“I feel like a bride leaving her parent’s home for her new dwelling with her husband,” thus spoke Governor Margaret Alva in an informal chat on the eve of her departure to her new assignment as the Head of State of Rajasthan. Seated in the imposing drawing room of Uttarakhand’s Raj Bhavan the Governor appeared to be in a pensive mood.
A distinguished Parliamentarian Alva has during her well-nigh 30 years in Parliament served on some of the most prestigious committees of the national legislature. These include the Committee on Public Sector Undertakings, the Public Accounts Committee, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Transport, Science and Technology, as well as Environment and Forests among others.
She was Minister of State for Human Resources and Parliamentary Affairs in the late Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinet and Minister of State for Personnel, Pension, Public Grievances and Administrative Reforms in the government of the late PV Narashima Rao. Apart from this, this lawyer by profession has also been General Secretary of the Indian National Congress and National Convenor of the Mahila Congress (Women’s wing of the Indian National Congress). In March 2007, she was honoured by the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC with the Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices Global Partnership headed by present US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
Governor Alva answered a wide range of questions in her conversation with Uday India’s Arvindar Singh. Excerpts:
As you prepare to leave Uttarakhand to take over the Governorship of Rajasthan, how do you look back to the nearly three-year tenure in the hill province?
During my tenure of nearly three years, I had the opportunity of working with three Chief Ministers—Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”, Maj Gen (Retd) BC Kandhuri and Vijay Bahuguna. I regard the peaceful conduct of the assembly elections of 2012 as one of the satisfying achievements during my occupancy of the Uttarakhand Raj Bhavan. I would like to mention that I had many occasions to be in contact with the people of Uttarakhand before coming here as Governor. I had been Chairperson of the Welham Girl’s School Board of Governors for several years and have been aware of the aspirations of the people here both as a political activist and Union Minister. I must, however, confess that during my stint as the Governor I have fallen in love with the state and its people.
What are the issues of utmost importance which concerned you as Governor concerning the populace at large?
One of the most important issues that concerns me is the plight of women, particularly rural women in the hill state which is dismal in many ways. Only 40 per cent of the allocated central funds for social welfare and uplift of weaker sections is utilised, and this is a sad commentary on our sense of priority for these sections of society. I remember for example, my visit to the Nari Niketan home for destitute women at Kedarpuram in Dehradun district. Here I found the occupants all clustered together in one big room. 15-20 occupants were suffering from mental instability, and were in a pathetic state. No psychiatrist was provided and the normal women were expected to look after those who were mentally ill. The result was that the condition of the mentally ill was heart rending. These poor women’s hair was pulled out, and they had some injuries as well. Now a psychiatrist has been provided but much more needs to be done for these “already deprived children of God”. On the topic of women I would like to further add that the salary of the State Woman’s Welfare Commission Chairperson is only Rs 10,000 but that of the recently appointed head of the Child Rights Welfare Commission is Rs 80,000. This is something grossly unfair.
What is the status of the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act of 2011?
The Uttarakhand Lokayukata Act 2011 has several flaws as it refers to items on the concurrent list which no state can legislate on without the concurrence of the Centre, bringing the act into limbo. I had at the the time of passage pointed out these anomalies to the then Chief Minister.
Any sweet memories of your stay at Dehradun.
Well, it was not unoften that I and a few lady members of my staff used to go without being noticed to various fairs and exhibitions, where we used to enjoy chaat and snacks in an informal style. These were the sweet memories I would carry of my stay in Dehradun. Apart from that, interacting with the public from all walks of life, particularly the economic and weaker sections which were part of my tour of duties which I assigned considerable precedence to, I can say with satisfaction that I was able to redress some grievances of the populace and also held a large number of meetings with government officials at various levels with regard to implementation of government programmes and the like.
Anything you would have liked to achieve, but were unable to while being in Uttarakhand.
I would like to express my dismay on the virtual stand-still of an important project the Dehradun Culture Centre, of which I had laid the foundation stone in 2010, on the 10th anniversary of the state’s formation. It would be proper that the present government should now take it up at a war footing as adequate funds have been sanctioned for the purpose and the Doon Library should be shifted to these premises. The Culture Centre would provide ample opportunities for intellectuals and artists among others to bring forth the rich culture and ethos of the hill state known as Dev Bhoomi. I would expect that the government moves full steam ahead with the project as the funds and land are already in place.
I had suggested to the government that a nominal sum of Rs 1 could be charged from the pilgrims of the Kedarnath-Badrinath Chaar Daam Yatra. Unfortunately, the proposal did not find many takers and was allowed to die. I felt that this enormous amount collected could go a long way towards providing facilities for the pilgrims which at present leave much to be desired.
Having been in public life for more than four decades do you view a more active role for yourself in the future, and is there any interesting anecdote you would like to share with our readers?
I have seen political life at all levels from the block level to being General Secretary of the party. I have entered the seventh decade of my life and feel that time has come for a more tranquil kind of role in public life and therefore the post of Governor suits me better. I would like to mention in this perspective that it would be right to recall the words of Bernard Shaw who said: “Quit when others ask why, not when they ask why not?” I have handled a good number of portfolios at the Centre ranging from Sports and Personnel to Social Welfare. I have been at the forefront in various elections and have had the experience in both Houses of Parliament. About an interesting anecdote, once when I was vociferously opposing the chair, in the Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Hidayatullah asked me whether I meted out the same treatment to my husband at home. I said to him immediately, “No Mr Chairman, I am very calm in that house, I vent all my anger in this house!”
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