Morung Express News
Kohima | January 26
THERE HAVE been “exchanges” between outgoing Governor Shyamal Datta and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. But on the whole, “we have been good listener and actor,” the Governor discloses in his second ‘exclusively-for-news’ interview conducted in his office room at Raj Bhavan. A believer of the view that governance needs experimenting, Datta says he has had “happy experiences” with the government.
The former IB chief has also been monitoring activities on the ground keenly. The leap in the number of English dailies from 3 to 5 within the span of his tenure is ample proof for Datta that ‘the times they are a-changin’. He has seen peace become more common during the last 10 years of ceasefire, watched the skyline of Dimapur change, seen the utilization of more resources, and marveled at the phenomenal growth in the figures of automobiles.
But with pluses, negatives also fall in line. “We are becoming more and more consumerist but we continue to import.” A case in point Datta brings up is that of Nagaland failing to meet its demands for pork domestically.
On education, Datta says it’s time to take a “hard look” at the system. And for self-sufficiency: “We want more social entrepreneurs” who can do things “on their own.”
Datta: The making of the man
The key influence in the life of Shyamal Datta, that helped him build his moral fiber, is the Ramakrishna Mission. He humbly admits that what he is today is because of his two years under the tutelage of the institute which propagates the need for intercultural appreciation and understanding.
Having lost his mother at a young age, he grew up under the wings of his elder sister. Six years of hostel life, Datta recounts, taught him the virtues of sharing and togetherness. With these very qualities instilled in him, “I opened my heart in Nagaland.”
For those who came in late, Datta was into advertising for a year and a half before entering the Indian Police Service.
Now, after more than 43 years of service, the 66-year-old says it’s time to ‘hang his boots’ and call it a day. But his mind will remain ever energetic. In his own words: “There is no mental hang-up.” And after ‘so much’ that Nagaland has given him, Datta finds it difficult to say that he will not visit the land of mountains and the echoing green again.
