DK Ravi death: Karnataka must kill the rumours, order CBI probe
Last year, when farmer-turned-entrepreneur Gopal in one of the most backward districts of Karnataka, Kolar, was running from pillar to post to secure a bank loan, a young IAS officer (local deputy commissioner DK Ravi), who knew the hinterland of the state and its problems like the back of his hand, intervened to help him. Fourteen students trained by Ravi have cleared the civil services examinations in Karnataka. Another dozen farmers took to progressive farming on the suggestion of Ravi. The list Ravi's noble deeds is never ending. It hardly comes as a surprise that Kolar, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura and Kunigal towns in Karnataka observed a voluntary "bandh" seeking an impartial probe into the death of Ravi under mysterious circumstances. Such was the popularity of Ravi (36) at such a young age that it exceeded that of any politicians and it was no secret that they despised him!
Ravi has not become a hero overnight. The fan following that he enjoyed wherever he was posted (Kalburgi, Koppala and Kolar) is legendary. It is not just the farming community or the poor that admired his work, Ravi became an internet phenomenon with pages and blogs being dedicated to him whenever he was shunted from one post to another. Never have the people of Karnataka in the recent past come out on to the streets in thousands to bid farewell to a bureaucrat, who had just completed six years of service as an IAS officer.
Hailing from a humble background - a family of farmers - Ravi experienced the problems of the agrarian community first-hand. As a graduate and postgraduate in agriculture, his primary motive was to help those in distress in rural areas. Not many know that Ravi worked as a sub-inspector in the excise department before quitting that to clear the UPSC exam and secure the 34th rank. Ravi showed how honesty and integrity towards work can be demonstrated despite the odds being stacked against an individual.
His death under mysterious circumstances has sparked such widespread protests in Karnataka because it is difficult to find people like Ravi in the government. People experience corruption every day at every level. Today, it is next to impossible to get work done in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP - Bangalore's municipal corporation); walking into any of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and obtaining a license is a nightmare and Tahsildars issue notices to people, who have constructed houses on government allotted sites simply to extract money.
People hate to visit government offices in Karnataka because it is assumed that their job will never be done without a hassle. Unless of course, you are fortunate enough to know someone at a higher level. Such problems are of greater magnitude in the rural areas and for such people, Ravi's approach and problem-solving skills appeared nothing less than magic.
Last year, when he was transferred from Kolar (apparently at the behest of the sand mafia), the whole district shut down for two days seeking his retention. His father-in-law revealed to the media on Tuesday that he had requested the chief minister to transfer Ravi to Bangalore because of the threats he faced from the local sand mafia and builders. He also appeared helpless when he revealed that he was concerned about the safety of his son-in-law because the government did not seem interested in taking the threats seriously.
It is a different matter that many of these threats that Ravi received had their origins in politicians, some of them allegedly belonging to the ruling party (Congress has denied it). Ravi also did not take the threats seriously and didn't bring them to the notice of the police. Even when Ravi took on the mighty builder fraternity in Bangalore in his latest assignment as additional commissioner (enforcement), commercial taxes department, the threats did not stop. Some of the realty firms, which were being investigated by Ravi for alleged tax evasion, were financially backed by a few politicians in the ruling party. One particular reality firm had evaded Rs 40 crore in taxes and the politician, who was backing that company, supposedly wanted the dues to be reduced to Rs 40 lakhs. We will never know what kind of pressure Ravi was facing.
The fact that the Karnataka government does not want a probe by the CBI into his death has given rise to several rumours. For two consecutive nights, the Opposition has been staging a demonstration in the legislature seeking a CBI probe. On Tuesday, Ravi's parents launched an indefinite strike in front of Vidhana Soudha pressing for a CBI inquiry. Shockingly, the government is trying to wash its hands off the issue claiming that personal problems led Ravi to take the extreme step.
The IAS Officers' Association in Karnataka too wants an impartial probe by the CBI into Ravi's death. But the government is in no mood to listen. It is not that the people of Karnataka do not have faith in the police, but what worries everyone is whether the truth will come out or remain concealed. Plenty of conspiracy theories are doing the rounds in Karnataka and the state government will be better off in bringing CBI into the picture.
At a time when youngsters are deliberately staying away from public service and government jobs, the unfortunate death of Ravi has further dented the image of the administration. It is a fact that bureaucrats always face the music from their masters, but Ravi showed how one can usher in change. It is to be seen if other bureaucrats draw any kind of inspiration from Ravi to curb corruption.