Thiruvananthapuram : The recent political drama surrounding former DGP and Thiruvananthapuram Sasthamangalam councillor R. Sreelekha has triggered widespread debate over the ingrained entitlement of high-ranking retired officers. Her discontent with public service roles and recent hints at resignation have drawn severe public scrutiny.
Against this backdrop, a iconic quote by the legendary late IAS officer Dr. D. Babu Paul resurfaces as a poignant reality check for former bureaucrats transitioning into public life.
”Once retired, a Chief Secretary and a peon are one and the same. The pomp and posture of a position belong only to the tenure of office.” Dr. Babu Paul’s celebrated words serve as a sharp critique of retired officials who struggle to shed their executive airs after stepping down from official posts.
Explaining her friction with the BJP leadership, Sreelekha remarked: “If a DGP is asked to do the job of a police constable, it is difficult. If an army general is told to go guard the border as a regular soldier, executing that task is hard. Enduring all such difficulties, I contested and worked.” Her statement clearly reflects an inherent struggle to adapt to grassroots politics, where a councillor must engage directly with ordinary citizens rather than command subordinates. Criticisms highlight that her expectations of special deference and her grievances over being passed over for the Mayor’s post showcase a mindset anchored in past authority.
The episode underscores a fundamental lesson: in a democracy, elected roles demand humility and ground-level work, and the “pomp of power” ends the moment one leaves office—a truth the Sreelekhas of bureaucracy would do well to remember.
