Promotion

Promotion

Hari Prasad Upreti, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education was considered to be a very successful bureaucrat. Within a very limited span of time he climbed the stairs of promotion quickly leaving his colleague competitors far behind him. One of the secrets of his success was that he never took any decision. If you take a decision, you’re held responsible for that. Who knows what happens after you take the decision –it might be misunderstood or worst even might be interpreted negatively, the Full Secretary might be transferred to another Ministry or the Minister might be changed, and then you will be held responsible for the damn decision. If it is proved good, OK, but what if it goes wrong. You never know. Why take any chance? So Mr. Upreti never took any decision. He was chairperson or coordinator of many different committees and commissions but none of them were functioning because there were meetings but no decisions. He would never sign to any minutes.

“What’s the hurry? These are important issues which affect the development of the country. So we should be patient. We cannot afford to make mistake in such grave matters. We will discuss and deliberate more, and come to a resolution in the next meeting,” he would say. The decision day would never come.

Because he never took any decision, he never became a subject of controversy. Papers never criticized him, and there was no records against him in the Anti Corruption Bureau. He was very patient and kind with his staff and everybody praised him, “Mr. Upreti is a perfect gentleman.”  The staff, the Press and the public nothing was against him and he went on climbing the stairs of promotion.

Some 20 years ago, he passed the Public Service Commission exam and was appointed as the section officer. Only after three years he appeared in the deputy secretary examination. He had been a bookworm all through his student life which always helped him, and he had no much problem to pass this examination. The obstacle came in the oral interview which was part of the examination. But he was able to cross the hurdle. The chairperson of the interview board was from his neighbouring village. He did some research and found out that he was also an Upreti. So he collected all his courage and paid a visit to his house. It was actually not a house but a mansion with a garden, a swimming pool, and a retired army officer as a guard at the gate. He entered the gate with trembling legs, and the sack of 50 ripe malda mangos he was carrying grew heavier. He asked the gatekeeper that he had an appointment with the Sir, and the man pointed him to the direction he should go. He crossed a beautiful garden with a swimming pool in the middle and reached at the door of the house. He put off his shoes at the door and entered the sitting room. His feet were swamped by the thick carpet and he almost fell. The expensive paintings on the wall, the vase on the mahogany table, the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling further added to his discomfort. He waited there for some twenty minutes when a middle aged man entered the room from a side door. He was tall with a pot belly and bushy eyebrows below which his eyes were sparkling as if nothing can be hidden from them. Mr. Upreti stood up and greeted him by joining his palms together. He should have bowed his head at his feet but the time has passed. Everything should be done at the right time. The man sat on the sofa and gestured him to sit down opposite him. Mr. Upreti was sure that the man’s eyes had x-rayed him, and he felt naked.

“I’m sorry to disturb your weekend Sir,” he began. “My father worked in your father’s farm in the village. He had said that I must pay a respect-visit, and I am here.” This was true. “These are some mangos I brought from the village. They are fresh and juicy.” This was a lie. “I hope Madam and children will like them.”

“You shouldn’t have troubled yourself,” he said. “I know your father. He took care of our labours in the field and I always ride on his shoulder.” He showed Mr. Upreti his status by saying this and made it clear that he was nothing for him, and that he should always be respectful to him as his father had been his horse in the past. 

“What can I do for you?”

“Sir, I have passed the test for the Deputy Secretary. The interview is on Monday. I don’t know anybody except you, Sir. You had always been generous to our family…”

“Give me your details.” The man said and Mr. Upreti gave him his ‘details’ which he had written carefully on a piece of paper. As he was preparing to leave, the man said:

“Hari! You’re from the village and I’m sure your family grows basmati rice. Could you bring me ten sacks of basmati rice? I will pay for that.” It was more an order than a request.

“Yes Sir. Sure Sir. No problem Sir. It’s my pleasure Sir.” He bowed three times as he said these words and then left. He knew that he was not going to pay the price of the rice. Ten sacks means 30,000 rupees may be a little less or a little more. This was more than his one month salary. He looked around. Nobody was in sight. ‘Bastard!’ He spat right on the middle of the path. But he was happy because he knew that he was going to get the promotion.

The next time he sat for the Joint Secretary test and got through it on high colours. That’s another story. This time he approached the political leader whose son was the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission. He paid his visit to the leader who was almost illiterate: he was only tenth class pass but could talk on any subject under the sky for hours. When he visited him, he was talking about corruption and its adverse effect on the all round development of the country. The audience seemed to be spellbound –eager to absorb each word with awful reverence in their eyes. His entrance made no difference in the fluency of the leader’s speech. He eyed the audience and guessed that at least three of them were there for the same reason he was there. He also brought reverence in his eyes and made himself look enraptured by the speech. After a couple of minutes, the leader stopped and looked questioningly at him.

“Sir, I’m Hari Prasad Upreti. You very kindly asked me to come today, so…,” he left the sentence unfinished.

“O! Yes, yes.” He looked at his audience. “Now if you can excuse me gentlemen, I have a meeting with this young man who had come a long way.” Everybody bowed to him and left the room.

“Sir…” But he was cut short by the leader.

“I know your problem. You’re a Deputy Secretary and a candidate for the Joint Secretary, right?”

“Right Sir. You know everything Sir…” Again he was cut short in the middle of his babbling.

“I’m a straight forward man Hariji, so I talk straight. Shall I?” He challenged.

“Sure Sir.”

“You get the promotion to Joint Secretary –a path to the post of Secretary, the most powerful post in the bureaucracy. What shall I get from your promotion?” The leader looked directly in Hari’s eyes.

“Well, Sir… I will work honestly for the development of the country…” This time the leader’s laugh cut him short.

“Cut the crap please. I know that you have never made any decision in your entire career. You can save your patriotic feelings with you. Here is a proposition –you donate 1,000,000 rupees to our Party’s fund, I will see that you get promoted. OK?”

“OK, Sir.” He said meekly. But his mind was busy calculating. From where he could get the money? He would sell his wife’s jewellery.  He would buy her more when he becomes a Joint Secretary. He was sure she would not make any objection. His wife was very traditional and his words were God’s words to her. And he would take some loan from the bank for which he has to mortgage his four ana land that he bought just last year.

“OK then, as soon as you give me the receipt of the deposit of the sum, I will start working for your promotion. Sooner the better. You understand?”

“Yes Sir. The interview is the next week but I will give you the receipt by this weekend.”

“Good! I’m sure you’ll be a Secretary one day, Mr. Hari.”

“Thank you Sir, thank you.” He joined his palms together to take his leave.

But this time it was really difficult. He was one of the candidates for the post of Secretary –there were three others as shrewd as he. His source of information told him that no one but only the Minister could do it. The same source informed him that the Minister was a number one womanizer. He had met the Minister a couple of times in meetings and weddings.  He was fiftyish, baldish, and a fatso. He was as black as charcoal and as tough as an old boot. He decided to pay him a visit. In order to accomplish it, first he paid a visit to the PA of the Minister. The PA turned the pages of his notebook and announced:

“Honourable Minister is not free for three weeks. I can fix an appointment for you on the third day of the fourth week.”

“But I must see him by next week. I can meet him at his residence.” Hari said.

“The Minister never entertains an employee from the Ministry at his residence. Only general public can visit him at his place.” The PA became busy on his computer –a clear indication that Hari should leave. Hari had difficulty in believing that this was happening to him who worked in the same Ministry with the PA.

“But PA Sab, there must be some way that I can pay a visit to him?” Hari said desperately.

“May be I can do something for you because you are an honest person and you look so desperate, but…”

“But what? Please arrange the meeting with the Minister and I can do anything in my capacity for you.”

“OK. I think we should do something for each other –after all, we work in the same Ministry, don’t we?” he winked. “My brother-in-law has applied for the post of lecturer in your brother-in-law’s campus.”

“You don’t have to say more. I understand. Your brother-in-law will get the lectureship and I will meet the Minister on Monday next week. Is that a deal?”

“Yes, a deal.” They both shook hands warmly, each happy with their achievement.

On Monday, Hari put on his best suit and went to the Minister’s office. The PA winked at him and opened the door. The Minister was almost invisible behind his huge desk. He was looking at a cheap magazine with pictures of nude women, which he did not bother to hide when Hari made his entrance. He put down the magazine and eyed Hari for a long moment and then gestured him to sit down. Without giving Hari a chance to speak, he turned the pages of a file and said loudly.

“Hari Prasad Upreti, Deputy Secretary, 19 years of service, no complain against, now candidate for the post of Secretary, Interview on the 15^th Asar.”

“Yes Sir. If your blessings are with me, I can be promoted to the post Sir,” Hari said politely with both his palms joined together.

“Ha! I remember that you are married and that your wife teaches in a campus.”

“Yes sir. She teaches Nepali. But I don’t think she has met you Sir?”

“No, we have met once in a wedding and you introduce her to me. She was wearing a red sari with white boarder. She has long silky hair and the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. She seemed to be a traditional type but very elegant.”

“Yes, Sir. She is very traditional. Thank you sir.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank your star that you had such an elegant wife. I like elegant ladies. She looked 15 years younger than her age.”

“Thank you Sir.” He couldn’t guess why the Minister was talking about his wife. Then suddenly he remembered the gossip in the Ministry that he was a number one womanizer. Instantly his blood turned cold.

“I think you deserve the post, Mr. Hari but… You understand what I’m saying.”

“Yes Sir.” He said meekly.

“You might be promoted, might” he stressed the word ‘might’.  “I can do this. You are a deserving candidate because your wife teaches Nepali in a campus. You understand what I’m saying.” And when Hari didn’t say anything, the Minister again said, “Your promotion is in your own hands. My PA will tell you the arrangement and the rest. See him.”

“Sir…” Hari started but the Minister waved his hands and said:

“Go and see my PA if you want your promotion.” And he picked up his magazine again.

Hari looked at this black, fatso bastard. He thought of spitting on his face. But the time has already passed. Everything should be done at the right time. Also the consequences that might follow his act stopped him doing so. His calculating mind has already started analyzing the situations, the pros and cons, the loss and gain. He left the room.

                                X                                             X                                             X

Mr. Upreti was promoted to the post of Secretary. There was a big celebration in his house. Even the Minister attended the party. It’s sad that the next day, Mr. Upreti’s wife was found dead in her room. Poor woman! She couldn’t enjoy her husband‘s promotion even for a day. The police found a note which said that she was taking her life at her own will and that no one is responsible. It was clear that it was a suicide case. Such an elegant lady! She had nice children and such a gentleman husband. Why did she commit such a horrible act? Some people whispered that there were some connections between her suicide and her husband’s promotion. It is also rumoured that Mr. Upreti is looking for a suitable wife, which might be true because life is a long, tedious journey and one needs a partner to make it comfortable.