When I contacted P S Ramamohan Rao to be a speaker in one of the seminars that we organised, his response was immediate and to the point. Added to that, the conversation was in fluent Tamil, which I never expected. His humbleness, even on the phone call, left me wondering if I had spoken to the former governor!
Apart from being a speaker, I had requested him to send an article on the constant tiffs between the governors and chief ministers. None of this required any follow up and we received the material on time. It did leave me wondering the precision and perfection of the man. His auto-biography, Governorpet to Governor’s house – A hicks odyssey provides a first-hand account of the man and his thought process.
Born in 1934 in Vijayawada, Rao reminisces his childhood as he wades through playing cricket and gilli danda in the hot sun. His mischiefs as a young lad remind of times that were carefree and freewheeling. Although being playful, Rao understood the need to study well. He associated himself with the brightest student in the class to get the best knowledge. His hardwork paid off and he came over to Presidency College in Madras to hone his skills and be amidst the brightest of minds. Rao always had a fascination for the city. As a 14 year old, he came all alone by train. Being amidst the best, rubbed off on him too and soon Rao was one amongst the top in his class and even went on to do his post-graduation passing out with flying colours.
Passing the civil services exam in his first shot, Rao directly made it to his choice, IPS. His outspokenness and rather rugged approach to things posed him a hard time. But his honesty and sincerity took him to great places. Rao has worked in various roles and in each of these, he ensured to leave his mark. As the governor of Tamil Nadu, Rao brought colour and flair to the chair. His informal approach and extempore speeches were an instant hit across the state. People held him in high regard for his intellectual. He records his experiences of how he steered through the position with a tough chief minister like J Jayalalithaa. The lessons that he shares are worth a read, considering a constant tiff between chief ministers and governors in many states.
The book takes one through the life and times of this administrator. He has penned his entire life from just plain memory. This is an indominable task and the details that he describes are pictorial in front of the eyes. The book is presented in a manner in which the chapters are not continuous and one can easily pick their interest area and delve further to see how Rao handled things. This is a must read for every aspiring civil servant. It takes through the travails of the journey and the road ahead after the destination. Rao’s experience as governor and how he handled trivial situations are still relevant in today’s context. Perhaps his approach in today’s scenario will bring in much more harmony between the appointed and elected heads of state. He highlights how dignity and respect are earned and even the sourest differences can be overcome with clear communication.
