Living with ‘chamchagiri’

Col P S Sangha, VrC

India is famous as a land of sycophants. You see people touching the feet of politicians/godmen and they include high-ranking police and IAS officers. You see people getting into the prone position as they greet the mighty lady politician of the South. In the northern part there is another mighty lady politician who has high officials bowing before her and seeking her blessings by touching her feet. This kind of behaviour is totally alien to people from Western nations.

It is alien to someone like me also. I spent my formative years in the Army where this kind of behaviour is just not acceptable. I am not suggesting that there is no sycophancy in the armed forces. Sycophancy exists but it is a bit more sophisticated. The forces are an autocratic body wherein the seniors expect unquestionable and immediate acceptance of their orders. Those who rebel against this diktat run the danger of a shortened career unless they are lucky to serve under a big-hearted, benevolent senior. I was not so lucky and thus had a shortened career. After I left the Army prematurely I joined the corporate world as an executive helicopter pilot. I got my first taste of true-blue sycophancy in this new world. Most of the companies that owned these aircraft were ‘Lala Companies’. Their work culture is based on total subservience. For someone like me it was so very different from my previous life that I had to find a via media. I decided that the best way to survive with dignity was to just do my job well and not to give any opinion unless asked for. Generally it worked well but still there were situations which ended in some sort of confrontation. The end result was that in my 17 years in the civil aviation I ended up working with five different companies. During these 17 years I flew a number of top politicians. I got to see the real sycophancy here. Feet touching, getting abused and other forms of demeaning behaviour were common. 

Now that I am finally retired I often think about ‘Chamchagiri’ that exists in our country. Why is it so prevalent? In my considered view a real competent and confident man would never encourage such behaviour from his juniors. On the other hand, someone who is not sure of himself will use his position and power to subjugate his staff and workers and thus encourage ‘Chamchagiri’ culture. Young scions of industrialists  often take this route to cover up their lack of knowledge and experience. Most of our politicians have come up from very humble beginnings and often are not well educated. So when they come to power they make up this shortage by ramrodding the bureaucracy they command. Though unfortunate, this is the reality of life in our nation.