Lav kumar mishra
patna : August 4 is the death anniversary of most powerful chief minister , Mrs Nandani Satpathy of then Orissa.During my Naukari at Bhubaneswar,u had professional privilege to learn lessons in politics of the Iron lady.
After learning that she had literally escaped from Capital Hospital,where she was admitted,as she could not get evening ” medicine’,I went to see her in her government bungalow on Gopbandhu chak road,There was no security for the ex CM
I drove my Fiat near the portico pressed the call bell। Was welcomed by a woman,her maid and conducted in to the drawing room with an assurance'” Madam is coming”.
Mrs Satpathy came and I took benefit of my “friendship” with her MLA son,Tathagat. I saw an old iron almirah and inquired about it,She said’ tumhare pass time hai?’ I responded positively।It was in contrast to the present generation of even zilla parishad members,who have no time for their constituents.I was offered tea and a heavy breakfast to continue the Talk.Madam told” this almirah has a Rich history,It used to be full with currency notes and I was responsible for distribution to the assembly elections candidates”
Madam was known as a strong administrator. She admitted” Yes,my first job as CM was ensure dismissal of the chief secretary” But,a Chief Minister can not dismiss an IAS officer”.The iron lady smiled and replied”Indira( then PM) had asked the same question. I reminded her”” I have simply fulfilled your desire,when you had visited Kalahandi,you were upset with poor relief and had commented_ who is relief commissioner, obviously an incompetent officer, and when I became chief minister,the same incompetent was Chief secretary. I reminded her the dismissal order was signed by PM on the file with recommendations of the then DOPT secretary,R K Trivedi. Before PM,I had received a call from an angry Sanjay Gandhi and I had to tell him,”ask Indira”
During collectors conference,once she simply pulled her spectacle and without intention came into direct eye to eye contact with a DM. I came to know this particular collector told his colleagues’ it appears madam is not happy with me,she may suspend me,the officer had to be suspended to instill a sense of fear among other officers.
She was equally tough with her political collegues,Once she came to know some Congress MLA’s with Samajwadi background were attempting to rebel and join hands with JP.They had arranged a meeting of PAC at Balasore led by Banka Bihari Das.” I went to Bhadrak police station, instructed the inspector to go on the highway,check all government vehicles and direct the leaders to me, The potential rebels of the party came to me,I offered them tea and one liner for them”. Those willing to quit the Congress can move ahead,others should return to Bhubaneswar.None moved ahead and before I could reach the state capital, they were back to the pavillion”
She had won the trust of Indira Gandhi in 1966 when she was attached to the PMO.Her replies on a questions on atomic energy in the Parliament brought her closer to Indira Gandhi,who asked” Nandani you are a student of literature,did you study atomic energy too? I told her,” after getting the question from parliament,I took a flight to Bombay,visited BARC, intersected with our experts and JRD too ,tried to get their replies on possible supllemnetaries” This helped her during extended question time,she did not depend on the Babus।
At Kama Gata Maru Nagar AICC session,son stroke led to distrust । Indira Gandhi asked her to cobtrol her son and she quickly reacted” all mothers should control their sons.”She joined Congress for Democracy led by Jagjiwan Ram and the friendship between two iron ladies crashed.