Sharad Joshi’s Satire on Sarkari Work Culture is Still Relevant

This satire on sarkari work culture by Sharad Joshi will tell you how things work: ‘Hai bhi, magar nahin hai’

Sharad Joshi.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

“There are men, but no humanity. They have hearts, but no unity. The country became ours, but its people became strangers ...”

These are a few lines from a satirical piece written by Sharad Joshi, the man whose creativity found foothold in literature, movies, and journalism.

He was a Hindi poet, writer, satirist, and a scriptwriter.

Well-known satirist, Sampat Saral, remembers Joshi through his satire on sarkari work culture – 'Hai Toh Zaroor, Par Hokar Bhi Na Hone Ke Barabar'.

People lodged a small complaint. Sir! There is a tap, but no water. They probably don’t know that things happen in this country, so that they are not what they are meant for. There is no water in the tap. There are hand pumps, but they don’t work. There are rivers, but they are not flowing. There are departments, but they don’t work. Phoned them, but it didn’t connect. There is an officer, but on leave. Babu is there, but he doesn’t know...

Born in Ujjain, MP on 21 May 1931, Joshi is known for his timeless works. Some of his famous plays include

• Ek Tha Gadha
• Aandhon Ka Haathi
• Ham Bhrashtan ke, Bhrasht Hamare

Remember the Aamir Khan- and Pooja Bhatt-starrer 1991 Romcom, 'Dil Hai KI Manta Nahin'?

Well, it was co-written by Sharad Joshi. This isn't the only film he worked on. Joshi has written dialogues for movies like:

• Kshitij (1974)
• Chhoti Si Baat (1975)
• Godhuli (1977)

He also wrote for newspapers like Navbharat Times and Nayi Duniya.

Joshi's stories were later adapted into a serial called 'Lapataganj'.

The satirist passed away a year after he received the Padma Shri award in 1990 but his words are relevant to this day.