Politics is not a job for me; it is a spiritual journey

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik might be enigmatic and reticent, but he is reassuring to his audience. On a muggy September evening, Naveen Nivasthe leafy house Patnaik inherited from his parents and which has served as his official residence for 25 years-hosted a set of twin brothers who had passed the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) with flying colours. Patnaik congratulated them, made them feel comfortable and gifted them Parker pens.

- PRATUL SHARMA

Then came a few women's selfhelp groups, a constituency he had carefully nurtured and empowered. They greeted Patnaik with an enthusiastic hulahuli (a type of ululation), and he welcomed them, praising their efforts in making lakhs of flags for the 75th Independence Day.

Between these two events, Patnaik met THE WEEK for an interview at his home office. The large space has idols of Shree Jagannatha covered in fresh flowers and the walls were painted with the famous Odia story of king Purushottama Deva, who undertook a journey with the blessings of Shree Jagannatha. It seemed an apt painting. Patnaik, who has ruled the state unhindered for 22 years, can also claim to have the Lord's blessings.

"I am 75 now, and I have to be careful about what I eat," he said, dressed in his trademark white kurta-pyjama. "I prefer home-cooked light meals. I travel extensively across the state to meet my people."

A history buff, Patnaik had once corrected a local guide about a monument in Rome when he was there to meet the pope. Currently, he is watching The Crown, a Netflix series on Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch. Patnaik himself will surpass Jyoti Basu next year, to rank second on the list of longest-serving Indian chief ministers. Former Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling sits at number one with more than 24 years in office. Excerpts from an interview:

Q/ Odisha has transformed a lot in the past two decades, and its human development index rating has improved quite a bit. What approach has led to this steady change?

A/ People first. Gandhiji's talisman has always been our guiding principle. Empowerment of our people-be it women, youth, children, tribals or other vulnerable groups is what our policies aim at. Citizen-centric governance is our guiding light.