'TAKING PRIDE IN PRACTISING BEST QUALITIES IN LIFE'S STRUGGLE'
On 2nd Mar one of the senior most members (aged 90 years) in our Sr. Citizens Forum, Shri G. Raghava Reddy, an IPS officer and winner of President's Police Medal for distinguished service, put up the following post encouraging us to come up with our contribution to society based on the qualities listed therein, 'generating proud among well meaning elders'. Subsequently he himself came up with another post describing one of his own proud moments of participating in the Quit India Movement'.
Here I am narrating one of my own such proud moments. However, u would find the narration a bit lengthy, and hence I would request to be patient enough to go through the same as the incident pertains to a 5 year long saga of struggle, perseverance, pain, resilience, grits, guts, and fighting spirit to uphold integrity and honesty in the field of public service, of course, followed by triumph and proud feeling and ultimate job satisfaction.
The post of Shri G Raghava Reddy in question:
"DEAR SENIOR FRIENDS;
WE BECOME SENIOR CITIZENS AFTER TUMULTUOUS LONG LIFE. WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOCIETY
“FAITH, PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, RELIABILITY INTEGRITY, HONESTY, AND SINCERITY,SHOULD ENABLE US TO REACH A PLACE IN LIFE; FROM WHERE WE CAN HAVE A COMMANDING VIEW OF LIFE’S "PANORAMA".
as observed by an eminent author.
Dear colleagues. Please leave a word or two as your response for generating pride among well meaning elders"
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My struggle and triumph generating proud moments
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In 1982 the Min. of Labour forcefully transferred me to Trivandrum to take over the charge of Protector of Emigrants (POE) from Min. of External Affairs. The work related mainly to giving emigration clearance to workers seeking employment in gulf countries, and the field was very sensitive and rampant with corruption at various levels involving a nexus of politicians, police personnel, travel and recruiting agents and emigration staff themselves and it was rather impossible to function sincerely. On questioning by the then Labour Secy and Jt. Secy(Emigration) I admitted the fact of difficulty to function sincerely explaining the situation prevailing in the field. However, they insisted to move assuring all support and care from the Ministry in case I faced any problem or difficulty due to functioning sincerely and honestly and offering early transfer back to Delhi.
Soon after I took over charge, pressure started mounting from quarters like MPs, MLAs, State Ministers, politicians, police personnel, travel and recruiting agents and other individuals to grant emigration clearance to persons of their choice for employment, that was actually not there, in gulf countries, on forged and fictitious visa and employment contracts, of course, on offer of sufficient graft, on the plea that it was a normal practice there hitherto. I stood my ground and refused to budge aware of the fact that those intending emigrants are being cheated and they were bound to get stranded and lodged in gulf jails, and granted clearance strictly based on valid and genuine documents. Having failed in their efforts, these unscrupulous group connived and struck out a plan for illegal trafficking with the help of airport immigration police, which act is famously known in Malayalam parlour as 'Chavittikkayattu' i. e, pushing abroad with a kick. After introducing this method successfully, most of the group members challenged me saying "you don't have to give clearance, but we will easily manage to send them abroad through tvm airport itself and u won't be able to do anything however u try to stop us". In fact rumours had reached me about the illegal activities at the airport and the modus operandi was by watching my movements through agents posted to confirm my presence in my office or at home on holidays during flight times and in case I happened to leave the office or home, by informing the PRO or DySP at the airport.
The Emigration Act provided for regular surprise inspection of flights by POE with the escort of police to detect illegal emigration. So for my first surprise inspection, I sought and was given a police contingent of 7 personnel and on completing the inspection, I failed to detect any illegal emigrant while I came across many last moment cancellations, suggesting presence of illegal emigrants, which fact was confirmed afterwards by one member of the police team who confided in me saying that before leaving for the airport, the leader of the police team had conveyed to the Port Registration Officer (PRO) of CI rank that the POE was on his way to airport for inspection and that the illegal emigrants if any may be withdrawn.
Consequently, taking all the inherent risks, I started inspections alone and every time I returned unsuccessfully, I used to get chiding calls belittling my efforts and challenging me that I would never succeed in my efforts but they would in their operation. I knew that a parallel illegal emigration was in vogue along with my legal one and the thought and their challenge started prickling my conscience urging me to do something immediately to clear the deck. After lot of thought and possible plans, on a Saturday evening I left for my native place to give an impression that I was away, and then on Sunday I landed at the airport. Avoiding the normal route I reached the security check counter through the customs hall but still was stopped by the Security official on the plea that he was under orders not to allow anybody but genuine passengers into the lounge, on recognition from my special pass and smelling trouble. Meanwhile he managed to tip off the Air India Manager so that all the passengers were boarded immediately. Smelling failure, I gate-crashed the Security gate, warning the staff not to obstruct me from my official duty. I checked the passports of about two-third of the passengers still to board and came across 5 illegal emigrants with forged documents and off loaded them and filed an FIR with the nearest police station also listing the names of SIs who signed the departure stamps in the passports. Knowing fully well that the police will manage to wriggle out of the case, I met the State Home Secy, explained the whole issues involved, seeking a proper result for my efforts, also telling him that I would be sending a report to Ministry also mentioning abt my mtg with him and got an assurance from him to investigate and take strict action against those involved. In my presence he instructed the IG in charge of Airport to investigate and report within one week. On the sixth day the IG telephoned and congratulated me for my brave and successful operation and revealed that the three SIs involved have been kept under suspension and that I can read the report in the next day's newspapers. It was a shock for the police force and the nexus and soon I started receiving threatening calls from police, politicians n travel agents. The police even clearly told that they were famous for the Rajan episode of emergency period and I and my family would end up that way unless I resisted from further actions of valour and heroism and leave tvm. (,Rajan, an Engineering student during emergency period was terminated by Kerala police while in police custody supposedly at the behest of the political powers for raising voice against the authorities)
I sent a detailed report on my successful operation and the result thereof and continued with regular inspections and sending reports to the Ministry including that of any other unusual events. I also sent a report abt the threat to my life and to that of my family and sought sufficient protection, at the same time assuring that I would continue with my inspections irrespective of the threats. The Ministry took up the matter with the State Home Secy. and the IG reassured me that he has taken all the precautions n that nothing would happen and that I may go ahead boldly as if nothing had happened. He assured all cooperation in my further moves and sought from me some suggestions to stop the illegal emigration to which I responded with some suggestions and he implemented them effectively. He even told me that his efforts to check the menace had failed due to political involvement. One of the suggestions was thatimmigration clearance to all fresh passengers going for employment to gulf should be entrusted exclusively to the PRO (Circle Inspector ) and not to the SIs., so that the responsibility on this score could be pinpointed in case of any problem. Subsequently also I conducted further operations at airport, hotels n offices of travel agents where illegal recruitment of intending emigrants were being held and filed many FIRs. I had once off loaded a group of 25 emigrants from the flight who happened to have been recruited with the help of manipulated documents by the relation of the then Union External Affairs Minister from Kerala. The Dy.SP at the airport who was naturally nursing strong grudge against me due to the damage I had caused to their reputation, tried to heckle me with the help of the off loaded passengers to which I reacted by insisting that he was obstructing my work deliberately and inciting the passengers to attack me and hence forced him to personally escort me to my office lest I would instantly report the matter to the IG. It worked and he actually escorted me back to my office but on the way he boasted n warned me that the matter is going to be raised in the Parliament and that I may get transferred in no time. I reported the matter to Min. and to the IG. The IG had already got an intelligence report in the matter and based on both he recommended for placing the DSP on suspension but due to the strong influence of the DSP, the Home Minister ordered for issuing a warning only to him. However, soon the External Affairs Minister approached the then Union Labour Minister and insisted on transferring me away from tvm as I was 'harassing' the air passengers. However, the Labour Secretary prevailed over the Minister convincing him by showing my report and assuring that I was doing right things and doing excellent work compared to my counterparts at Bombay n other places where many POEs and other staff members had been placed under suspension based on CBI raids and for corruption.
I had also to earn the ire of the then CM of the State for not granting emigration clearance for his own son for employment in UAE based on incomplete documents and again for refusing visit clearance for Singapore to his own wife n son and another 7 youths in the absence of required documents. On both occasions he threatened me saying that i may get ready to leave tvm soon. I only thanked him if he could manage that since I had come to tvm against my wishes, but he also failed miserably in his efforts. ( however, in due course I granted clearance in both the cases upon production of required documents).
Meanwhile I had to face non-cooperation from some of my own staff since their undue expectations were being throttled due to my strict enforcement of corruption free functioning in my office while their counterparts in emigration offices elsewhere were evidently making good of their position. My Assistant had, upon joining the office, made special arrangements with certain agencies for eking out extra graft income. Having come to know about the same, I managed to get him transferred back to Delhi, but his friend in the Ministry informed him in advance about the same and as soon as the transfer orders were issue he managed with the help of a judge related to him in the Kerala High Court for a stay order and instantly handed over the same to me when I passed on to him the transfer order. Thus in a matter of months after I took over charge I became a very sharp thorn not only in the flesh of almost all politicians including MPs, MLAs , ministers, State police force, travel and recruiting agents, local Air India and Customs personnel (I had to face resistance from these two agencies including some unsavoury encounters as well in sincerely fighting against illegal emigration as they were also in the nexus ) but also in the flesh of most of my subordinates. But I strongly stood my ground and nothing deterred me from my well intented work n aim. The group tried all their best to trap me in various ways; by sending agents to my residence while I was in office and trying to hand over bundles of notes to my wife saying I had sent them but my wife never fell for that fully aware of my nature and integrity; the police tried to trap me with the help of CID and CBI Inspectors on fictitious and manipulated grounds where my alertness defeated their efforts. When all these efforts failed, complaints against me started to pour in to the Ministry from many MPs from Kerala and urging for my removal. Ministry would send copies of the same to me (by hiding the identity) seeking my comments and I would simply attach a copy of my relevant report, convincing Min. resulting in no action. When this also failed, the MPs stooped so low to raise Parliament questions against me in both LS n RS in many sessions going to the extent of raising in the category of "Matter of Urgent Public Importance". Min. as a routine would forward the same and seek my parawise comments which I gave also by attaching the relevant reports. Nothing happened. . The most interesting fact is that in none of the umpteen VIP complaints and PQs, there was no mention at all about any sort of corrupt practice by me, since they were rest assured that in my case that won't work since they could never gather any evidence to that effect however they tried. This routine went on for abt five years. Normally a person was not being posted in emigration office for more than 1 yr at a time. But in my case, because of the deliberate complaints against me, Ministry deliberately continued with me, also considering my spotless good service, lest a wrong signal would be sent to my predators that they succeeded in their efforts in case I was transferred soon. This was revealed to me by the Dir. of Emigration saying that they were waiting for the so called pseudo whistle blowers to completely cool down and settle for complete failure in their efforts.
Things were getting settled without much noteworthy event, when on the eve of the 1987 Republic Day, i received a tip off that at the instance of the DySP at the airport (who had been there since a long time before my arrival at tvm and who enjoyed top political backing) a group of illegal emigrants were being trafficked on the R Day 26 Jan, during which evening flight time i was supposed to have been partaking in a customary tea party being hosted by the Governor for the local Central govt. Heads of Offices, which fact was aware to the airport DSP. I immediately conveyed my regret to the Governor's office abt my inability to attend for personal reasons and next day I secretly dashed to the Airport. I entered the lounge just before boarding was to start and checked the passports of all the passengers but could not come across any illegal emigration. However, all through, i had my eyes on the flight waiting outside n the tarmac through the door of the lounge and luckily noticed that about 10 baggages were being off loaded from the hanger so that the illegal emigrants were not being boarded though their baggages were already loaded. After the flight took off I collected the final manifest from Air India counter and observed that about a dozen final moment cancellation had occured. I pointed this out to the counter clerk and questioned abt the reason for the same. He secretly confided in me that majority of them were illegal emigrants who, after getting all clearances including security check and adeparture stamp in their passports, they were, instead of allowing to enter the lounge, huddled in a corner outside security check area to be boarded lastly after all other passengers boarded and also after ensuring that I was not around there. However, my sudden presence caused panic amongst the perpetrators and these persons were secretly ushered out with the help of the DSP and their luggages off loaded from the flight. In fact, he told, on knowing that they were being off loaded they started to create a scene but the DSP and agents managed to pacify them by assuring to send them in tomorrow's flight without fail. "So, u can try ur luck tomorrow", he encouraged me.
Next day I took one of my clerks along with me to the airport. I planted him, just 5 minutes before the boarding time, at the entrance gate of the big hall accommodating the emigration, customs, security etc. counters and instructed that he should never move away from that spot till I returned and in case any passenger tried to leave the hall, his passport and air ticket should be confiscated by showing his emigration staff ID. I also warned him it is most likely that the Air India Manager, DSP, PRO etc. may try to misguide him and force to allow the passengers to leave to which he should not fall for but insist u were only following my (POE) instructions and that they should not obstruct his official work. After that I went to the lounge via the Customs hall and started inspecting the passports of passengers and allowing them to board, while keeping an eye on the flight outside, as was done the previous day. As expected, i was granted the view of off loading the very same baggages off loaded the previous day suggesting reaction to my presence. Now I knew that further movements and course of action would depend on how my clerk performed. Within few minutes my clerk came running and panting to the lounge upstairs and showed me a passport and air ticket blurting that the DSP told him that the passenger received message that his father was hospitalised after an attack and has to rush back. I practically roared at him at the top of my voice urging to rush back and wait at the gate and confiscate similar other documents and wait for me by totally ignoring the please of DSP or others. I 'continued my inspection and boarding of passengers and after the flight took off went to the main gate where my clerk was waiting. I found that 5 each of Passports and tickets were confiscated by him and the passengers were also standing by his side. When I tried to meet the DSP, i was told that he had left for the day on emergency. On questioning, the PRO admitted that he had signed all the departure stamps in the passports. I immediately filed an FIR with the local police station and also reported to the Ministry and the IG. The IG carried out investigations and after convincing himself that both the DSP and the PRO were directly involved in the illegal emigration effort, both were kept under suspension. From the beginning the DSP, as an important part of the nexus, has been making all out efforts to trap, harass, obstruct, tarnish, and threaten me for carrying out my duty sincerely and honestly, without imagining or knowing that by his own actions in the process he himself was digging his own grave.
About a month later the investigative journalist of the Malayalam daily 'Mathrubhoomi' came to my office and told that currently he was contributing a serial writing to the daily entitled 'Akkarappacha', meaning 'mirage' in the context of the influx to gulf countries by people seeking lucrative jobs covering the working conditions, corruption and harassment meted out to emigrants and other customers at different stages by authorities like Air India, Customs, Emigration, Immigration, indian Embassies, labour and airport authorities in the gulf countries etc. He had already completed certain parts like Embassies, and other gulf agencies, customs, Air India, airport police immigration etc. and I had also read the articles. He went on to say that he has been watching my functioning with special interest due to my entirely different bold, straight forward, corruption free and humane approach, the heroics at the airports and the successful encounters with the airport police and the good impression I had already created among the general public etc. and that now he was to complete the sequence with his final episode on the functioning of the Protector of Emigrants, Trivandrum. For this he sought certain clarifications and other connected details which I explained and he took them down and left.
Within two weeks the next episode of 'Akkarappacha' about POE tvm appeared. The journalst was very genourous in praising me saying that throughout his investigative journalism stint he had for the first time come across a very honest and sincere officer working in a most sensitive environment of corruption, free from the lure of any amount of graft, suggesting that it is a silver line in the present day atmosphere of corruption and other related ills in the society. He went on to say that the POE showed enough guts and courage to singlehandedly challenge the strong Kerala Police den of Airport immigration by staging a play of 'Kilithattu kali' against human trafficking and win the battle finally resulting in the suspension of the DSP incharge of Airport immigration and his PRO CI. It was really a reward for me in the given circumstances, as no body else in my place had earlier shown the courage to challenge the mafia and police for obvious reasons.
('Kilihattukali' is rather a children's' competitive play needing good physical exertion at the school level only, which I had also played at that level. My 'play' with the police was rather a high profile one needing enough strategy, courage, tctics, wisdom and foresight so as to defeat those of the well trained and experienced police, and hence the comparison by the journalist of my feat with that of the child play 'Kilithattu', I feel, was akin to belittling my efforts).
In April 1987 on a Friday I had a moderate heart attack in office while taking lunch. Since the time I joined this office in 1982, I had not taken any sort of leave or rest or exercise of any kind or medical check up as I used to be in my seat from 8.30 am to 8 pm because of work pressure due to which the cholesterol level shot up leading to the attack. I lost my consciousness on reaching hospital which I regained next day morning only. 75% of the passports, including those of a few emigrants to leave for Gulf next day to join new work which were collected that day had remained unsigned. Naturally all those passport holders flocked on the hospital compound from friday afternoon and early on Saturday. Conscious of their plight, soon after I regained consciousness, I insisted and managed to get shifted to the general ward, asked my clerk to bring all passports, registers, other papers and emigration stamps to my hospital bed and signed and distributed them to the emigrants there itself so that none of them was in trouble due to my illness. Afraid that the work in office will suffer in my absence or any other responsible officer as replacement will take at least two weeks in case I was to go on leave, on the third day evening (Sunday) I insisted for discharge at my own risk and joined duty on Monday itself which surprised one and all. My will power and public duty consciousness helped me from any further problem. For any other heart attack patient such an action would have been unthinkable.(By the way, I may mention here that I have been in medication since then and till now and am managing my health satisfactorily).
There have been umpteen other occasions when I took up challenges and succeeded, but I would narrate oly three more events by way of example. One of them had resulted in anguish, anger and disappointment at the same time.
A couple of months after I joined at tvm, at the airport I came across three passports having emigration clearance with my forged signature but with my genuine emigration stamp and employment visa but without valid work agreement. An FIR was filed and it transpired that a travel agent had managed to get emigration stamp affixed by previous set of staff before our joining. The culprits and passport were produced in court. Three years later I received a summons from the judicial magistrate for giving evidence in the case. In the court the public prosecutor asked me to confirm whether the signature in the passports was mine or not, without showing the passport to me. I demanded that the passports, which were deposited in the court, be shown to me before I answered. To my surprise and horror, the hon. Judge told that the passports were not available as his predecessor had released the same by accepting an affidavit from the owners to the effect that they would present themselves whenever summoned, and managed a transfer to his hometown. I expressed my dissatisfaction and pains before the court and told that i was unable to proceed further in the absence of the documents and that I may be summoned again after retrieval of the passport and along with their owners. The court never summoned me afterwards. It was clear that the former judge had favoured someone out of his way and that the emigrants left for gulf with the forged clearance and incomplete documents. This incident also showed as to how powerful the nexus was and how easily even the judiciary could be misused.
Some of the emigrants and return emigrants used to confide with me about their experience of sufferings, harassments, helplessness at various stages of their emigration and nri life. I am narrating one instance here. Once one lady return emigrant came to office, along with her Keralite sponsor, to withdraw the security amount deposited by the sponsor on her behalf at the time of emigration clearance. The lady had a very pathetic look. After submitting the passport and application to me, they were leaving the room when the lady at the door and behind the gent, turned and looked at me with pain writ large in her face and eyes and with an expression to tell something. In an instinct i beckoned her to come back and she did. By the time she was before me, she was at the verge of weeping. I consoled her and asked to sit down, collect herself and then say, whatever she had to. She started : "Sir, I was given a valid contract by this sponsor, who happens to be from my place, for two years to work as house maid to look iafter his child and other household work at Dubai, offering the amt. indicated in the contract which is available in ur file with free food, accommodation and medical facility. I was there for the last 11 months but I was not paid anything till now. He used to provide food only once daily, that too insufficient. When ill, he would not provide medical help. I was being beaten up mercilessly in case i demanded sufficient food and medicine. Of late he has been pressing me for immoral sexual relations with his arab friends by offering some pittance amt. I knew that he was hopping to do good business with my body. I protested strongly and demanded to send me back home after paying all my dues. He got angry and took turns with his wife in beating me up for three days without food and locked me up. Finding no other way I played a fake suicide attempt which woked. He finally agreed to send me home offering only an amt. of Rs.1000 for the period of 11 months i had toiled. Since my life was dear to me i had to agree for that so as to reach home safe. He won't give me even this security amt. as he had given that amt as i had no money. He is a merciless greedy rouge. Sir, could u pl. help me at least in getting this security amt. as my family is on the verge of begging or mass suicide". She finished in a choking voice and then broke down helplessly and uncontrollably. I again consoled her saying 'let me see what i could do' and asked her to wait outside.
I called one of my clerks to my room and instructed to trace her file. Soon he brought it and based on the contracted amt in UAE Dirham in the work agreement attested by Indian embassy, the total salary for 15 months including penalty for breach of contract was worked out at Rs.88,000. Then I called the lady and the sponsor to my room. By showing the work agreement, I told the sponsor to give his passport to me to verify whether he himself was the sponsor. Once his passport was in my hands, i revealed to him whatever the lady told me and threatened him by saying that I am going to have an FIR registered against him and also his passport confiscated for breach of contract and the serious wrong done to the lady. He got frightened and started begging me not to resort to that as he will loose a lucrative job and suggesting that he is prepared to do anything else that i may want of him. I told him that as per the work agreement now breached by him, an amount of Rs. 88000 was due to the lady and he should pay the whole amt. to her in my presence today itself, if possible or within four days. He readily agreed to that but offered to come with the amount within four days and wanted me to return his passport. I retorted saying not to play smart with me and warned him that the passport will remain with me till he returned with the money and the lady safely on the particular fourth day, failing which he may expect not only loss of visa-holding passport but arrest by police. The lady was all in smiles as well as in disbelief. I told her to bring her husband and a public figure of her place along with her when she came on the fourth day. As expected they reported on the fourth day along with her husband and a local Panchayat Member and the sponsor handed over Rs. 88000 to her for which a receipt was given to him. For record purpose I took a written complaint from her making the Panchayat Member as witness and kept in her file along with copies of his passport and money receipt. I warned the sponsor not to harass the lady anymore in which case the FIR would be filed officially based on the records. While leaving the lady expressed her gratitude with folded hands saying that she had never dreamt that she would get such a huge amt. and nobody else other than could have caused to happen this for which God will definitely bless me. It was definitely a very satisfying moment in my life for having helped that poor lady in her moment of helplessness and dejection.
Fully aware about the plight of the intending emigrants and the nris, in order to create awareness among them and Police personnel handling emigration and other cheating instances in the field inside the country and in the gulf countries, abt. what precaution and care they should take, what are the dos and donts etc., I prevailed upon the tvm doordarshan kendra to make a short film titled 'Today's subject for thought - problems being faced by youths going abroad for employment' and got it telecast. For this a famous professor of Kerala University who had done thorough research on emigration aspects and published many valuable papers on the subject was made the anchor, with myself, a youth who was cheated twice on offer of job in gulf and
lost all his family's wealth and another youth who was taken to gulf after selling all his wealth but landed in jail there, as panel participants.
When Min. of Labour decided to make a documentary film covering all aspects, both positive and negative, of emigration to gulf countries, after nominating the producer and team for it, Min. considered me as the best and safest person to entrust the coordination work with the team and shoot the film at my office, tvm airport and a nri populated place in Kerala. I supervised and gave necessary help and instructions to shoot at the tvm airport Air India , immigration, security, customs, etc. counters, lounge and whole my office work procedure including interview with myself. For shooting at a nri location, I selected Varkala and sent the University Prof. who had done the research work at that place along with the shooting team and he did a great job. The film was telecast on the national channel on May Day, 1986 and I received high appreciation from the then Labour Minister and top level Officers for the good work done for completing the film.
A moment of pride generating incident that occured also needs mention here. During an all Kerala Police Officers' seminar held at tvm in 1987, the IG invited me to deliver a lecturer on emigration aspects for the benefit of police officials. When I entered the room of the IG, two DIG rank officers were sitting before him to whom, to my great surprise and elation, he introduced me by saying: "You know, this is Mr. Upagupthan, Protector of Emigrants, Trivandrum. Now he is a 'terror' among our police force here". It humbled me, but it was really a proud moment for me apart from a reward for my fearless, sincere and honest work and effort. Though I had difficult days with Kerala police, I must admit that majority of them are honest, kind and helping officials and that only a few greedy and unkind among them resort to unhealthy practices which unfortunately tarnish the good image of the police force. In fact, many of them had come forward to help me, even going to the extent of giving tip off about the involvement of their colleagues at the airport in hman trafficking. It would be most unkind and thankless on part if I do not mention here about the whole hearted support and encouragement extended to me by the then IG, in carrying out my work so successfully and but for him I would not have been so successful. As regards the politicians with whom I had a very very tough time at tvm, I found that at least two MPs and one State Minister were very considerate and understanding when I explained the reasons why I could not favour them when approached for emigration clearance to their persons, but majority of them, including the CM were after my blood for not falling in line with their undue demands.
The support and backing given by the Ministry was commendable and unforgettable.
There occured many more notable events while at tvm but, being afraid that this write up will become too lengthy, i am cutting short here since I am sure, whatever i have recorded is more than sufficient to bring out the amount of struggle, pressures, anxiety, pain, harassment,fighting spirit etc. involved,, threats to life, non-cooperation from certain official and political circles including my own staff etc. faced, all because of my single minded aim to do sincere and honest work at any cost by showing guts, grits, courage, presence of mind, which, in fact i used as my weapons to counter the strong and all pervading opposition.
At the end of it all, I became the proud winner defeating the machinations of a very big mafia-nexus including a Union Minister, MPs, MLAs, CM and police force of a State, local Air India and Customs officials, travel and recruiting agents and their fearsome goons etc. Apart from greatly enjoying the feeling of pride that I have generated out of my sincere, honest and fearless work, I must also admit that I have derived maximum, rather fullest and top class job satisfaction
during my 5 year stint as POE, Trivandrum.
In Sep 1987 I was transferred to Delhi after every thing had cooled down..
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