Perfect Show with Amitabh Thakur, an IPS officer – Empowering society!

In this edition of Perfect Show, Iam happy to host a person who is loved by one and all in our campus (IIM Lucknow). Exuding confidence while at the same time maintaining a child like curiosity, he leaves his mark through his inquisitiveness & witty remarks. It’s my pleasure to welcome Mr.Amitabh Thakur, an IPS officer currently pursing FPM in IIM Lucknow.

Amitabh Thakur is an officer of the 1992 batch of Uttar Cadre in the Indian Police Service. He is a B Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and then he came in the IPS. He has been SP of nearly 10 districts in UP and has also served at other important places like Vigilance, Intelligence, Special Enquiry, CB-CID and Police Academy, Moradabad. Presently he has taken study leave to undertake Fellow Program in Management (FPM) in Human Resource Management since 2009.



Other than this, Thakur is also actively involved with social work. He is the President of two social organizations, National RTI Forum and IRDS and is also the Patron of Indian Public Academy, a school providing free education to needy children. Till now his two books, Jaisa Maine Jaana Hai (Hindi poems) and Dhal Gayi Raat (Hindi short stories) have been published while very soon his book (being co-authored with Amit Haralalka, an IIM Lucknow student) on IIM Lucknow MBA graduates having chosen non-conventional career paths is coming up. Recently he has taken up the project of writing one book each in Hindi and English based on his inputs from the social networking site Facebook, which is underway. He lives with his wife, Mrs.Nutan Thakur & has two kids Tanaya & Aditya Thakur. Over to the show now

THE "PERFECT" SHOW:
Host - Prashant Sree - PS
Guest - Mr. Amitabh Thakur - AT

PS: Welcome to the Perfect Show Sir.
AT: It’s my pleasure to be in the Show.

PS: So, What are you passionate about in Life?
AT: Iam passionate about doing something which will have a substantial impact on the society and the structure of governance which will benefit the lives of people in a positive manner

PS: Very nice Sir. Your active involvement in social matters does reflect your commitment to improve the society. What have you learnt in your life, which you would like to share with us?
AT: The most important learning in my life is that:
If you want to do something, just go about doing it. The more you think about it, the lesser is the chance that it will happen.

PS: Seems you are more of an action figure… If you could change one thing in world, what would that be?
AT: I would like to change the judiciary process and expedite it to deliver justice more quickly to the masses.

PS: Iam sure that it will benefit many people… Who is your Favorite Fable hero/Your Favorite Mythological Hero and why?
AT: I don’t believe in fables.

PS: Surprising to hear that. What would you like to evangelize in your life?
AT: I would like to evangelize about working Hard and being sincere in life.

PS: Doing an FPM after so many years of service certainly reiterates your resolve to keep learning throughout your life. What do you consider your charm to be?
AT: I guess my empathy for others might be considered a charm.

PS: Your witty remark is certainly a major charm Sir. :) What is your Thumb Rule for Life?
AT: Thank you. As for the Thumb rule for life, As long as one is committed to his/her work and works persistently towards his goals, there is nothing that can stop him from achieving his goals.

PS: Good one sir. Who have been your role models in life and the reasons?
AT: Well, there are quite a few.. Mahatma Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayanan, Bhagat Singh. Bapu taught us a new way of living life which was hitherto unknown to anyone. JP for his courage to rebel against authority despite many hardships & Bhagat Singh for his bravery he showed and the Marxist views which he followed it through his actions.

PS: Inspiring indeed. Being active in social matters, how do you think today youth can contribute to the society?
AT: Youth has enormous potential with them. They can contribute significantly by doing their own work properly & by thinking of people around them other than their own life & family. Thinking about others fills you with a power to change lives yours as well as others beyond your wildest imagination.

PS: Nice one. What’s your advice for someone preparing Civils.
AT: It’s been long since I gave the exam. Based on my experience, I would suggest 3 things. 1) The optional paper should be chosen with due diligence 2) Equal emphasis should be given to all subjects & 3) The selection of the subjects should be governed by their own interest and not due to friends, external experts advice.

PS: From you experience, How can one be focused in life & continue to work under pressure.
AT: Focus is nothing but a matter of prioritizing in life. It could be done by choosing one’s priorities correctly & all reminding oneself that even if one falls in life, one needs to accept it, get up and get going instead of cribbing and blaming others for it. Well, regarding continuing to work under pressure, I feel it’s more of an experiential learning. As one experiences such demanding situations, you automatically start doing things. So it’s a matter of learning things through doing.

PS: What is your favorite quote?
AT: My favorite quote is:
“Kshudra Swarth ke khatir
Hum to, kasha na gahit kam karoge”
Meaning – We shall not do wrong deeds for small petty gains.

PS: Simple yet impactful one. Could you share some of your proudest moments being a IPS officer
AT: The ones which I consider my achievements are as follows:
a)Criminal case investigated in which grand daughter had killed her grandfather(MLA) at Muradabad.
b)Three small boys were rescued alive from extortionist at Firozabad
c)In many places I had served, I initiated direct dialogues with the police in local dialect for the local community to approach the police and bring their complaints.

PS: Impressive achievements Sir. Could you tell something about the 'RTI' initiative of yours (this would help like-minded people to get in touch with you and also a medium for people to know about such initiatives?)
AT: We have formed the National RTI Forum with a sincere and genuine effort to bring all the RTI activists together for all the RTI activists and activities. It is a Forum to look into all the matters related with RTI activists, including their training, guidance, support and security related aspects. Our primary work include:

1. Give guidance in framing and formulating petitions under RTI
2. Give continuous support to those who are trying to use the provisions of the RTI Act
3. Raise the voice of the RTI activists at all appropriate Forums and platforms
4. Provide suitable persons to send their RTI applications, in case they fear sending it in their own name due to a variety of reasons. Anyone interested in good and transparent governance can be a part of this initiative by writing to us and contacting us.

PS: Iam sure your initiative will go on to benefit a lot many more people. Now, Everyone knows that RTI is to get access to information, yet the bureaucratic process doesn’t help easy flow of information easily. Could you explain how a common man can get info under such circumstances when the government officials aren’t forthcoming on the information?
AT: The only way is pursuance. Write to the Public Information officer. If no information, move to the First Appellate Authority and from there to the State/Central Information Commission (as the case may be). In short, the only way out is to strive for it with all sincerity

PS: That’s all we have for you in the Show Sir. It’s been a pleasure to have you in the show and learn about from experiences. On behalf of my readers, I thank you for accepting to be a guest in the Show and wish you and your family a Happy New Year 2011 & wish your social initiatives a great success in future.
AT: Thanks Prashant and wish you too a wonderful life ahead.

P.S: I wish all my readers a Happy and a Prosperous New Year 2011 !