Administrative & Reform Measures PDF

Administrative & Reform Measures Notebook: GS2 Created: 12-09-2019 09:52 Updated: 12-09-2019 11:53 Author: kaberi nath URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bir_Chandra_Manikya Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya: He was the king of Manikya Dynasty of Tripura f...

Administrative & Reform Measures Notebook: GS2 Created: 12-09-2019 09:52 Updated: 12-09-2019 11:53 Author: kaberi nath URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bir_Chandra_Manikya Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya: He was the king of Manikya Dynasty of Tripura from 1862 to 1896. After the death of Ishan Chandra Manikya in 1862, Maharaja Birchandra Manikya came to power, though he ceremonially ascended the throne on the 9th March, 1870, about eight years after the death of bis eldest brother, Ishanchandra. The genius of this personality introduced the era of modernisation in the administration of the Tripura State. The significant steps taken in this respect during the rule of Mabaraj Bir Chandra Kanikya can be summarised below as important elements of the beginning of modernisation- 1. Appointment of British Officers and experienced officers of British India in the Tripura State to break the tradition of patriarchal pattern 2. Introduction of the features of District administration by creating administrative divisions in different regions and appointing expert officers at the head of these divisions with the powers of the Deputy Commissioners in British India. 3. Creation of new departments with an increase in the number of posts in the administration filled with trained officials. 4. Above measures mark the beginning of an humble form of bureaucratic pattern in place of the patrimonial system. 5. Creation of Cabinet-like organisations for experiment with devolution of powers lying with the chief of the state. 6. Establishment of a Khas Appeal Adalat for unification of the judicial system in the state. 7. Abolition of the Pahari Adalat for unification of the judicial system in the State. 8. Codification of laws for the first time and the making of rules for that purpose were important steps towards modernisation. 9. During the last part of his reign the Maharaja also formed a Legislative Council (ByabaSthapak Sabha) which was also an organisation, created for the first time in the State. 10. All these point towards an attempt of decentralisation in the authority of a traditional patriarch and this may he regarded as an important feature of modernisation. Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya: Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya of the Manikya Dynasty reigned as the king of Tripura State from 1896 to 1909.He was uncle of Famous Musician S.D Burman. He has been described as one of the architects of modern Tripura. In spite of his personal desire, the British influence and the works of Ministers experienced in modern systems of administration at that time, it is a bit difficult to find out revolutionary landmarks in the progress of modernisation. Some factors which had retarded the growth and development in this respect have also been pointed out above. Still an attempt is made in the following to jot down the joints of advance in modernisation during the rule of Radhakishore in comparison to the administrative reforms of Maharaja Birchandra who initiated a departure from the old lines. 1. Formation of Executive and Legislative Councils on a sound basis with rules of procedure; Creation of Amatya Sabha consisting of five members including Jubraj. 2. Separation of Police and Revenue Departments relieving the Revenue Officers from Police duties throughout the State and placing the Police Department under the charge of an officer trained in Western military' training. 3. Introduction of Judicial Reforms of the most modern styles-(a) Reorganisation of Khas Appeal Adlalat with greater number of judges and its redesignation as Khas Adalat. (b) separation of the Executive and the Judiciary in the lower level - Creation of posts of the Munsiff Magistrate and the Collector of Revenue, (c) Appointment of Honorary Magistrates for trying cases under the Chairmanship of Sadar Magistrate, (d) Establishment of a long hierarchy of Courts to feed the Mufussil areas and then abolition of sane of them like the Courts, of Sub-Judge, Session Courts and Appeal Courts to relieve the people from the hazards of too many appeals for a final decision in a single case. 4. Reorganisation of the Secretariat}- (a) separation of khas Sherista from the' Private Secretary's office, (b) Framing of rules for the Department of Royal Household, (c) Opening of Post Offices in the state. To conclude, it may be pointed out that the above administrative reforms made by Radhakishore against heavy odds were not a mean achievement over the preliminary attempts of Birchandra towards modernisation. During his rule some of the features of modern democratic administration began to take its shape in the process of administration in Tripura, These features mark a considerable advance in the process of modernisation during his time. One of those features was the formation of the Councils and committees with definite rules for their working. Those rules were framed, it may be noted, in the model of reforms introduced in British India which were stepping towards the idea of ruling through the advice of experts and local notables. In fine, some of the powers centred in the solitary hand of the Maharaja were delegated to different bodies and used with their expert advice. It was an advancement of the measures attempted to be introduced by Birchandra. Another important feature introduced by Radhakishore is the separation of the police and the Revenue department which may be called the absolutely necessary feature of a modern administration! because, without this reform ordinary people cannot be saved from the unnecessary oppression of the Police department and cannot be free from fear of the government. To think of the State as their own, it is of prior necessity. In respect of Judiciary, the reforms during his rule made the judicial system perfectly modern one. He introduced the independence of Judiciary and organised it to suit the need of the people seeking justice. There was little gap between the judicial system introduced by him and- any of the judiciary of modern democracies. Some small reforms in the Executive departments supplied the details of working of the administrative machinery which paved the way for better and efficient administration. Above all, his personal attitude towards the rule of the State brought out a revolutionary idea that the State is meant for the welfare of the people both inside and outside of his territory. This idea of welfare is a modern ideal of the state. This benevolent attitude mixed with his attempts of reforms created an atmosphere of modernisation. Still there were long gaps between a modernised system and that introduced by him. The institutions established by him were not at all democratic, the channels of communication between the people and the ruler remained almost medieval. Bureaucracy waited for its introduction and development till the rule of his son and the idea of a constitutional development of all the sectors of the Government, till that of his grandson, Bir Bikram, Still it may be said that he did not look backward, rather made a forward step than his illustrious father, Birchandra. Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya: The fourteen years' rule of Birendra Kisbore from 1909 to 1923 is interesting from the point of view of the progress towards a modern -system of administration. The Maharaja made experiments with the dministration by Councils which might be regarded as the preliminary step towards the decentralisation of the absolute power of a Chief. The formations of specialised Committees for budget and economy were more advanced steps, in almost a patrimonial system of traditional structure. The right to criticise the rulers ’ demand, in the Select Committee for the preparation of the budget changes our idea of the autocratic absoluteness of the ruler and we are inclined to see a faint element of democratic attitude in such matters. Again the formation of the Select Committees and the Executive Council from the members of the State Council, the constitution of the Privy Council from that parent body also, prove that the Maharaja was trying to follow very crudely the pattern of structural development in Great Britain.The neighbouring British administration in India and the persons and officials related with that administration guided him in the path of modernisation in the Western model. Liberal attitude of the Maharaja and those officials working for progress of modernisation is illustrated in the decision of the inclusion in the State Council of two zamindars who were nonofficial members of that great body. These Zemindars might have some practical importance for the economic needs of the Maharaja, but to give them representation in the political structure was an outstanding feature of modernisation. But none of these institutions, which seemed to be the landmarks of development, proved to be permanent in the administrative system of the state. They found no base in the growing consciousness of the people for such consciousness was lacking in the society. The common people belonged to the class of 'parochials' who manifest little or no awareness of the political system. Under the circumstances, it cannot be expected that a gradual process towards democratisation of the system of administration would be followed continually. By the way, it may be mentioned that during the rule of Birendra Kishore there were some subversive political activities in Tripura State. At that time, the secret revolutionaries were active in the whole of Bengal after the movement against Partition of Bengal and the famous Aurobindo Case. Under the leadership of Shri Pulin Behari Das, the Dacca Anusilan Samiti was following an extensive programme of action with the youths of Bengal. Political dacoities and murders of the British officials were committed through the organisations of those Samities from 1908 to 1916. Tripura played some part in those revolutionary activities. Dr. R. C. Majumder describing organisation of the Anusilan Samity wrote, "For the purpose of training its members, the Anusilan Samity had two farms at Belonia and Udaipur in Kill Tipperah. These were outwardly, and in part really agricultural farms, but they served mainly as centres for training. During day time the members worked as labourers in the fields but at night they were given training in the use of different kinds of arms, and practised shooting in the neighbouring hills. They had to' work hard and lived under strict military discipline”. But all these activities were directed against the British regime and not against the authority of the Maharaja of Tripura. Actual political consciousness demanding democratic rights in Tripura began to grow in Tripura during the second phase of the Terrorist Movement in Bengal, which lasted from 1923 to 1933. So during the rule of Birendra Kishore the ordinary people played little role in the progress of modernisation. However, the outstanding contribution of the Maharaja to the modernisation of the administration was the said reconsitution of the Tripura Civil oi Service. It was the proper systematisation and virtually the creation of the cadre which worked successfully in the subsequent years. His legal reforms had also permanent effect upon the administration.Besides the rule by Minister which was an old system, Maharaja Birendra Kishore tried with some improved types of organisations which could not be conceived of by the previous rulers. Some of them could stand the test of time and some could not by the pressure of circumstances. But the introduction of them in the administrative system recorded the improvement in the attitude of the authority holding the powers. Those innovations are noted below:- 1. Introduction of the Amatya Sabha - an attempt to rule by a group of advisors but not by a Minister as the head of the administration. 2. Constitution of the State Council - a large body having both offcial and non-official representatives from the public besides those from the Thakurs. 3. Constitution of the Privy Council as the highest Court of appeal in the British model out of the members of the state Council. 4. Formation of the Executive Council - a smaller body to constitute the Durbar out of the State Council in the model of a Cabinet to run the day to day administration. 5. Appointment of Select Committees for preparation of budget,.for retrenchment to practise economy etc. from the members of the state Council. 6. Reconstitution of the Tripura Civil Service - virtually a creation of a systematised bureaucracy. 7. Creation of the post of the Chief Secretary - though not with all the functions of a modern one. 8. Enactment of the new Arms Act and the Penal Code Amendment Act. Thus Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya had made his contributions towards modernisation in almost all the branches of the administration — Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya: Last ruling Chief — but not the least ruler was Maharaja Bir Blkram Kishore Manikya Bahadur of Tripura, who reigned from 1927 to 1947, This period saw the most turbulent events in the history of India, which culminated in overthrowing the British yoke from this country. Points of Advance towards Modernisation During the Rule of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manlkya: 1. Formation of Mantrana Sabha (Advisory Council) in the model of his father’s Amatya Sabha with fewer members than that of the latter for a temporary period of two  years. 2. Constitution of Executive Council (Mantri Parishad) with a President of its own, which, therefore, could have independent sittings without the Maharaja and its members, excepting the President and the Vice-President, held portfolios of the government. 3. Reorganisation of the institutions of Tripur Kshatriya Samaj for control and improvement of their social activities and self-administration. 4. Repeated attempts for establishing Village Mandalis according to a most modernised Village Mandali Act which can be compared to any of the recently passed Acts establishing Panchayati Raj in independent India. 5. Introduction of the executive and judicial part of an enacted constituticn including a Privy Council, a Council of Ministers, one of them being designated as the Chief Minister, a full-fledged bureaucratic system having a Chief secretary and Secretaries of different departments under the respective ministers, and a High Court consisting of the Chief Justice and two puisne judges. 6. Framing of well-devised rules for financial administration. 7. Introduction of rules defining the powers of the bureaucratic heads — the Heads of Departments, Secretaries.and Deputy Secretaries for minimising the pressure of functions previously borne by the Maharaja, the Ministers and the Dewans — a sort of decentralisation of administrative powers. 8. Measures for increasing efficiency and co-ordination in the administration, maintaining honesty and integrity of the officers and closer relation with the people and the administration in view of the greater responsibility of the officers and the rising discontent of the people. These include the measures for inviting co-operation of the people in the developmental works of the State. In view of the above facts it may be concluded that the period of Maharaja Bir Blkram Kishore Maniky's rule for twenty years was an age of fast-changing political ideas and political culture. The demand for responsible government was taking shape with the efforts of the new-born political associations of the people and the divine hallow round the princely figure was fast receding from the hearts of’ the people. The Maharaja with his princely idea of authority being as much liberal as it could be, could not cope with the rising. aspirations of the people, the limited schemes of modernisation adopted by him was interrupted by the crisis of the Second World War.So his age remained more an age of development in political ideas than that of a concrete step towards modernised administration. His death on the 17th May, 1947 ended the age-old rule of the Maharajas in Tripura and their efforts for development in the administration. During his last days he expressed his desire to join the Indian Dominion which took up the administration from the Regent Maharani Kanchan Prava Devi on the 15th October, 1949.