Men, matters and memories

Then there was that retired judge of the erstwhile Madras High Court, who headed the State Law Commission. He was said to be at odds with the Income Tax Department, and it was rumoured that his prejudices were reflected in his pronouncements. For me, however, the problem with him was his feeble voice. He would engage me for dictation, three days a week, and each sitting meant straining one’s ears to the maximum. Before beginning each assignment, he would promise an ‘‘audible performance’’, which his physique would not, alas, permit for more than two minutes! An unforgettable experience was the assignment involving the drafting of the Andhra Pradesh Wet Assessment Bill. Six legal eagles engaged me exclusively to take down the dictation. The work was quite demanding and went on late into the night. The next morning, however, the law secretary sent for me to convey his appreciation of that marathon performance. Similarly, my interaction with the late H.M. Seervai was a humbling experience. He would ask me what I felt about his work!

When I first joined government service, I had an IAS officer to work with. He had a brilliant record as an English Honours student and went on to excel as a fisheries expert. He promised to teach me two new English words every day — and he kept his word!

Generals, I discovered, may present a tough exterior but are very human. At the Medical Corps, there was a lt-general who could tick off the defence minister and the cabinet secretary, when it came to recommendations landing on his table. Another, reportedly as hard as nails, received one afternoon a call from the defence minister’s office recommending an officer for some favour. He replied that the fellow had no business approaching the minister, bypassing him. That was the end of the matter. Yet another lt-general was quite rattled by my colleague’s handling of a telephone call. My friend had picked up the phone and, hearing a woman’s voice at the other end, pressed the buzzer to inform the boss that his wife was on the line. The lt-general, annoyed at being disturbed at office, began shouting at her. It transpired that the caller was not the wife. The lt-general gave my colleague a piece of his mind: ‘‘Mr X, you seem to think that every woman who calls me in office on the telephone is my wife!’’

I’ve come across my share of absent-minded people but there is this gem relating to another lt-general whom my colleagues and I used to refer as ‘‘forgetful lord’’. One day, 15 minutes before the office was to close, he was was seen pacing up and down the corridor. His colleague observed this restlessness and inquired as to the cause of it. ‘‘I am framing my speech for this evening’s dinner,’’ came the reply. Whereupon he was informed that the dinner was scheduled for the next day!

Looking back, I must say that the most awkward experiences I have ever had involved dodging telephone calls and making excuses for bosses who wished to be reported as missing. But, as they say, it’s all part of the game!