Harsh Goenka calls Tukaram Mundhe a 'people's hero,' his humble response is viral

Harsh Goenka praised FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe for confronting food adulteration and unsafe kitchens. Their exchange underscored collective public service, integrity and the need for institutional support.Harsh Goenka calls Tukaram Mundhe a 'people's hero,' his humble response is viral (Photos: @dineshjoshi70/X)New Delhi,Oct 31, 2026 16:34 ISTHarsh Goenka praised FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe for his work against food adulteration and unsafe kitchens, calling him a people's hero for doing his job with honesty and conviction.Goenka shared his post on X after meeting Mundhe for the first time, describing how the officer had become the centre of attention at the gathering. He said several people wanted to meet him because of his work against food adulteration and unsafe food practices, as well as his willingness to take on influential establishments."It is remarkable that an officer simply doing his job with honesty and conviction becomes a people's hero," Goenka wrote. He also questioned what this said about the larger civil services, asking why such examples of honest and committed public service were so few.Responding to the post, Mundhe emphasised that public service was a collective responsibility rather than the achievement of one individual. He pointed out that countless civil servants across the country were doing exemplary work, some perhaps even better than him, but rarely received the recognition they deserved. "I am only a small part of a much larger team working towards this shared purpose," he wrote, adding that whatever was achieved was always the result of collective effort.Mundhe further said that citizens' trust and expectations were the greatest responsibility of public servants. He stressed that honesty, accountability and a citizen-centric approach should not be treated as exceptional qualities but should instead become the norm in public service. Take a look at the post here:The exchange received appreciation from social media users, many of whom emphasised the importance of allowing honest bureaucrats to work independently and without political interference.Some praised Mundhe for restoring public faith in civil servants, while others hoped that those in positions of leadership would continue supporting officers who took their responsibilities seriously.Several users also pointed out that more officers working with the same integrity and conviction could make a significant difference to the country. Others stressed that institutional and political support was essential to ensure that civil servants could carry out their duties effectively.- Ends