Charles Chasie
A few years ago, on the occasion of January 26, a contingent of ex-servicemen also that took part in the official republic day parade. As a matter of courtesy and acknowledgement, a limited number of those who took part in the parade were invited to the Governor’s AT HOME. Used as they were to these rare occasions for a “barakhana”, the ex-servicemen thought the invitation to the Raj Bhavan would mean a prestigious “maha barakhana”! An argument developed which was settled by the younger elements giving place to the more senior ones out of respect for age. On the appointed day, prim and proper, the invitees to the Raj Bhavan arrived well ahead of time. They keenly observed and participated in every part of the programme with gusto – their chests even thrust extra forward during the national anthem – but the part they impatiently awaited was the “barakhana”! When the time for the “barakhana” came, their faces fell. One or two even thought the `spread’ at the Durbar Hall was for the VIPs only and the moment the ex-servicemen awaited would follow! But Governor saab disappeared after another “Jana gana” – where again they thrust their chests extra forward – all VIPs also left and they were told the function was over. As the ex-servicemen made their way back to town, there was not a single straight back among them, according to an ex-serviceman who did not go to the Raj Bhavan.
In the meantime, the other ex-servicemen were invited to the Assam Rifles camp in Kohima for their `barakhana’. They were served with all kinds of drinks – rum, whiskey or beer. They had rotis, rice, mutton etc. “Aur kuch chai ye?” was the refrain of serving men who looked after them. After all the ex-servicemen had their fill of food and drinks, they asked for two bottles each of rum or whiskey on subsidized payment. This was allowed. So, with a bottle under each arm, these ex-servicemen were walking back to town in a manner that would be the envy of the State PWD Mohururs, when they met their senior colleagues who had gone to the Raj Bhavan.
One of the younger ex-servicemen with envy written all over his face asked, “Arre Bhaiya, aap to Raj Bhavan me giya, kya khela diya?” “Hum log ko singara, barfi, pakora, laddoo aur saab kuch khela diya. Chai bhi pila diya! Lekin Raj Bhavan me phir kabhi nahi jana! Tum log to Assam Rifles me kafee mazaa hogaya, mujhe tumhara bhaiya ko ek bottle to de do!” (Forgive the Hindi)
Perhaps, one of the things Governor Datta managed to do during his tenure was to de-mystify the Raj Bhavan from the people of Nagaland, after all these decades of Statehood. He arrived in a situation that was already there. Although comparisons are usually unfair, one cannot help but notice that while his predecessor went looking for mountains and valleys as soon as he arrived, Governor Datta opened the gates of the Raj Bhavan in welcome to the people!
What first attracted my own attention was the bird sanctuary that he started on the `hallowed’ grounds of the Raj Bhavan and opening it to the public on certain days. He also started inviting students of different schools in Kohima to visit him and to interact with him. I discovered this was considered a great occasion by the children/students as well as their teachers. Governor Datta, of course, also went out to “all nook and corners of the State” to meet with people and became a “people’s governor” (E. Konpemo Ovung, “Governor the head of State”, Letters to the Editor, Eastern Mirror, November 30, 2006).
A senior officer thought Governor Datta has changed the nature of office of Governor through his interventions. He cited the example of the Governor’s meetings with heads of departments. He wasn’t sure if this was proper but in the Nagaland context he felt it was helpful in pulling up non-functioning departments and providing an opportunity to sincere officers to express their ideas. He said, “There are two firsts I have seen in so many years in Nagaland – (i) the meetings with heads of departments by the Governor and (ii) the sectoral and departmental meetings by the chief minister. The two complemented each other and had an “energizing effect”. Almost all officials who had the opportunity to “meet” Governor Datta agree he was thorough.
Governor Datta is probably the only true patron of the arts the State has had till now. He instituted a Governor’s Award to encourage the artistes and craftsmen of Nagaland. The Governor’s AT HOME became interesting occasions one eagerly looked forward to when the Governor’s Awards were given out and the audience was treated to a scrumptious taste of the tremendous talents in the State. For this contribution alone he will be long remembered by the people of Nagaland.
Governor Datta is an interesting man. He is engaging and focused when he meets with you. There is genuineness and one can learn something each time if one were open-minded enough. Yes, one can sense there is mischief behind his eyes. But, that is more of a bonus! And so, for the first time in about 30 years as a journalist/writer, I am doing what I am doing here despite the fact that my own views are quite strong on the office of Governor of Nagaland (“The Naga Imbroglio”, 1999).
I still hold my views and would probably continue to do so for a while longer because I think changes are still going to take some time. But we cannot remain “victims of circumstances” all the time and permit man-made structures in society to prevent “human connections” which can transcend and make irrelevant the structures themselves even while bestowing the promise of a future without boundaries. As journalists and writers, we express our opinions and comments in the hope for positive changes. When they happen, the least we could do is to gratefully acknowledge them and to do our part to help these little precious seeds to grow. A good human being is a good human being.
Yes, there have been little muffled complaints now and then although, I think, these had more to do with degrees of meticulousness and thoroughness in perception of people’s responsibilities and performance. I, for one, began to appreciate his no-nonsense style of functioning; the interest he took in the various departments, prodding them on; and the way he managed to maintain his neutrality and goodwill with all concerned. A `functioning’ Governor maintaining all-round goodwill is no mean achievement in the Naga context – given tribal, factional and differing Over-ground political parties and their ideologies, and especially in the given atmosphere of on-going political developments! He was almost dragged into controversy on two occasions, if I remember correct, but these did not balloon and get out of hand.
Initially, I had not paid much attention to Governor Datta’s speeches. One of his statements that attracted my attention in particular was at an occasion organized by the English Department of Nagaland University to release a book of poems. Governor Datta, as chief guest on the occasion, exhorted his audience to imbibe in themselves a reflective spirit because a reflective mind, as opposed to a reactive one, is better prepared to face the challenges of constant change that assail all of us. From then on, I began to pay more attention to what he was/is saying and those reported in newspapers. One began to sense that he usually spoke his mind as well as his heart! (One hopes, he would one day soon publish his speeches). This, to my mind, is where the “beauty” of Mr Datta lies. He has a great mind but he is also a man with a warm heart! You can rationalize and respect a person of great intellect but as human beings we still find easier to trust and be friends with a man of the heart!
Mr Datta, it is true, can show a severe exterior at times. Blunt statements can follow. Let me cite a little example. It appears that in one of his many encounters with school children, the conversation veered towards Naga culture. To an eloquent girl, he asked how many times in a year she visited her village. She replied that sometimes she did not go to her village even once in a year. The Governor told her not to talk about Naga culture if she did not care enough to visit her village even once a year! With tears streaming down her face, she said, “Governor, sir, you just cannot talk to me like this without hearing why I am unable to go to my village every year much as I wish to!” and she proceeded to explain her reasons. Governor Datta was full of admiration for her and told the entire visiting school children that everyone ought to emulate the example of this girl.
I would like to point out two other instances that, to my mind, bring out and exposes the unusual man that he is. The first is the rebuilding of the Raj Bhavan after dismantling the old one. I had been curious about why the old Raj Bhavan, which was probably a heritage site already, was dismantled. I came to know later that, when it was dismantled, one more year was left before it could become a heritage site. During a visit, Governor Datta went out of his way to give a guided tour of the new building. The classy elegance is what strikes you most immediately. I recall asking, “Where did you find all the space?!” And then, as you start to examine more closely the general designs and architecture, you begin to realize the meticulousness with which the new Raj Bhavan has been built. The roof has been designed and built with a specific purpose, little pieces of the designs on the floors have been brought from as far away as Pune and Rajasthan, Naga paintings and motifs decorate the walls and the doors etc. The construction too was done with Naga contractors and labour. “From being one of the most dilapidated Raj Bhavans in the country, the Kohima Raj Bhavan, today, is one of the best” Governor Datta proudly claimed – a legacy of his tenure in Kohima that all will be proud of. How one wishes the Nagaland media would cover it properly, with interviews of Governor Datta and “live” pictures, and reach them to the people of the State even before he demits office at the end of this month.
About three years ago, Governor Datta lamented that although the Battle of Kohima was one of the most significant turning points of the World War II, and it affected Naga society in decisive ways, Nagaland did not possess a single photo or painting of the actual scene of this Battle, not even in the Nagaland Museum! Some of us forgot about it. But not Governor Datta. About a year later, he reminded that he had raised the issue a year earlier. Sheepishly, some of us got down to pursuing the matter with the British veterans who searched for whatever was available at the British Imperial Museum and from other sources. A former GOC of the British 2nd Division, Maj. General Murray-Naylor (Retd), who is currently chairman of the Kohima Educational Trust, personally, carried the photos to Kohima. From out of them, Governor Datta commissioned a painting by the Indian Army’s official painter, Col Arul Raj, in Delhi. The result of Governor Datta’s `stickability’ in pursuing his believes is that Nagaland today possesses a painting of the Battle of Kohima! It now hangs prominently on the wall of the new Raj Bhavan building for all visitors to see.
I have added these last two stories because, to me, they reveal the person that Mr Datta is – a person with a sense of history genuinely wanting to assist our people to become future-looking without forgetting the past. At such tragically rare meeting points, when people are able to scale to this level, one thinks, people begin to establish genuine human connections – the starting point of finding answers to human problems!
