Debriefing A Joint Secretary
Before I joined the govt I thought “debriefing “ was something you indulged in with a lady on a lonely beach, a-la James Bond…
<table> <tbody> <tr> <td>The author retired from the IAS in December 2010. A keen environmentalist and trekker he has published a book on high altitude trekking in the Himachal Himalayas: THE TRAILS LESS TRAVELLED. His second book- SPECTRE OF CHOOR DHAR is a collection of short stories based in Himachal and was published in July 2019. His third book was released in August 2020: POLYTICKS, DEMOCKRAZY AND MUMBO JUMBO is a compilation of satirical and humorous articles on the state of our nation. His fourth book was published on 6th July 2021. Titled INDIA: THE WASTED YEARS , the book is a chronicle of missed opportunities in the last nine years. Shukla's fifth book - THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER'S DOG AND OTHER COLLEAGUES- was released on 12th September 2023. It portrays the lighter side of life in the IAS and in Himachal. He writes for various publications and websites on the environment, governance and social issues. He divides his time between Delhi and his cottage in a small village above Shimla. He blogs at http://avayshukla.blogspot.in/</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Before I joined the govt I thought “debriefing “ was something you indulged in with a lady on a lonely beach, a-la James Bond…
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Sometimes it is best to work in silence, using the tools you are familiar with rather than picking up the tools of your enemy: fight on your own turf, not on that of your adversary.
Editors of newspapers and magazines today are more like censors, toeing the political line of their proprietors, dishing out packaged meals – the customer has no real choice. Television anchors are cacophonous megaphones of the powers that be, but do not see.
This is where the blogger comes in – not subject to any editorial restraint, or the tyranny of TRPs or readership numbers or commercial imperatives, he can record things as he sees them and speak from the heart. He may be right or wrong, but the reader at least gets a frank opinion, and can make up his own mind, not have it made up for him by a slanted news item or a mercenary advertorial,