Times of India: Gurgaon: Tuesday, August 22, 2017.
"I've
never considered religion because I'm a social worker." Meet Wakeel Ahmed,
32, an impressive young man from Mewat who has become the first ever from this
region to be selected for a career in the Haryana civil service.
Hailing from
Tain village, in Nuh tehsil of Mewat district, Ahmed is an old head on young
shoulders. Last September, he sat down confidently for his interview, prepped
for the questions. "I was asked why does Mewat, barely 70 km from the
Millennium City, have a reputation for backwardness? And who is responsible for
this state of affairs?" he said in a freewheeling chat with TOI, at the
Haryana Institute of Public Administration.
"I
replied that while the fault lies with the community, there's also governmental
neglect. And for the region to emerge out of backwardness, education must
improve."
A year on,
following a rigorous training program conducted over 11 months, which included
a 'Bharat Darshan', in which the recruits imbibed the best administrative
practices from around India, he awaits his first posting. "I got selected
on merit, and now I have to perform, to deliver."
After
completing a Bachelors in political science (in which he earned a gold medal)
and a Masters in social work, both from Jamia Millia Islamia, Ahmed interned
with the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), the organisation which
pioneered the RTI movement. It was here, in 2007, that he presented an impact
analysis of RTI - two years after the campaign was born - in front of the former
chief justice, the late J S Verma, who was struck by the aptitude and
dedication shown by the young man.
"Justice
Verma advised me not to waste my talent, and that if I had justice of the
common man in mind, I can serve the people." It was then that Ahmed
seriously began to mull a life in service of his countrymen and countrywomen.
"Thanks
to the orientation I got in two years of social work, I got to meet people from
all walks of life, people like Aruna Roy, Prashant Bhushan and Medha Patkar.
"I learnt
a lot, and now I'm able to understand the problems of the common man from the
perspective of the common man."
His deep dive
into the world of RTI gave Ahmed a clearer understanding of governance, while
his work as a block development officer, in five postings spread across three
years - which included handling three blocks at one time - helped ready him for
the demands of public service.
And for
anyone questioning the Mewati's patriotism (since canards abound when it comes
to this Muslim-dominated enclave), Ahmed has the answer in history.
"Before the battle of Khanwa in 1527, Babur saw that Hasan Khan Mewati,
the region's ruler, had joined forces with Rana Sanga of Mewar. Babur saw this
as an act of apostasy, to which Hasan Khan's answer was, 'You're an outsider, I
don't owe allegiance to you - he is my brother, and this is my homeland."
Ahmed also
happens to be a writer, one who has penned eight short stories in Hindi (to be
anthologised soon). But it's the chance to do good for society, to empower
people, that challenges and inspires him. "I want to help people to help
themselves, but also to serve the needy and deliver justice to them."
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