Bhishma Narain Singh: the soft-spoken Guv
In early March 1993, I met Governor B N Singh at the Raj Bhavan to invite him for the silver jubilee celebration of IE. He readily agreed. He enquired about our publication and incorporated the information into his speech. Only a day earlier former President R Venkataraman and former Agriculture Minister C Subramaniam had confirmed their participation.
Governor Singh referred to the favorable climate in the state for industrial development despite the constraint of natural resources and stressed the need for reducing the gap (in the pace of industrial growth) with Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Singh assumed charge as Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1991 when the state came under the President’s rule. The law and order situation was grim with the LTTE problem at its peak culminating in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. This was followed by elections to the Centre and the state. Singh administered those tumultuous days with care and ensured a smooth transition of power to the democratically elected AIADMK.
Singh, a graduate of Benares Hindu University, was actively involved in politics and administration spread over four decades. As a staunch Congressman, he served first as a minister of the Bihar state and later as a cabinet minister in the Indira Gandhi government of 1980-84. As minister of works and housing, he was actively involved in the construction of the sports infrastructure for the Asiad 1982.
Soft-spoken, Singh expired on 01 August. – SV
