00:00We have the pleasure of having Honorable West Bengal Governor Sri C. V. Ananda Bose with
00:06us with One India right now.
00:08Thank you for joining us Anzal.
00:10As the Governor of West Bengal, you have been always at loggerheads with the CM Mamata Banerjee
00:17in between.
00:18Often you have been at loggerheads with the CM.
00:21How you manage that political pressure?
00:23How you manage the equation with the CM?
00:27Actually when I first went there, there was this snake and mongoose game between the then
00:37Governor and the Chief Minister.
00:40I tried to change the game to Tom and Jerry.
00:43Who is Tom, who is Jerry?
00:46That game alternated between us.
00:49At times, it is also snake and ladder.
00:53Somebody will go deep down, will come up.
00:56This seesaw battle was going on, but there was an underlying appreciation for each other.
01:06I came without any prejudice.
01:09When I joined there, so many leaders told me and I also knew from the media that Bengal
01:18CM Mamata is a difficult person to deal with.
01:21But then, I have had interaction with many difficult persons even before.
01:28If one is difficult, you cease to be difficult.
01:32Things will settle down.
01:34We started off with a very, very mutually, mode of mutual appreciation.
01:39We made it very clear also.
01:42I also told, the CM told me, that is Mamata told me, Devendra sir, I have read a lot about
01:51you, I heard a lot about you.
01:53I know that you are an impartial person.
01:57I would like to continue this.
02:00I also said, you are the elected Chief Minister.
02:04In my conception, the front face of government is the elected Chief Minister, not the nominated
02:09Governor.
02:10I will always remain in the background.
02:12I will only facilitate your job as the Chief Minister.
02:16I am not here to create any problems for you.
02:19I think we expressed these sentiments in the beginning itself.
02:24So the beginning was good.
02:26Then we also started conveying our opinions on WhatsApp, encrypted WhatsApp.
02:35So that you know, public statements are public statements.
02:39Public statements are politically oriented.
02:42I as a Governor, I try to keep off politics.
02:47A political leader can always say whatever she or he wants, even about the Governor.
02:53I should not take it on a personal plane.
02:56When there were some such areas, grey areas, she would explain to me, what is behind the
03:03political statements that you are making.
03:06Though it was an initial discomfiture for me, I could understand that, why in that context
03:10such a statement is made.
03:12But we had an understanding that, you know, how give and take, mutual respect.
03:18Then at the time of election, then every political party will try any game for their advantage.
03:25There, of course, I was criticized very, very badly, even hurting my self-respect and reputation.
03:33Then I sued the Chief Minister for defamation.
03:39The court ordered, don't speak such things about the Governor.
03:45That order still remains.
03:47That is only for a brief period.
03:50Then the CM herself told me, Sir, I want to come and meet you.
03:54I said, you are always welcome.
03:57She came, she met me, for one hour she was with me.
04:02I don't want to come in the public domain of what we talked.
04:07But she came with a olive branch, I accepted it.
04:13Now it is again, we are moving on mutual respect and understanding.
04:20And I was also told, even though we criticized you, we know that you are a gentleman.
04:28She told the press also, we know that.
04:32And in the last two years, you have not done any political game.
04:36That also we know.
04:37But we took some stance against you because of political reasons.
04:42The latest one was Kumbh Mela.
04:45I went to Kumbh Mela because I was invited by the UP Chief Minister.
04:52So I went there.
04:54I am also a devout person who believes in the traditions and heritage of India.
05:03For me, it was a very pleasant and very positive experience which I got there.
05:09But the Chief Minister made a statement that it is a Vritti Kumbh.
05:16I said the Chief Minister as a political leader has every right to make comments or
05:23make her own analysis on anything that happens in the country.
05:25I respect it.
05:26I may not share her views, but I respect her freedom to say that.
05:32In my opinion, it is a Mukti Kumbh, not Vritti Kumbh.
05:39Or it's a Vritti Jaya Kumbh.
05:42I said 52 crores treat it as Mukti Kumbh.
05:48Here is one leader who treats it as Vritti Kumbh.
05:51So it's 52 crores against one.
05:54Let it remain there.
05:55I have no comments on that.
05:57So I'm trying to find solutions to problems, not problems in solutions.
06:05Even as a part of Indian Administrative Service and now as a Governor, you have to always
06:12convince CMs and Ministers and all, not as a Governor, of course.
06:16But there always there is a confusion or there is a clash of opinion, there is a difference
06:21of opinion with the Governments.
06:25Even now you have to be at loggerheads with the Governor.
06:29And when you were a part of IAS, you took extra effort to convince Ministers over different
06:36projects and all.
06:37How you manage this power struggle?
06:41The basic principles on which the IAS is based is objectivity, neutrality.
06:51If you remain objective, if you remain politically neutral, then it will be possible to convince
06:57the Ministers.
06:58In every file which I have handled, I always give the pros and cons of it.
07:04Then leave it to the Minister to decide which one he wants.
07:08Pros and cons will be there.
07:10If a decision is taken, which is beyond law, I will point it out.
07:17You point it out in person, don't criticize the Minister in front of others, don't try
07:26to belittle him.
07:28I have been able to manage this throughout my career, especially when I was handling
07:33a sensitive position as a Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala.
07:39You know, in his own party, there were different groups, then the opposition is there.
07:44I had no difficulties in handling any of them.
07:47We have to have established our credibility for objectivity and neutrality.
07:52And secondly, we should study the files very deeply.
07:57See behind every file, there is human life, there is human emotion, which cannot be ignored.
08:05The small problems should be given big attention.
08:10I have always been trying to do that.
08:12I have been with the people.
08:14That also affects the politicians.
08:16Your credibility, they will judge you by that.
08:22Then of course, you know, as a matter of principle, everything is not political interference.
08:32There is political interference and political action.
08:36If an MLA or an MP comes and meets the District Collector, or tries to put some pressures
08:43to get the government policies and programs implemented properly, that is political interference.
08:51It's not political interference.
08:52Interference is different.
08:53Interference, we should understand that the empathy should be there.
08:58And secondly, I don't listen to recommendations or pressures, but I always respect the right
09:05of the politicians.
09:06Bring to your notice, whatever they want.
09:10If we can do it, do it.
09:12If we cannot do it, explain it very politely that this is why it cannot be done.
09:16Most politicians are satisfied with that.
09:19And some of them are haughty.
09:21Some of them are arrogant.
09:22Well, there are ways of dealing with that.
09:26Rather than being a passive governor, as you yourself have said, rather than being
09:32a ceremonial, being in a ceremonial post of a governor, you have started to do so many
09:38things as a Vizbandhal governor.
09:40For example, you have opened the gates of Rajbhavan to media.
09:44You have started a peace room during election violence in Bengal.
09:50You have started to make a cultural bridge between Bengal and Kerala and other states.
09:56So, what prompted you to act in a way that most of the governors in our country are not doing?
10:03You have started some initiatives.
10:05You are doing.
10:06You are doing things.
10:08See, I respect all the governors.
10:11They are all doing things in their own way.
10:14As far as I am concerned, I would like to be people-centric.
10:20A governor's job is not an ornament.
10:25A governor's job is to be with the people, help the people.
10:29When we take the oath, the first part says, I will defend the constitution of India.
10:34The second part is, I will work for the welfare and well-being of the people of the state.
10:40Naturally, your concern should be for the people.
10:44So, I always try to go out with outreach programs to the people.
10:52Now, the flagship project is Amargram, that means my village.
10:58I go from village to village, stay with them, especially forest villages.
11:04Villages dominated by tribals.
11:07Spend time with them.
11:08The whole day, we spend time with them, listen to their grievances and try to solve their problems.
11:13You see, this time, for the first time in the history of that Raj Pavan,
11:20a tribal family was the distinguished guest for the Republic Day.
11:25They said, we have never seen a Raj Pavan.
11:28See, and then, when anything happens, atrocities, violence, or, you know, disasters,
11:38train accident, for instance.
11:40The train accident took place where a lot of people died from Bengal.
11:45There was a family which lost three of her sons.
11:48Mother lost three of her sons.
11:51I didn't go to the main places where the accident took place.
11:55I went to their house.
11:57It is deep inside Sundarbans.
12:00I also go there with some financial assistance for those who want it.
12:06And then, when violence takes place, if I have the information earlier,
12:11I go there to prevent the violence.
12:15When the violence has taken place, I go to the hospital to meet the people who are hospitalized.
12:20And also go to the houses where people are killed.
12:24Try to consult them, try to help them.
12:27Then, anybody can talk to the governor anytime.
12:33Peace room is for 24x7.
12:36There are people to attend the telephone calls.
12:38If anybody is keen on talking to the governor directly, I pick up the phone.
12:43One instance, I get a call at midnight, 12.30 or so.
12:49One man told me, Sir, I am from Darjeeling.
12:53Some goondas have surrounded my house with bombs.
12:59Then, nothing was heard.
13:02I didn't know what exactly happened.
13:04So, I told the police.
13:07They located the house.
13:09They went there.
13:12The next day, this young man came with his wife and child.
13:17And told me, Sir, but for your interference, my head would not have been on me now.
13:22See, this kind of accessibility.
13:25See, governor should be accessible.
13:28I try to be accessible to the public.
13:31That gives me a lot of satisfaction.
13:34Even as an administrative officer, you have done so many projects.
13:42Especially DTPC, Nirmithi.
13:45All these initiatives taken by you, it has such a huge impact in Kerala even now.
13:53It has created that impact.
13:56So, as a governor and before as an administrative officer,
14:00as you said right now, you are always people-centric.
14:02What will be your next movement or next idea that you are going to implement in Bangalore?
14:07I want to continue my campaign.
14:11And use my good offices as governor for two things.
14:16Make Bengal violence-free, corruption-free.
14:22The two cankers that are eating the body politic there are violence and corruption.
14:28I think as governor, there is quite a bit which can be done.
14:33By these field visits and intervention against violence in the field.
14:40Quite a lot of improvement is there.
14:43For instance, in the last election, the media reported.
14:49Prior to that, there were about 120 deaths election time.
14:55This time it is only 36 or so.
14:58They attributed it to the intervention of the governor.
15:01So, such activities I will continue.
15:04Thank you, sir.
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