Author: Khekiye K Sema
Publisher: Heritage Publishing House
Price: Rs 500
Available at: Signet Bookstore (Dimapur), Crossword (Kohima), Connect Bookstall (Mokokchung)
‘Encountering Life – Antics of a Govt Servant’, the autobiography of Khekiye K Sema is simply overwhelming and inspiring. It has all the elements of a good book: lucid writings, vivid narrations of humorous incidents, and the ability to make the reader feel at one with the author. And the best part being the author’s ability to make the reader feel as if he is sitting opposite to you and narrating life story orally.
It is simply amazing to read about the life of Khekiye K Sema who is his book ‘Encountering Life’ lays bare his adventurous life starting off as a young NCS officer to retire as a Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Nagaland. The real story takes off from Part-II ‘…Antics of a Naga Civil Servant’; but the Part-I is also equally important because it deals with the making of an astute Naga civil servant in the person of Khekiye K Sema, as he poignantly recounts his early childhood, school and college days. The lessons he learnt and also the funny incidents that happened along the why while he was still studying.
His book narrates the good and the bad days as he served the Nagaland Government for more than three decades in different capacities, being transferred for 25 times in 31 years of service. He had served in almost all the corners of
Nagaland during the worst of times; at times confronting with the seniors and the all powerful ministers; at times with the general public (the land owners, villagers etc), and at times, dealing with the Naga Political groups and even confronting them physically. The book has it all. The author takes the reader on a rare walk into the shadowy world of bureaucratic red-tapeism, of corruption and political victimization of unlucky bureaucrats and officers.
At one point the authors confesses - “Perhaps everyone presumes that the life of a senior bureaucrat would be a bed of roses. In my case, it was more a bed of thorns minus the roses” – when he was being transferred as the Deputy Commissioner of Wokha while serving as a Secretary to the Government of Nagaland. Those lines would perhaps summarize his exasperation at the functioning of the Nagaland Government. But, it would be utterly wrong to think of Mr Khekiye K Sema as a whiner. He takes all the challenges with a straight face, with courage and hope, and he triumphs at the end. He also narrates some unpleasant incidents with some prominent citizens in our society, who were his colleagues, superiors or acquaintances, which may compel you to ask after reading the book, “Really? Was he like that?”
Over and above, it is a fast book. Perhaps, it is the lucid writings, or the adventurous life that he has lived, or simply the narration of humorous incidents in between, that makes the 322 page book priced at Rs 500 worth every penny of it. (Of course, I got the book as a gift from the Publisher – Heritage Publishing House, Dimapur – and that’s what makes the book more valuable for me.)
The book genuinely attests that Khekiye K Sumi – whom we came to know about through his hard-hitting articles published in the newspapers during the past years and his speeches at ACAUT rallies – is that bold former bureaucrat, that no-nonsense guy who even singlehandedly immobilized two extortionist who came to extort money at his office in 1994.
Justice HK Sema (former Judge, Supreme Court of India) has rightly recommended the book to the bureaucrats, administrator, political leader, public leader, NGO, academician and people of all walks of life.
I too would like to add that if Nagaland is to be efficiently administrated, and if the morale of the young enthusiastic upcoming bureaucrats are not to be discouraged, then the present senior bureaucrats and most importantly, the politicians especially the ministers and parliamentary secretaries should seriously read the book.
Besides, if the young upcoming bureaucrats truly aspire to bring a change in the Nagaland for which they have the power to do so, then they should read the book ‘Encountering Life’, and be inspired that nothing is impossible – let Khekiye K Sema tell you that through his autobiography.
Moreover, it would be good if the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) could also make it a point to make every newly appointed NCS trainee to read the book so that they get an insight into the past bureaucratic world of Nagaland and inspire them to make a difference like some of their retired seniors.
As for the public and book lovers, all I have to say is this: we don’t get to read such good books written by Naga authors every day. So what are you waiting for?
Longrangty Longchar
