One of the ironies of India’s present political firmament is the Narendra Modi government’s unabashed enthusiasm for politicising institutions. The Opposition has been persistent in its criticism, accusing the government of infiltrating crucial institutions that are the bedrock of democracy: a supine media and an allegedly partisan Election Commission often find themselves in the line of fire. Two more institutions, it appears, can now be added to this list: the bureaucracy and the armed forces. In a recent order, the Centre has reportedly directed officers of the ranks of joint-secretary, director and deputy-secretary to be deployed as ‘rath-prabharis’ to tomtom the achievements of Mr Modi’s government. In an earlier missive, the ministry of defence had ordered soldiers on annual leave to spend time promoting government schemes. These directives go against both the letter and the spirit of existing rules. For instance, as was pointed out by the Congress president, the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 state unequivocally that government servants cannot be asked to promote the achievements of an elected dispensation. The logic behind such a directive is irrefutable. The bureaucracy — India’s famed ‘steel frame’ — should remain immune to politics to avoid partisanship: its job is to serve the nation, not the government. The wise founders of the republic had conceived of a similar immunity for the army. The violation of this established convention could lead to unwarranted duress on Indian democracy. India’s western neighbour bears evidence of the troublesome fall-out of the army’s co-option into politics. Moreover, asking jawans to take on additional chores when they are on leave speaks of a distinct insensibility on the part of a government that loves to shriek about its patriotic credentials.

What must also be borne in mind is that the Centre has a separate public relations wing to undertake these responsibilities. Mr Modi’s regime may be tight-fisted when it comes to funding welfare schemes in Opposition-ruled states but it has a large heart pertaining to self-aggrandisement. Reports suggest that the regime has spent over Rs 3,000 crore on publicity and advertisement since 2018-19. Yet, the Centre has chosen to target the bureaucracy and the army to shoulder the task of publicity. Two questions can be speculated upon in this context. Are Mr Modi’s promotion campaigns then not reaching their intended targets? Is that because there has been very little by way of public welfare?