Mai-baap re baap state again in action

In a country where government service delivery remains, well, patchy, Maharashtra's new resolution mandating that public officials 'stand and greet' MLAs and MPs, listen attentively to their concerns, and speak politely on the phone feels not just ironic but a tad touched by a 'Macaulay mindset'. The order goes further - requiring courtesy registers, 2-mth response deadlines, invitations to key district events and fixed meeting slots, all backed by the threat of disciplinary action for non-compliance.

While these may read as measures to enhance decorum, the veneer of civility disguises a deeper problem: India's infantilisation of its citizens. Public representatives may embody their constituencies, but that hardly justifies elevating them to a pedestal complete with obligatory standing ovations, mandated politeness and scripted courtesies like in a comedic scene from a Hindi 70s film. Such directives signal that deference to power matters more than strengthening public-facing institutions, or improving service delivery. They recast bureaucracy not as a system meant to serve people, but as one performing reverence for those in office.

Besides, such ritualised respect is ripe for misuse. Who decides how much courtesy is enough? What if an MP or MLA misbehaves? The scope for subjective interpretation - and selective enforcement - is enormous. Rather than policing gestures of deference, the state government would do better to withdraw this 'mai-baap re baap' order, and focus on what actually matters: strengthening institutions and ensuring delivery of public services to the last mile. Respect should flow organically - not prodded through catechisms and orders that mistake professional adults as children in constant need of discipline.