THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Civil servants ensure continuity in governance even as governments change every five years, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal has said.
“Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel rightly referred to civil servants as the ‘steel frame of India’. They are the past, present and future of the country. India needs more of them,” he said after releasing “10 IAS Vijayagaathakal”, a collection of success stories of ten officers penned by IUML state treasurer Ismail P Former Chief Secretary V Venu received the first copy.
Venu said the IAS officers included in the book were inspirational personalities. “They are capable of leading the society, not just the departments they head,” he said. Venu appreciated the author for asking a different set of questions to each officer. “It gains relevance since the officers come from different backgrounds, struggling against different odds,” he added.
IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty presided over the function. He said the book will be of great use to young civil service aspirants. IUML leader M K Muneer recalled his long association with V Venu since their graduation studies at the Government Medical College, Kozhikode. Ismayil said the interviews were originally published in Chandrika daily. “Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal encouraged me when I mooted the idea. Several people asked me to publish them as a book,” he said.
IAS officers Haritha V Kumar and Renu Raj participated in an interactive session.