Fifty-three-year-old Jai Ram Thakur became the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh practically by default, after P.K. Dhumal, the BJPs chief ministerial face, lost his election last December. Nine months on, the first-time chief minister appears to have gained a grip on governance. Excerpts from an interview with Asit Jolly:
Q. Did you become the chief minister only because Prem Kumar Dhumal lost his election?
The day after Amit Shah announced that Dhumal would be chief minister, he came to my constituency and indicated that the party was considering a leadership change. Citing that I was a four-time MLA, a minister and state party president, he spoke of a ‘bigger responsibility’ for me. While it is true that had he won, Dhumalji would have been chief minister, it was clear that my name was under consideration well before the elections.
Q. But it has taken the party time to get accustomed to you as the leader?
I have risen from the lowest ranks and served diligently at several important positions. It is just that I haven’t projected myself like some other leaders. So I have never had any trouble finding acceptance amid the party cadre.
Q. There is a perception that you don’t trust civil servants and rely on political advisors. Critics point to large-scale transfers by your government.
Transfers invariably happen when governments change. But I have shuffled less than half the number of officers compared with the previous Congress regime. To bring the benefits of development to the lowest levels, you need people you can trust. But I have a good equation with the bureaucracy and try to work as a team. Unlike some people, I don’t believe you need to shout or talk down to subordinates to make yourself heard.
Q. How has your tenure been so far?
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2018-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2018-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
He gave the beat to the world
He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues
