Sumedha : Of being wise and prudent

Sumedha : Of being wise and prudent

The year 2017, we had assembled for our first session of induction training in IAS at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration at Mussourie. The mood was upbeat for we had all become a part of the coveted civil services. Each one was raring to go. The biggest advantage of getting inducted into IAS from state civil services is the sea of experience each one  has. We all shared our thoughts about our journey as administrators and the work we were doing.
Amongst all of them was Sumedha Kataria, from Haryana who had joined
Haryana State Civil Services as a Block Development and Panchayat Officer in 1990s. Her experience sharing and the ignominy about being a woman in a man's world stood out and has remained in my mind 
Our limited interactions at LBSNAA blossomed into mutual admiration during our foreign training at Seoul, South Korea. It was there that I discovered her multi-faceted personality as an orator, writer, poet, a connoisseur of arts, a rustic singer.
My evenings became aesthetic as I was transported to a literary world of books, music and gazhals.
She had a way with words which kept me engrossed. No doubts she was wise and intelligent. Her parents had probably guaged these qualities in her when they named her Sumedha.
The sixth among seven sisters she had  done her parents proud in school and college. A triple post graduate, she began her career as a lecturer in a college at Hissar. She was the first lady Block Development and Panchayat Officer and later joined the Haryana State Civil Services in 1992.
Verily Kurukshetra, the land of Bhagwat Gita has been her karmabhoomi as she worked there on different positions. As the Additional District Commissioner she was at the forefront of Swach Bharat Abhhiyan educating people that, " Khule me Shauch" was blasphemy. No wonder Kurukshetra had received the Nirmal Gram Puraskar during her tenure.
Shaping the Kurukshetra Development Board and giving a face to Gita Mahotsav and making it global has been her biggest contribution. I have seen her energy and enthusiasm at the International Gita Mahotsav in 2018 when she was posted as District Magistrate at Kurukshetra. 
Later as District Magistrate at Panipat she was instrumental in transforming the city and making it people centric. Her sensitivity to all causes and her accessibility to every citizen made her popular.
Raahgiri, a programme for community health scaled great heights thanks to her involvement and enthusiasm. The Pinkathon organised by her on International Women's Day in March 2019 broke world records.
As the Municipal Commissioner of Panchkula Municipal Corporation she created a system for safe disposal of medical waste during covid.
She proved her mettle when she was   posted as the Chief Administrator of Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board, generally considered to be a male  fiefdom.
Her illustrious career of over  38 years speaks a lot about her commitment and professionalism..
What makes her different is her sensitivity,  understanding, maturity and modesty,  energy and enthusiasm, combined with dynamism, humility and ability which justifies her name in every sense of the word. It was her sixtieth birthday yesterday and I was amazed to see the number of people who came to wish her personally or through messages.
This was mainly because Sumedha is a persona, an individual par excellence. Her recognition as a bureaucrat is distinct not due to the positions she held but only due to the difference she made in those positions due to her own individuality.
In her exists a mentor, guide, friend, philosopher. I owe my creativity to her encouragement as Mann Vimal and Mann Rachnaayein were born thanks to her constant persuasion
Society needs such selfless people  and retirement from government service would open new vistas for her to guide the youth and women. In a world where the poor and downtrodden need a guiding force who is accessible there is no dearth of activities for Sumedhaji.
Happy 60th Birthday Sumedhaji... Wishing you great success as you embark on a new journey to spread light in the world....