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Over the last year, the West Bengal Governor and the state government have not been on the best of terms. The CPM’s initial euphoria over Gandhi has been running out fast. At critical moments and also through simple gestures, the Governor has made it more than evident that he is a man of independent thinking and would not hesitate to follow his conscience.
The more the Governor asserted himself, the more the distance between the government and the Governor widened. This discomfort was evident during the Nandigram violence. The police firing of March 14, 2007, that killed 14 farmers in Nandigram proved to be the flashpoint in what was a souring relationship. The Governor issued a statement, saying the violence had sent a “cold horror” down his spine. It was the Governor’s statement that was the basis on which the Calcutta High Court issued a suo moto order for a CBI inquiry into the police firing.
But Gandhi carved a distinctive identity much before Nandigram and proved himself to be a ‘people’s governor’. He has taken care to revive institutions and centres of excellence. He has been instrumental in initiating the “cleansing” of the Indian Museum that was seen as steeped in corruption. He renovated the Raj Bhavan library, throwing it open for public use, and appointed an expert committee to look into the ills afflicting the Viswa Bharati University in Santiniketan and to find ways out. While his critics dismissed these acts as publicity stunts, his supporters said these were prompted by a strong sense of righteousness. Soon after he joined his post in December, 2004, he issued instructions that in no circumstances would he be addressed as ‘Your Excellency’ or ‘Your Highness’. Once, he got out of Raj Bhavan incognito, asking his driver to leave him alone at a metro station.
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