AUGUST 13, 2012

By Shailendra Kumar

THE legendary Customs officer, Mr Daya Shankar, who inspiringly fully lived his inner life, yesterday morning at 7.40 AM in Melbourne, embraced the arms of his permanent resting-room, and said good-bye to the Mother Earth. He is survived by his wife, a young son, dozens of close friends and lakhs of well wishers who had never seen or known him except for his encyclopedic acts of grit, courage and integrity. Born in 1952 in a village near Patna, he did his masters in science and then joined the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Excise) in 1978. Right from his probation days, he showed his shining armour of honesty, dedication and sheer courage for truth and rules. By the time he was posted at Bombay Airport, the gold smuggling was the most glittering cross-border trade at its youth. His dedication for work and ruthlessness to enforce rules soon produced unheard of results - cold shivers went through the spine of the kingpins of the organised trade. A series of mega seizures of gold and silver put a halt to the flourishing trade, which turned dry to the extent that the gold salesmen in Dubai began to market information like when Mr Daya Shankar was off the duty, along with their yellow wares.

Since the gold syndicates had found an alternative along the Gujarat and Konkan coastlines for safe landing of their consignments carried in dhows (small boats), the CBEC had no choice but to again rely on its one-many army Mr Daya Shankar to monitor the sensitive coastlines. Although his Department had poor infrastructure to support him, he never cared for that and used to lead his team of daredevils in a slow-moving dhow to intercept the gold-laden dhows coming from Dubai. Undeterred by the fact that the smugglers' dhows had the advantage of getting 'inputs' from Dubai through satellite mobile phones, he used to chase and trap them in the deep sea rather than the coastline where the consignments used to disappear in small lots. And, for several years, he did what he was good at - a series of seizures, which finally contained smuggling activities, and forced the rising star on smuggling horizon Dawood Ibrahim to salute his courage as reported by the then Illustrated Weekly.

With the Customs topbrass getting intelligence about a serious threat to his life, he was forcibly sent to Australia on a 'Study Leave'. There he lost his preventive existence into the original research work relating to IPRs. As he had a fulfilling stint with the world of R & D, he sought voluntary retirement from North Block and got associated with the Deakin University. His love for IPRs vis -a-vis Third World countries had become so deep-rooted that his analytical commentaries had become legendary. I met him in New Delhi when he had come to India for a lecture on his perhaps 'first wife' - the IPR. During my interaction he, in a short span of time, sensitised me about how badly India and other poor countries need to gear up to catch up with the lost time for safeguarding its own intellectural property wealth. Meanwhile, while granting him voluntary retirement last year, the former Finance Minister and now the President of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, had written in his file - ''He is an exceptional, good and honest officer''.

Though Mr Daya Shankar never told his friends what he actually believed in but, at the hindsight, it appears that he was more inspired by the karma yoga of Bhagavat Gita. He always practised SELFLESS ACTION, which was also the sole motivating force for Mahatma Gandhi who wrote: "The object of the Gita appears to me to be that of showing the most excellent way to attain self-realization" and this can be achieved by selfless action, "By desireless action; by renouncing fruits of action; by dedicating all activities to God, i.e., by surrendering oneself to Him body and soul."

And this is what Mr Daya Shankar seems to have done - he was such a simple and humble soul that no desire could have come closer to him; he renounced the fuits of his action, which his Department wanted to give him in the form of 'Reward' to the tune of several lakhs; the miracle of coming out unscathed after raiding smugglers and tax evaders was possible only because he had dedicated all his activities to God; and he has now finally surrendered himself to HIM (the almighty). Unlike others in the Government service who retire at the age of 60, he retired his life exactly at 60. TIOL salutes his legend and his dedication for public service coupled with moral values in life, which he has left behind for his colleagues and fellow officers in the Department to emulate him. May his soul rest in peace.

TIOL also brings to Netizens the STRONG FEELINGS of some his working and retired associates.

Public Service Redefined

Mr A K Pande, Former DG, DRI

IT was very sad to learn about the premature demise of Daya Shankar. The service regrettably had lost him much earlier. He would, however, be fondly remembered by all who knew him, particularly those who had occasion to work closely with him. When honesty combines with courage, it makes for an indomitable soul, for nerves of steel, which can withstand any challenge. And honesty of such people is out of conviction and not fear. It may not instantly change the system, but leaves an indelible impact - a small step which may ultimately lead to change. Every service has such people. Daya Shankar was the ONE in our service. Such people want nothing in return, not even a name and they define what public service is. Our system does not need the honest who are unconcerned about their surroundings. It needs honest who have the courage to cleanse the system. It is certainly not self enrichment or business. Ironically, it has become just that and with a brazenness. Fence eats the crop, and having nourished on it, eats it with greater vigour ever after. Instances are not wanting, where many a public servant having robbed the exchequer, walk away with a smirk to occupy even more vintage position, thanks to their protectors and supporters. But a churning is going on currently. This time it seems the change may come. But honesty of conviction can not come overnight. It takes time to take root. People however are not ready to wait. It has been a long wait already. Therefore till that happens, honesty in public services has to be brought about by the fear of a strong law. People who are honest out of conviction, have to be at the helm. If such change comes, the efforts of the likes of Daya Shankar will not have gone in vain.

I am happy that Daya Shankar adorned a chapter of my book –‘Grit That Defied Odds’. The concluding lines of that book aptly apply to Daya Shankar:

‘A hero fears nothing, complains of nothing, and never gives way.’ - The Mother

Mr Karan Sharma, Chief Commissioner of Customs & Excise

ONE of the most effective and well known preventive officers, the Department has ever seen bid his final good bye today morning in Australia. Daya was the leader of the fast dwindling tribe of officers who breathe, eat, drink and live their job. He was a role model for the young officers of the Department. His exploits in anti-smuggling work and single minded devotion to duty are unparalleled. The awe and praise, with which the young officers reacted, when introduced to Daya during his recent visits to India, was all the reward one can ask for. His exploits would fill many a books and put to shame some of the popular fictions. May God bless his soul.

Mr S Dutt Majumdar, Fromer CBEC Chairman and now Ombudsman, Delhi

AS I reminisce Daya shankar sitting on my chair at the lawn, it occurs to me that he sat opposite me at this very place, just a few months back when he visisted India with his wife. His health was broken but not the spirit. I have known him right since his probation days when he came to Calcutta Customs House for field training. Trust me, I knew then itself, - he will be an officer with a difference. And I was right. He did leave an indelible mark with his characteristic, honest and upright approach while dealing with smugglers and tax evaders. Let there be hundreds of Daya Shankars in our Department, and they will then rediscover our past glory.

Mr A P Kala, Former DG, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB)

I knew Daya Shankar as a resolute officer, inflexibly upright and minutely just. A highly trusted colleague. An ever dependable friend, and above all, a wonderful man. Daya Shankar, I will miss you and will always cherish the times that we had together.

Mr Srinivas Rao, Addl Director, DRI

SHRI Daya Shankar joined the Indian Revenue Services in the year of 1978. Naturally talented, brilliant, irreverent and eccentric in the early stages of his career itself, he distinguished wherever he worked with unflinching courage and supreme dedication. In early stages of his career itself, he earned a reputation as a man of integrity to the core, which he maintained throughout his life in all walks.

His reputation as a formidable officer came to fore while he was posted at Mumbai Airport and subsequently as an Assistant Commissioner, at Daman Coast, DRI Mumbai, M&P Mumbai and in GOA where he stood up for an honest inspector who took on the Chief minister’s brother and exposed that even the CBI is toeing the line of powerful and influential.

At Mumbai Airport, it was known to everyone that while he was on duty, Smugglers got themselves off loaded from foreign destinations. While at Daman - one of the most vulnerable places for smuggling gold and silver - Shri Daya Shankar, took upon with Mafia Don – Bakia and later JogiNani @ LalluJogi. He arrested both of them and stopped their smuggling activities and instilled a lot of confidence in the people of Daman district. What Police Department at Daman failed to do, Shri Daya Shankar could do single handedly. In another similar case, the erstwhile Chief Minister of Goa was investigated by him for smuggling activity and got him detained under COFEPOSA.

Shri Daya Shankar had excellent network of people and was capable of generating continuous intelligence on many issues related to smuggling, terrorism, Narco trafficking etc. Mumbai Police and Intelligence Bureau would seek specific information from him on complicated cases and it may not be incorrect to say that without his inputs many of the actions initiated by these Agencies would not have yielded results. For all his credible work, there were approved rewards in the form of cash incentives for Shri Daya Shankar, which were not accepted by him and returned to the Government. He could have got rewards of more than a crore of rupees in the eighties and nineties when there were no ceilings on the amount of rewards. But he did not accept even a penny as reward for his work. He considered his work as a part of his responsibility and these cash incentives did not motivate him – he was already an Inspiration by himself. No amount of money inspired him – his honesty and integrity stood above everything else.

For the post 1990 generations like me who have not seen him, he is known, as depicted by his informers, few idealistic and loyal subordinates (who could not adjust to the era of liberalization), his friends and a large number of others (crooks) as an idealist whom informers can trust with their lives, willing to go any lengths to take on the smugglers and duty evaders, as a person who is willing to give his all to his subordinates in their difficult times and who is a simple and uncomplicated human being who lived by the Gandhian ideals of SIMPLICITY, HONESTY AND INTEGRITY in whatever he did. All these ideals, which are taught to all of us in school but as we realized at various stages of life that it is almost impossible to live by (as rationalized by us) in this era. He showed everyone that it is not impossible but we lack the courage and commitment to live by them.

This embodiment of Inspiration, who protected his fellow workers and juniors in the riskiest situations at work, left for his Abode on 12th August 2012. In his death he leaves behind a legacy, now to be carried forward by his juniors in the Department.

Venkatesh Alwan, Sr SIO, DRI

MR Daya Shankar, who joined the Indian Revenue Services in the year of 1978, stamped his presence in service, with unflinching courage and dedication – his deeds earned him a reputation of a man of integrity to the core. Though he excelled in every place wherever he was posted during his illustrious career, his reputation as a rare officer came to the fore while he was posted as Assistant Commissioner at Mumbai Airport and subsequently, at Daman Coast, Near Gujarat.

His life and work will continue to inspire the next generation of officers in the Department. For those who worked with him and benefited from his experience, support and love, this loss is irreparable…A legend, An icon, A truly Customs man!!!

K S Bhatt, A close friend

When I heard of Daya Shankar's untimely demise, I was hugely saddened, and will take months to recover part of my numb senses. No words are at this moment capable of expressing my oceanic grief. My sincere thoughts and prayers are with him family.

TIOL also brings to you some of the comments of the Netizens who had written on the Message Board after TIOL had carried a piece on Mr Daya Shankar last year.

Sub: Finally justice done to Legendary Customs Officer

SALUTE to Sh. Daya Shanker. He is indeed an icon, a living legend, a beacon light and a fountain of inspiration for other officers in the department of customs, central excise and service tax. It is high time his values are emulated, which can possibly be the true and the only 'reward', the department and his fellow collegues can give to him. Put his framed photo in every office of the Department and see the magic it is bound to do.

Also kudos to the author for bringing out the story of 'Daya - The Nayak'.

Posted by Adv Rakesh Bhola

Sub: Congratulataions for publishing good deeds of an ace Customs Officer

IT is real loss to the Union Government especially Indian Customs for allowing him to go on VRS. The way he handled the cases should made known to all the Customs officers so that they can try to excel them in future.

Posted by bsgandhi69

Sub: This breed is out of stock

Dear Editor,

Apologies if I sound cynical. But the perception is that they do not make this breed of officers any more. No doubt, a rare gem here or there do exist - not a creature of the institution but they are what they are ... may be it would require them to move out of the Department or fight their own battles and die a thousand deaths before they are acknowledged as a 'nayak', again not by the Department but from those who understand the Department better from outside !!! All that can be said is that this clan is akin to out of production and out of stock model. Yes, the ingenious brains who invent the ever so painful vigilance files for issues such as this continue to mushroom in every nook and corner within the institution.

Kudos to the Cob(Web) for bringing out this piece. The intervention of the Chairman and the final parting signature note by the Department is the least we could have done for this iconic officer.

Posted by N Suresh