said that the President did not want any change.

But the superintending engineer was a determined man.

He asked the EE to get him an appointment to meet the President, so that he could personally plead with him. The appointment was duly granted.

When the superintending engineer walked into the room and paid his respects, Dr Radhakrishnan, asked him in his customary professorial manner,

“Well, Mr superintending engineer, what is the problem?”

“Sir, we were seeking your approval to change the curtains in one of the rooms.”

“Yes, your EE told my secretary. But I see nothing wrong with the existing curtains.”

“You are right, sir, but we thought because you receive many foreign dignitaries in that room, we should put in something better.”

At this, Dr Radhakrishnan, burst out laughing aloud.

And then, assuming a very serious demeanour, he said, “Mr superintending engineer, you are under a delusion. The foreign dignitaries come to see me. They do not come to see the curtains! I do not want the resources of our country where millions go hungry, to be spent on such minor frills!”

Twenty-five years later, in 1987, I had occasion to go round the Parliament House building.

Inside the Prime Minister’s office there, the assistant engineer proudly pointed out to me the silk curtains newly put in.

He said they were very costly and were specially woven in the Benares handlooms, to the designs of a private consultant in interior decoration who was arbitrarily appointed on a lucrative consultancy for a long period for refurbishing government buildings.

I smiled, because I was reminded of the curtains in Dr Radhakrishnan’s room.

We seemed to have made a lot of “progress” in 25 years!

(SS Kaimal is former chief engineer of the government of India and former chief technical adviser to the United Nations (UN). He is also the founder joint secretary of the All-India Confederation of Central Government Officers' Associations, which worked in the 1960s and 1970s for reforms in the administrative apparatus and to convert it into a modern, people friendly organisation, liberated from the Macaulayan snail-paced red tape rituals.)

Comments

User

tillan2k

5 years ago

noise channels were airing Mehbooba soft furniture 70 lakhs spent of linen bed sheets 14 lakhs on cutlery 100 crores on Dy Cm house of Bihar when poor messiah was occupying .. India is poor country inhabited by super rich elected leaders

tapanksur

5 years ago

we have really upgraded ourselves from those times, today we believe in poore ghar ke baadal dalo, latest is we even plan to knock down buildings to have a new August house.

cjninan

5 years ago

The President and PM are people representative. India is a proud country and hence we want others who visit us to see what we are. When guest come to your house do u like to show them the better you or not. Why do indians spend so much on weddings. You can never remove poverty. Just because there are poor it does not mean ambani should have their party at a slum. Come on. Those days we had Mahatma Ghandi and hence following his principles were ok.
Think of US president going to other countries in commercial airlines economy class. Afterall there is poverty in usa too. No. We should show what we are. Very happy that we have custom built air india for PM and President. Lets us be proud of what we are and show off what we are capable off instead of saying there is poverty so i will eat dhall chawal

cjninan

Replied to cjninan comment 5 years ago

Just to add. Next time when dignitaries visit lets borrow bench from govt school snd make them sit there and after the dignitaries leave we can return. Afterall we saved money. Lets keep few guys with hand held newspaper so that they can use it like a fan when its too hot. That would be saving no need for ac. Lets rent a chawl at dharavi when these guys come. Afterall they are comming to see the president.....i can go on and on. Humility is good bit not at the expense of our Country.

tapanksur

Replied to cjninan comment 5 years ago

extremes do not help any cause, that was 50 years back, we have moved ahead quite a lot, but then where does one draw the line, some will say why not have Gold-laden ceilings, Gold toilet seats like the king of Brunie, wall made of Italian marble & so on. Before indulging in such narratives, let us also understand that even today many do not have toilets, I can take people for a dekho of one house in Mumbai where the lady cooks on wood.

ABHIJIT TRIPATHI

Replied to cjninan comment 5 years ago

Those things you mentioned are needed to provide comfort to dignitaries. No one cares about the fact that curtains are of silk. Similarly no one cares if the rug they are walking on is made by Persian rug makers and was bought in 17th century. They just need a clean surface to walk on. There is a difference between comfort and frivolous expenditure. Similarly bathrooms should have functioning taps and clean decor. No one cares if the sanitary ware is from Paris. Our own Cera sanitary ware will do