PREVENTIVE OFFICER

Later on I was interviewed by Customs and I received a letter from the Collector of Customs, Bombay informing me that I should join their office at Bombay as a Preventive Officer.

I reported the Collector at New Customs House, Bombay. My immediate officer was an Englishman who probably stayed back after independence, and within a week I was in full uniform of Preventive Officer. It was white trouser, white half shirt with shoulder straps of Indian Customs and small golden ribbon across the straps indicating the designation of the Preventive Officer and a P-cap of Indian Customs badge on it. It was attractive and impressive and looked like a navy officer’s uniform.

 Preventive Officer’s job was challenging, required courage, alertness and involved risk. At the same time it was a nice and mentally satisfying one. With me there were 10-15 more new Preventive Officers who joined at the same time.

 First and foremost duty of the Preventive Officer was to prevent import and export of contraband goods, to check the baggage of incoming and outgoing passengers at the international Airport and Seaports. Checking baggage of passengers travelling by either Indian Airlines or foreign flights to foreign countries or travelling by foreign – domestic passenger cruises was comparatively easier than the checking of incoming passengers from foreign countries. Checking of shipment bills of export cargos to other countries was attended along with Port Trust Officers.

To correctly levy the customs duty on various goods and items considered importable but in excess as per customs manual required in depth knowledge of the rules and guidelines.

Since passengers travelling by air or liners belonged generally to a special class of the society. Preventive Officers were exposed daily to variety of people from all over the world. Many of them would be visiting India first time. I remember once a German lady passenger alighted from a passenger liner exclaimed in wonder to me – as I happened to be on duty – saying, “Oh, Bombay is like our Berlin! I was under the impression it must be a big village infested with wild animals, snakes and magic and magicians!”

 To go for checking a tourist passenger cruise anchored far off in the high sea was a joyful duty. I had the opportunity to visit world’s most beautiful such liners. They were like high-rise multi-storeyed floating five star hotels! Call for any facility or luxury, and it was available on the deck of the liners. In fact their beauty, grandeur, cleanliness, splendour, and each department was beyond the descriptions and beyond imagination. Such ships needed to be seen and not to be read about them, because it would not give one even vicarious pleasure!

 Since our job was to check every hook and corner of the liners and practically all personnel thereof including their households, captains were extremely cooperative, courteous and extended hospitalities! I have seen some of our colleagues availed such entertainments more than they could stand to it and often found difficulty in coming down from hanging ladder into our rummaging ferry boats anchored near the ships! During those days even cigarette lighters were considered contrabands. At one occasion my team-mates and I caught a heap of lighters nicely wrapped in a polythene bag submerged in the Dal Curry (cooked liquid pulses) in a big jar in the kitchen! It was a Indian vessel!

In custom department there are outside agencies which are approved and authorized by Government to help passengers, companies, several importing and exporting trading houses for clearing their baggage and imported-exported goods. Such companies are known as clearing agents, who work on behalf of their employers. Preventive Officers were supposed to maintain good professional relations with them. They too maintained relations and both helped each other at the dockyards and airports.

We – Nirmala and I were staying at Kalina, a military camp, at East Santacruz, in one Mr. Sonawane’s quarter (real name), once my jawan mate in Mahar Regiment Centre Saguar. Whenever I passed through the gates, the navy personnel on duty, saluted me considering a navy officer due to mistaken similarity of our and navy officers’ uniform. But this provided me good opportunity to get acquainted with the navy officers staying in the campus.

We were happy and contented. Bad days were already over. Hectic days of preparation for the examinations too were over. Alas, but my mother was no more to see her son in good position! In good condition! Once sufferer of penury his/ her parents should not leave forever if their children enjoy prosperous days. Such pains remain with the persons living behind the lost one’s forever! Irrecoverable!

Financial liability for family at village was there but limited. I had purchased another piece of agricultural land adjacent to our old land while in military,,And the agricultural produce from the fields could maintain the family.

When we were under no pressure it happened! I was on duty checking the baggage of pilgrims going to Haj. It being purely a religious matter, everybody was in religious mood and as such there was no tension or problem for us. While checking in a casual way I found a pilgrim carrying a bagful stones of various colours and sizes. On my inquiry the passenger explained that these stones were for distribution among the fellow pilgrims there coming from other countries. Since I had no knowledge about their religious customs I requested the concerned passenger to obtain the clearance from my senior officer as it was beyond my powers to allow him to carry the huge quantity to the ship. He started arguing. I repeatedly told him that I did not know his religious customs, I did not know his bonafied but since the quantity was such which to allow was beyond my authority, and he could simply go to my officer who was very much present there and obtain his permission before the gangway of the ship was lifted and in that case he would miss his pilgrimage itself.

 Unfortunately he was in no mood to listen to me. I suggested other way also to handover the bag to his friend who had come there to see him off and board the ship. He got angry and went out somewhere and returned accompanied by our hawaldar who requested me to allow him to carry the bag. But I did not accept his request and asked him also to take the person to our officer and help him out. Instead the hawaldar left us. I told the person to hurry up and obtain my senior’s permission, as I was not in the position to leave my place! Poor chap got fed up, left the bag to his acquaintance and boarded the ship. I was genuinely in a fix and felt sorry for him. The gangway – the ladder was lifted and the

ship moved slowly in the waters.

When the crowd dispersed the same hawaldar came to me and told

that my senior officer wanted me to meet him. As I went he looked at me from toe to head scornfully and contemptuously as if I had committed some grave crime. After a minute and same look he said sarcastically in Hindi, “Is gadhe ko kisane bharti kiya yehan?” (Who appointed this donkey in this department?). I was at loss and did not know what exactly had gone wrong. Afterwards the hawaldar told me that they lost a big opportunity. I was so depressed; I did not ask him what was that opportunity!

 In fact in military Sepoy stood at the lowest rank. I was a Sepoy. But even then I was being treated with respect by all ranks namely Ors, NCOs, JCOs and even officers. Except my very close friends no one called me by singular pronoun – like “Ye Sawdekar (Tum Sawdekar in Hindi). They always said me “Aap” i.e. “You”. Sepoy was generally addressed in hard and harsh language. Fortunately I enjoyed that respectful position so long I was in military.

Disgusted by the event I narrated the story to Nirmala in the evening on return! What the poor lady would say! Felt insulted I did not attend the office next 2-3 days.

One day in our office I heard that the result of Central Service Examination – UPSC was out, I rushed to the Asiatic i.e. Central Library which was just 4-5 minutes walk from New Custom House to know about my result. The news was printed in a bracket on the very front page of English national daily. The full result of the examination was declared on the different page. Eagerly I searched my roll number. Again I rolled my eyes from beginning to the end. Again and again, repeatedly I searched, but I could not see my roll number anywhere. The accelerated pulsation of my heart started rapidly coming down. Every part of my body became motionless. I had failed in the examination and with that my ambition to become an I.AS.IFS.etc. officer crumbled down completely and forever as I had become overage! I did not know how long I sat on the steps of the Asiatic library totally forgetting the existence of the surroundings. Slowly my mind gathered strength and I rose from the steps and returned home. On listening Nirmala did not react much. “Now forget it, take this tea”, she said and handed over me a cup of tea! Engrossed in past from joining the institute till today’s end, I could not feel the taste of the tea!

 Although I was attending my Preventive officer’s duty but I had already lost my enthusiasm and soul.

As stated earlier I had appeared Maharashtra Public Services Commission Examinations conducted for various posts and was through. I received a letter for interview. I was before the selection board for interview in Bombay itself. Lt. General S. P. P. Thorat was the Chairman of the MPSC. Lt. General Thorat was the Col. Commandant of Mahar Regiment when I was at MRC Saugar. During the interview General went through my resume and looking at me but addressing other members on the panel said that he was happy and proud to see a Sepoy of Mahar Regiment Competing successfully for such examinations.

After some days its result was out and I was selected for the post of Probationary Mamaledar i.e. Tahsildar (a revenue officer)!

Already suffocated psychologically I lost no time and sent my letter of resignation requesting to make it effective immediately. I stopped going to New Custom House folded carelessly my uniforms, locked in the box and took a long sigh!

Thus closed one more chapter of my life and opened another!