Unsung heroes.

Byline: Syed Saadat

'NO matter what we do, nobody loves us,' said a friend, currently serving as a deputy commissioner. I asked him the reason behind his pessimistic statement, and he went on to explain that everyone gets recognition at some stage - doctors, army men, lawyers, philanthropists - but a civil servant like him and many others never get any recognition. He further added: 'In fact, escapists like you who have left the civil service are recognised more for the service they are doing to expose the so-called ills of bureaucracy, but the ones who battle it out by staying to serve the public are never recognised. I have not gone home for the last three days, have not met my kids for almost a week because when I leave home in the morning they have not yet woken up and, when I return, they are already asleep.'

District administration officials are the first line of response of the government in any unusual situation, and they are usually the ones facing the wrath of the general public over government action...