Real life heroes may like to keep a low profile, but their actions speak louder than words. Not for them the swagger and bravado of a reel life Bollywood or Hollywood hero. They do not have to fake their attitudes and deliver sensational dialogues to make their point. Heroism comes naturally to them in their line of duty; they get their due honour and respect from everyone around them, and tales about their bravado is etched in print, electronic and social media, as they are the real newsmakers. Willy nilly, they emerge as role models for film directors when conceiving their protagonists. But cinematic heroes are often imitated by their fans in terms of character and style. We have always seen and admired the heroes in Bollywood and Hollywood movies and try to be like them, but have we ever looked behind the screen? Are they the real heroes to be admired?
Real heroes are people who sacrifice their lives for us. They are the people who work 24×7 so that we can lead a happy and peaceful life.
Below are ten amazing, brave, dedicated civil servants of India who have made us all extremely proud by doing extraordinary work for the country; some even martyred while doing so. They did not take the easy way out. We salute these true heroes.
Narendra Kumar
IPS Officer Narendra Kumar started his career in Bihar in 2009. This gallant, 30 year old officer, showed exemplary courage and commitment towards his work. Posted in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, he became famous for his active work in trying to stop illegal stone mining. He dedicated his time fighting the mining mafia. On March 8, 2012, while on bandobast duty, Narendra Kumar saw a tractor carrying illegally-mined stones. He tried to stop it. As the driver showed no sign of slowing down, Kumar pursued and was able to climb to the driver’s side of the vehicle, tried to snatch the keys, but was kicked in the stomach by the rogue driver. He fell off the tractor and was run over by the speeding tractor. He lost his life in the mishap.
Ajit Doval
Doval is already a known name and is famous for his commendable work during his tenure as an IPS officer. Belonging to 1968 IPS batch of the Kerala cadre, he played an active role in counter insurgency operations in Mizoram, Punjab and Kashmir. He managed to reform militants and persuaded them to assist the Indian Army against the terrorists. Along with his exceptional work in these States, he was involved in the termination of 15 hijackings of Indian Airlines aircraft between 1971-1999. He was also one of the negotiators who negotiated the release of the IC-814 passengers in Kandahar in 1999. He embedded himself as an undercover agent in Pakistan in a high-risk assignment. He later joined the Intelligence Bureau, and is currently holding the position of National Security Adviser to PM Narendra Modi.
B. Chandrakala
Chandrakala is a UPSC 2008 batch of the UP cadre. This feisty District Magistrate of Bulandhshahar, UP, is famous for taking a tough stand against illegal practices. She has always spoken against corrupt officers. She was transferred from her earlier postings as she refused to tolerate incompetency and dishonesty. She took a stance in publicly exposing officers and contractors who are not doing justice to their jobs. Thanks to her intervention, three corrupt contractors were booked; one of them being the brother of a member of the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh.
Satyendra Dubey
Another name that stands out for commendable dedication and work ethics is Satyendra Dubey. An Indian Engineering Services (IES) officer, he was Project Director in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Koderma in Jharkhand, overseeing the Golden Quadrilateral Project. He showed extraordinary courage in exposing serious financial irregularities and many corrupt practices in the industry. He also compelled many contractors to rebuild the poor quality roads. He wrote a letter to the then PM – Atal Bihari Vajpayee, exposing the corruption and financial irregularities in the project. When he wrote the letter, he suggested that his identity be kept hidden, as several big names were involved, but his name was somehow leaked and he paid the ultimate price for that. After a few months of submitting his report, he was shot dead at Gaya, Bihar on November 27, 2003. The country lost a competent and sincere bureaucrat.
Armstrong Pame
Not many know about this exceptional young IAS officer from Manipur, known as ‘Miracle Man’. His passion and dedication towards the betterment of the society was so strong that he built a 100 km long road in a remote area of Manipur without the government’s help. The village in Tousem sub-division in Tamenglong district is one of the remotest corners of the country, where concept of modern life wasa far cry. Armstrong initially used his own savings and the financial support of his family and friends. Sensing he needed more funding, he turned to social media to raise funds for the project. People from across the globe came forward and supported him, thus giving shape to the Peoples’ Road which connected the remote village to the rest of Manipur, as well as to Nagaland and Assam.
Shanmugam Manjunath
This brave officer was a Sales Manager for Indian Oil Corporation in Lucknow. His courageous nature and honesty made him one of the most commendable officers the country has seen. But he too, paid the price for his honesty. While at his posting in Lucknow, he had ordered two petrol pumps at Lakhimpur Kheri sealed for selling adulterated fuel for three months. When the pump started operating again a month later, Manjunath decided to conduct a surprise raid around November 19, 2005. He was shot dead the same night and his bullet-riddled body was found in the backseat of his own car. That was the day the entire country hung its head in shame and despair.
Shivdeep Waman Lande
This IPS officer of the 2006 batch has been in the news for all the good reasons. As SP of Patna, he arrested many criminals, worked towards women’s safety and took on the pharmaceutical mafia. Under his tenure, the crime rate of Patna dropped drastically. He took strong action against eve-teasers and was accessible to the common man. It is said that he receives hundreds of messages everyday and he makes sure that each message is attended to. He played an important role in eliminating illegal wine shops in his jurisdiction. When he was transferred to Araria from Patna, many people turned to the streets and held candlelight protests against the government’s decision. As per reports, he donates 70% of his salary to social causes, which includes marriages of poor girls and building hostels for poor students.
U. Sagayam
An IAS officer of the 2001 batch of Tamil Nadu cadre, Sagayam has been transferred around 25 times in the first 27 years of his service. He is famous for fighting against corruption at every posting. He was also the first IAS officer to make his assets public. His extensive research on illegal granite mining in Madurai led to charges against many known politicians and businessmen. His investigations would be obstructed from several quarters. District officials purportedly gave him little cooperation. At one point, his room was allegedly wiretapped; and he and his team were purportedly attacked by goons acting on behalf of granite-mining interests.
He also confiscated over 5,000 subsidized gas cylinders intended for domestic use which were being used illegally by restaurants. He investigated and raised his voice against vote-buying.
Standing against corruption is not just for a season; it is a moral conviction which he holds on to religiously.
V. V. Lakshminarayana
Known for his impact speeches, V. V. Lakshminarayana is the quintessential common man who often takes the bus to work. He stayed humble but worked on some of the most talked about cases, and exposed many corrupt officers. He became the Joint Director of Central Bureau of Investigation and handled over 19 high profile cases including the Satyam Scandal, Gali Janardhana Reddy’s OMC Scandal, Y.S.Jaganmohan Reddy‘s Disproportionate Assets Case, and Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s Fake Encounter Case.
He was conferred with the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2017, and the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize by the Minority Commission of Maharashtra.
S.R. Sankaran
This former civil servant from TamilNadu, served in various capacities: Special Assistant to Mohan Kumaramangalam, Union Minister for Steel and Mines, Principal Secretary, Social Welfare; Chief Secretary of Tripura, among others.
He played a crucial role in creating pro-poor policies and was the man behind the abolition of bonded labour, the creation of the special component plan for SCs & STs, and the assigning of resources for marginalized communities in rural development programmes. He was also a social activist. He remained unmarried so that he could serve the society. He contributed to the education of over 500 poor students. He passed away in 2010, but he will always be remembered as the “People’s IAS Officer”.
Kiran Bedi
It is very often that when we visualize a strong male IPS officer, we turn to reel heroes. However, when it comes to a tough female IPS officer, Kiran Bedi is what we all look up to. She has the distinction of being the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972. She served the country for 35 years as an IPS officer before opting for voluntary retirement in 2007. During her long and illustrious career, she served in Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Mizoram. Credit goes to her for lowering the crime rate of any area that was under her jurisdiction. Apart from taking on regular criminals, she also took on corrupt government officials and politicians.
One famous instance from her career was when she towed then PM Indira Gandhi’s car while handling the traffic department of Delhi Police. During her stint atthis department, she also earned the nickname of ‘Crane Bedi’ as she was known to tow vehicles for traffic violation.
She is presently the Lt. Governor of Puducherry.
Vinod Rai
Another civil servant who makes it to the front pages of newspapers, thanks to his habit of exposing corruption and tackling irregularities in government functioning, is Vinod Rai. A 1972 batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, he started his career as the Sub-collector of Thrissur district. He served the district for eighty ears, and was given the nickname of second ‘Sakthan Thampuran’ for his role in the development of Thrissur City.
However, his most popular public service stint was when he was appointed as the 11th Comptroller and Auditor General of India in 2008. Rai played a phenomenal role in exposing major corruption scandals and scams including Coalgate Scam, 2G Spectrum Allocation, the Delhi Commonwealth Games Scam and Padmanabhaswamy Temple Audit. He is currently the Chairman of the United Nations Panel of External Auditors.
Rajni Sekhri Sibal
Talk about Rajni and the face of Thalaivaa comes to the fore. However, she not only shares her first name with the South superstar, but also his commitment to serve the country. Rajni Sekhri Sibal, a 1986 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, is another female powerhouse. She is best known for helping expose the JBT Teacher’s Recruitment Scam in Haryana. Interview scores of 3200 teachers were manipulated to give jobs to those who had paid for it. Former Haryana CM – Om Prakash Chautala was also involved in this scam. When Sibal was asked to overlook the scam, she refused and was promptly transferred. However, her quick wit ensured that the scam was exposed. She ordered thick cotton bandages and sealed a steel almirah (cupboard) containing all the proof of the wrongdoing, and asked her junior officers to sign the cloth in different places and take pictures. This way, the evidence held in the cupboard could not be tampered with. Finally, a CBI investigation was launched in which the former Haryana CM was found guilty. Rajni became known as the woman who brought down Om Prakash Chautala with “four metres of cloth”.
These are just a few examples of honest and committed civil servants making a difference in the lives of the citizens of this country. However, there are many others who work hard, sometimes risking their own lives to make this country a better place to live. We pay our respect and salute all these unsung heroes who work to build an India we can all be proud of.
