From Bombay, I left by train – there were no air services then – for Madras (now Chennai), where my parents lived and after a brief stay at home, went for my training as a probationer to Dehra Doon. In peacetime, the probationers’ training was at Oxford or Cambridge, but due to the war, the venue was transferred to India, where an ‘ICS camp’ was set up in Dehra Doon under the supervision of a senior ICS officer. The training covered lectures on criminal law and procedure, Indian history and the study of an Indian language and horse riding, in each of which examinations had to be passed at the end of the year. This was soon completed and sure enough came a letter, asking me to join duty as Assistant Commissioner in Arrah, near Patna, within a fortnight. Thus started my government service. The year was 1943.
I was assigned to the Bihar cadre of the ICS, which was not of my choice. I found Bihar more backward than Madras and the attitude of some – not all –of the members of the ICS was somewhat ‘colonial.’ From Arrah, I was posted as Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) to Sitamarhi, in northern Bihar, bordering the Tarai Nepal. The World War was raging in the West and East and the government had taken over so many powers that the duties of an SDO were very heavy, almost unbearable. The SDO was in general charge of law and order and so indirectly of the Police. He was a first-class magistrate, trying criminal cases almost all day, he was in charge of rationing of cloth, kerosene and what not and of the collection of food crops, which the government requisitioned. He was also in charge of the jai, of the Treasury of National Savings – almost everything in which government had a hand. Frequently, I had to work until long past midnight.
While I was thus plodding through my first independent post, the Commissioner of the Division, the Big Boss, decided to inspect the Sub-Division. I was still raw and did not know what this involved. I had no car – due to the war, there were no cars to be bought – and my transport to and from office was by bicycle. I decided to walk to the Inspection Bungalow to pay my respects to the Commissioner and met him halfway on the road, where he began to enquire about the condition of the crops – he had already commenced his ‘inspection.’
He was surprised (I hope not offended) that I was holding court and trying cases when he was next door, wanting to check the Treasury. It was my mistake, as I should have waited on the Commissioner throughout his visit. I suppose he left with no good impression of me.
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