Dr. Kamal Taori is not your atypical impeccable English-speaking gentleman dressed always in sophisticated formals. He is that gentleman who wears a simple khadi kurta, keeps a traditional scarf hanging loose on his shoulders and immerses himself in his work on cow and cow dung. At first glance, he doesn’t come across as a former high-ranking officer of the Government of India. Anyone can easily mistake him for a villager at ease in his rustic surroundings.
Indian Masterminds caught up with this 1972-batch retired IAS officer and conversed with him on a host of subjects relating to his work then and now. During the conversation, Dr. Taori revealed that he now spends most of his time in the development of villages and on guiding the youth on how to get employed.
AN ARMY MAN BEFORE JOINING IAS
Before becoming an IAS officer, Mr. Kamal Taori spent 6 years of his life in the Indian Army. After joining IAS, has was the collector and commissioner in many districts and was also secretary in the Government of India. He is also a writer and has published more than 40 books till date.
GUIDING YOUTH NOW
The 76-year-old gentleman is also a social worker and motivator. He has been sensitizing the youth in villages since his retirement. With the hope of eradicating unemployment, he motivates the youth towards self-employment and, also, teaches them how to live a stress-free life. In his exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Dr. Taori said, “Youth should know themselves and should come forward for new work. Nothing can get better if the youth don’t ask questions. Therefore, they should continue to question the system while fulfilling their responsibilities.”
CAREER GRAPH
He was born on August 1, 1946, in Wardha, Maharashtra. However, his family later settled in Pokhran, Rajasthan, along the border of India-Pakistan. After getting himself an LLB degree and then a doctorate in Economics, he joined the Indian Army,where he became a colonel. After serving in the Army for 6 years, in the year 1972, he became an IAS officer by passing an examination of the Indian Army conducted by the UPSC under the Short Service Commission.
Dr. Taori remained in civil service till 2006. During this time, he was the DM of Ghazipur district and the Commissioner of Faizabad (now Ayodhya). He was the collector and commissioner of many other districts as well. He was the secretary of many important departments like rural development, village industries, panchayati raj, khadi etc., in state and central governments. He also held high positions in the Union Home Ministry and NITI Aayog.
LOVE FOR KHADI
Talking about his special attachment to Khadi and how he developed it, Dr. Taori said that in the year 1985, the Uttar Pradesh government moved him from his posting as Commissioner, Faizabad to the Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board. While working there, his attachment to khadi grew and eventually became an integral part of his life. He remained in the Khadi Village Industries Boardfor about 15 years and implemented various innovative projects. To take khadi to the common people, he inspired people to adopt khadi. He himself took a vow to wear only khadi and, since then, he has been wearing this fabric only.
29 YEARS OF HONOUR FIGHT
Mr. Taori fought and won a battle for his honour in court for 29 years. He explains what this honour battle was all about. On the Azamgarh-Atraulia-Faizabad road, the driver-conductors of the roadways used to beat up the checking officers at that time. In 1985, Mr. Taori and an IPS officer chased a government bus of UP State Road Transport Corporation on Azamgarh-Atraulia-Faizabad road. After several kilometers of chase, they managed to stop the bus at Atraulia in Azamgarh. But the driver and conductor of the bus attacked both the officers. Mr. Taori took the matter to court. Later, this matter went to Allahabad court.
The trial went on for a long time.After almost 29 years in March 2012, the verdict of this case was given, and both the accused were imprisoned for 3 years. Mr. Taori won his case finally. He says now that it was a case of honour for him. That is why he pursued the case relentlessly and did not give up.
SELF-EMPLOYMENT IN VILLAGES
Mr. Taori is now working most of the time to stop the migration of people from the villages to cities by creating employment avenues in the villages itself. According to him, “There is employment in all the things around you. If need be, just recognize it and work on it. The youth will have to voluntarily take steps for this, and believe me, they can!” He believes that if the youth recognize their inner talents, they can generate self-employment in their villages. Of course, he is always there to guide them with his intelligence and understanding.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST CORRUPTION
Mr. Taori has also been continuously raising his voice against corruption. He says that the youth along with the common people have to come forward to deal with corruption. “You have to strengthen yourself morally. If any IAS-IPS wants to come only for money and power, then difficulties will arise for the society.”
He is also working with an organization to create a transparent system in the country. Soon a book of his on this subject will be released.
EXAMPLE OF SIMPLICITY
It is said, ‘A person is not identified by his clothes, but by his actions and behavior’. This saying fits perfectly on Mr. Kamal Taori. He is always dressed in simple clothes. Khadi kurta, lungi and a gamchha on the shoulder have become his trademark. And when he speaks, he does so with a distinctive native accent.
He has become a standing example of simplicity and honesty for all bureaucrats. And he has raised the benchmark for the civil servants to fulfill their responsibilities towards the country in an honest and selfless way. Even after retirement, his ideals, principles and values live on in the civil services. A beacon of light, he has shown the way to young officers to be a symbol of dignity and spread hope in society.
