My first drive on the roads of Puducherry as its Lt. Governor was annoying. My pilot car blared a screaming siren to push away people and commuters for my car to drive past. I was watching people’s reactions while sitting in my car. Some commuters appeared surprised, and some stood in awe. Few greeted, and few wondered who the intruder was.
Looking out of my car window, I was regretful and apologetic for the inconvenience caused. I imagined myself treated like this as a pedestrian or a commoner driving on the road. I had seen this happen when posted as Special Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in 1998. But then, I was not the cause.
Now I was, I decided not to be. I told my ADC to order the pilot to stop blowing the siren and follow the traffic signals. It caused a flutter. The staff was worried that I would get stuck in traffic jams. The city police felt challenged.
RELIEF TO ORDINARY COMMUTER
The police department wondered how to ensure a hassle-free traffic movement with the limited staff. People were used to traffic jams and unregulated intersections with non-functioning traffic signals. They had reconciled to being pushed aside by several VIP movements. I requested the Director-General Police to strengthen traffic regulation systems for the benefit of the public. All VIPs in haste will have to learn to go through normal traffic regulation.
Seniors in traffic management realised the need to improve the overall situation. For instance, improve internal resource management and road safety and infrastructure budget. The ordinary person and the commuter in Puducherry felt a sense of relief. People got back what belonged to them. Sirens ought to remain for emergency vehicles only, not for people in a position of power. We made that the rule. Leadership must send out an early message of work style that promotes care, consideration, collaboration, cooperation, and civility.
FIRST MASS EVENT
The directions from the Prime Minister’s Office were clear. We celebrated mass yoga day, where a large number of students participated in the International Day of Yoga in June 2016. I called for a meeting with Ragesh Chandra, Secretary of Education, to review his planning. I was happy to see him well organised. He had mobilised the school fraternity to the maximum.
We decided to use the entire beach walk stretching over 1,000 meters. It was a very colourful sight of the beach. The roads bedecked in carpets of red and blue as thousands of students assembled to perform Yoga on International Yoga Day. Nearly 6,000 students gathered from both urban and rural areas. I joined them personally with Ms. Anisha Pasheer Khan, ViceChancellor Puducherry University, Mr. S.K. Gautam, the DirectorGeneral of Police, and seniors from other departments. Yoga Event at the Promenade Rock Beach, Puducherry.
We all performed nearly 20 asanas from ‘talasana’, ‘vrikshasana’, to ‘pavanmuktaasana’, and ‘savaasana’. The asanas were followed by ‘pranayama’ and meditation. We ended the yoga session with a prayer. It was my first such event as a Lt. Governor when I saw thousands of school children getting introduced to Yoga in one single day event. It displayed the organising capability of the administration, particularly of Ragesh Chandra. Unfortunately, he did not live long to continue serving.
AN UNCOMFORTABLE GOVT
I did not see a repeat of such organisational calibre. None of the subsequent yoga days came close to such execution. Sadly, the entire cabinet chose to give it a miss. When asked by the media why they skipped such an important event, they said they had to be somewhere else. An MLA reportedly told the press, “the elected government is uncomfortable with the growing popularity of the Lt. Governor”.
Raj Nivas did not stop at one single day of yoga practice. We carried on with yoga events in the lawns of Raj Nivas. Leadership never misses an opportunity to participate in grassroots activities that involve people. They seek out such occasions, experiences, and support them.
