Editor,
At the outset, the work done by the PAJSC is laudable. Much needed reforms have finally kicked in, the bandh call was a success, and we hope a logical conclusion is reached sooner than later.
However, what isn’t laudable is the vehement attacks made by few in the protesting-aspirants community, against all genuine absorbed candidates. More so, against the 2017 batch of APPSCE officers.
The decision on nullification and voiding has now been left to the Commission itself.
But it would be wrong to believe we will not fight for our rights. That we have remained silent all this while, must not be construed that we have accepted we were wrong, and that we will not act. No, let it be known, neither have we accepted it in the past, nor present, nor anytime in the future, that we are wrong.
What wrong did we commit? 2018, November 9th, Gauhati High Court passed an order, vacating its earlier stay order, asking all candidates to appear for the mains exam. Well, we followed the High Court’s order, and so did the Commission. The Commission even went on to issue prohibitory orders asking candidates not to indulge in antisocial activities which could debar them from future examinations too.
So sitting for the exam was wrong for all of you who didn’t appear? But was it not wrong on your part to appear when the law of the land directed you to do so. Are we living in an anarchic world, where there is no government, no law? I believe not. What we did, was we followed the rules and the law. And we were as mentally disturbed as all other candidates, the vitiated atmosphere that had engulfed the examination.
Well, the govt. has now left it to the Commission to decide on null and void. Let us enlighten you that it was the Commission who fought for the government and all those who appeared in the mains, both at the High Court level and Supreme Court level. If at all the Commission decides to declare the exam null and void and order a re-conduct, it will probably allow only those who followed its orders to appear. The mains result was declared in March 2020 after the Gauhati HC passed an order that the entire exam process be completed with a month’s time. Covid struck and the viva was postponed to June. Aggrieved aspirants filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, which was dismissed by Hon’ble SC, clearing the way for the exam process to be completed.
So what wrong we did commit here? That we appeared for the mains exams? If that is so, I am sorry to say this is probably the lamest of reasons. For many of us we did not even have friends in the Capital, nor were we part of any whatsapp groups. For many of us, we just wanted to appear and get it over with. Did we ask you not to appear? We have no right to decide your fate nor comment on your lives, nor your decisions. So we would be utterly grateful if you stopped commenting on our lives, our decisions, and our fate. You must have worked hard, and so did we. You have dreams, so do we. So to appear or not to appear is each and every aspirant’s own decision. Not for anyone else’s to decide. Why are you blaming us for your decision of not appearing? Is that not the most selfish thing to do?
The paper leakage is a totally different chapter. If the commission decides to declare the exams null and void, and if the top court find it right (assuming none of us will remain still and of course move the court), we will welcome the decision. Many of the attacking aspirants keep posting a decision on the Manipur PSC where court ordered re-conduct of the Mains. But did they read the order properly? It was only for those who appeared. I am sure our commission too would have that in mind. If you can think selfishly, so can we. Why should we accept that all those who didn’t appear for the mains defying court orders, be allowed to write again. We followed court orders, we followed what the commission asked. If there were malpractices in the written exam, only the ones who actually appeared, should be allowed to reappear. Well, this scenario is still quite farfetched considering the matter is sub judice and under investigation and arrests are still being made.
Arrests have been made! The AE, SI exams have had more arrests than the 2017 one, but still its amusing how the non-appeared candidates of 2017 are hell bent on scrapping the exam, whereas there are now official records on how the Courts and the Commission issued orders asking candidates to appear, with even the apex court ordering the exam process be completed. They call us selfish, this, that. Well, that is your inference. We know we have toiled day and night like any serious aspirant. How we are serving the state in our present capacity is for the govt and people to decide. Most of us haven’t said anything or written anything considering we have to keep CCS conduct rules in mind. But there is a limit to everything.
You talk about democracy and protests. Is democracy only for you? Well, this state, country, and its democracy is as much ours as it is yours. If you can fight so can we. Talks have been doing the rounds that the absorbed candidates are now crowdfunding for a legal fight. I haven’t received any request yet, but I will if requested to do so, and we will fight for our rights until an acceptable logical conclusion dawns. If you can make vehement personal attacks on us, we will make sure too, that we along with our parents and family fight for our rights, albeit judicially and with reason. Because if you believe you are right, we believe we are right too.
And if abiding by the law of the land, the orders of the courts, and the commission is wrong, we are not sure in a democracy, what could be more right.
In service APPSCE 2017 absorbed candidate