GREAT RESPECT and HIGH STATUS

              I’m a Civil Services Aspirant. My dream is to become an All India Services Officer(IAS/IPS). Recently I have given the UPSC interview and presently waiting for results. For that interview I had an answer for the expected question-‘Why I wanted to become an IAS?’ The answer was-“Because it gives me an opportunity to serve the society with great efficacy and also I can be a part of Policy making which leads to development of the country”.
But after today’s experience I would like to add a little to the above answer. The new answer would be-“Because it gives me an opportunity to serve the society with great efficacy and I can be a part of Policy making and also the service has a Great Respect and High Status in the society”.
    The reason for this change in answer is my experience. I would like to share it with my friends.
        I happened to go to meet an IAS officer(my brother’s friend) for some work in a district in Uttar Pradesh. But the day I went, the Sir had to go to Lucknow for some urgent meeting with the CM. So the Sir informed me that he has made all arrangements for my work to be done. So I thought of going to the place and make a room in any hotel and get my work done. I reached the place one hour late due to the delay in train. I came out of station and I saw a Govt vehicle with Beacon (Laal batthhi) and name on it Magistrate. I was staring at the vehicle from a distance and at that time I got a phone call. The person on the other side of the phone was the driver of the same vehicle which I was staring. He told that he was waiting in the station for an hour. I went near the vehicle , greeted the driver and boarded it. It was the first time I was going in a Laal Batthhi car which I always wanted to.
 During my journey from the railway station there occurred a few instances:-
 Seeing the vehicle a police inspector saluted me and one police put off  his cigarette. In a circle there was a little traffic jam, the driver switched on the Laal Batthhi and Siren, a police nearby came running and cleared the traffic. Really I was feeling HIGH in the vehicle. I reached guest house, the caretaker gave biscuits and tea. I got refreshed and made some phone calls regarding my work. The Sir had made all the arrangements and my work was done in a couple of hours.
  For lunch the driver took me to a restaurant. There he introduced me to the cashier as-“DM Saheb ka Dost hai” (DM Sir’s Friend). Then the cashier came out of the counter and made me sit in an AC dining hall, and called the server and whispered  in his ears. I understood what he said to the server.
  I ordered the lunch and was waiting. I was sitting in a table of capacity 4. One person came and sat in front of me, But I was shocked to see that the cashier came and made that person sit in another place and placed a reserved status on my table. For the first time in my life I was experiencing such respect. I finished my lunch and without order there came an icecream and I told I have not ordered it, but the server told that cashier told him to serve. I had it and came to the cashier to pay the bill but he refused to take a pie from me. I didn’t wanted to create a scene in the restaurant, so I thanked him and came back silently. Outside the dining hall the driver was waiting for me. He took me back to the guest house and on the way I got two more salutes from the police on the road. The driver asked me whether I had any plans of going out so that he can take me. I had no plans and told him that I have the return train at 6 PM. He told me that he would come at 5.30 and left.
     In the room I was unable to rest, not because of any physical inconvenience (the room was fully sophisticated AC Room with TV), but because of the experience I had in the preceeding 4 hours.
  The driver came at 5.20 and called me. I got ready and boarded the Laal Batthhi vehicle for the last time. The evening traffic was little heavy and the driver used the Siren 4-5 times on the way to railway station. I was feeling happy by sitting in that vehicle. I reached the station and the driver came with me to the platform and made me board the train. Really it is a Great experience.
              Until today I had 2 main reasons for clearing the UPSC exam and become an IAS officer, viz.,(1) To serve the the society with more efficacy and  (2) To become a part of Policy making. Today I got the third reason. Rather than calling it a reason I would like to call it a driving force. The driving force is the “GREAT RESPECT and HIGH STATUS of being an IAS officer”.
So I wish and hope that the added driving force will also add more strength and courage to face the examination; and strengthen my preparation and finally lead me to the success.