Former police officer and Uttarakhand governor Dr Krishan Kant Paul in conversation with veteran journalist Raj Kanwar

 
On a cold January evening three years ago, six of us sat in the spacious waiting room in the residential wing of Dehradun’s Raj Bhavan to keep our appointment with the new governor Dr Krishan Kant Paul. We respectfully stood up as he walked in with a rare grace and introduced ourselves as he shook hands with us, one by one. He looked at me for an instant and smiled, perhaps remembering that I had described him as “very much like us” in my letter seeking the appointment. I had also had the cheek to say, “We feel one with you.”

That was the beginning of our relationship. Two days later, I sent him a bunch of my articles and columns published in numerous newspapers, including The Tribune, to which he also contributed. He had written articles on poet Sahir Ludhianvi, a few playback singers and other topics. In fact, it was he who had inspired me to write on these singers of yore. Subsequently, my articles on Talat Mehmood, Geeta Dutt, Dev Anand and others were published in The Hindu and Sunday Midday, among others.

Indeed, Dr Paul’s personal demeanour endears him to all. Modest and incredibly courteous despite occupying such a high constitutional post, hospitality and solicitousness are his innate attributes. The handsome 69 year-old also has an impeccable sartorial sense, and is invariably attired in a well-tailored suit with a tie or bandgala coat or Nehru jacket, depending on the occasion and the weather.

Academically, too, Dr Paul is a cut above—his doctoral dissertation in fluorine chemistry was highly acclaimed and widely reproduced in international journals. In fact, academic excellence is in his genes. His late father Dr R C Paul was a renowned scientist at Punjab University in pre-Independence Lahore, where he had the opportunity of working with iconic scientist Dr Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar—he went on to become vice-chancellor of Punjab University, Chandigarh, a tenure that lasted for over 10 years, making him the longest serving vice-chancellor in the country.’

An IPS officer of the 1970 batch of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, Dr Paul spent much of his police career in Delhi, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and the beautiful hills of the Northeast. He enjoys the unique distinction of having served in almost every position in Delhi, from an assistant superintendent of police to the highest rank of commissioner. He also worked for nearly eight years in the Central Intelligence Agencies. During his 37-year career, he was involved in the investigation of several sensitive national and international cases that included the assassination of Indira Gandhi and cricket match fixing. He also investigated several bomb blasts and terrorists’ cases. He is the recipient of numerous medals, decorations and commendations for his distinguished services.

Dr Paul holds authors and creative writers in great esteem and loves to interact with them. He has set up a welcome tradition at Raj Bhavan of inviting well-known authors to spend an evening with the local literati. On 19 March, Mussoorie-born-American-
desi author Stephen Alter was the guest. Three months before, it was the iconic Ruskin Bond. “More and more authors will be invited in future,” Dr Paul tells me.

His wife Omita is an accomplished civil servant in her own right. An officer of the Indian Information Service, she is currently secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee. The couple were classmates from the undergraduate level till they both secured their respective master’s degrees in chemistry. They have two sons and three grandchildren.

A great believer in destiny, Dr Paul affirms, “Que sera, sera.” Whatever will be, will be. And so it has been! Soon after his retirement from the police, he was appointed member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and held that position for more than five years. Thereafter, in July 2013, he was made the governor of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur with concurrent and additional charge. In January 2015, he became the sixth governor of Uttarakhand.

EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

What were the major landmarks during your 37-year career in the police?

In public service, we should not count landmarks. It is the achievement of the task having been accomplished and the public having been satisfied that is more important.

The general perception is that the Indian police are corrupt. The term ‘hafta’ typically refers to the police in this country. What is your take on this and the way out?

There has to be zero tolerance for corruption; it needs to be firmly dealt with. Transparency and speeding up of procedures will largely curb corruption to a large extent. Senior officers could bring it down if they set an example. Initiatives taken by the Government on cash-less delivery and digitisation are steps in the right direction to curb this evil.

How did you stumble upon the cricket betting scandal in which then South African captain Hansie Cronje was indicted? Was it because you yourself are a big cricket fan?

Initially, it was not a case of match-fixing but involved some people who were also the middlemen for an extortion racket. It was their conversation that alerted us. Yes, I had played cricket and am now an ardent cricket buff, like so many others. However, stumbling upon the racket was perhaps just a coincidence. And even if I had not played cricket, the case would still have been cracked by persistence and good analysis, besides the technological help. Cronje was a very big name, and we needed to be absolutely sure of our facts and conclusions before going public. He denied it initially but virtually cracked up after having been exposed. After five days of denials, he finally confessed, and later before the King Commission of Enquiry.

You had a five-year tenure at the UPSC. What is the yardstick that applies in interviewing and recommending interviewees for the civil services? And what were your personal criteria in this regard during your tenure?

There is no hard and fast yardstick as such. The candidates are primarily judged by their smart bearing, alertness, presence of mind and suitability for the service. Merit in general is the sole criterion for their selection. It is a three-stage process, and one of the toughest exams in the country. Out of about half-a-million aspirants, only about a thousand are selected, and even fewer at times. The interviewers are endowed with rich experience both in civil service and academia; they are also guided by the best possible advisors at the interview stage.

Do you agree that the profile of the civil servant has undergone a big change over the past three or four decades? And if so, is it healthy or unhealthy?

Yes, the profile of the civil servant has certainly undergone a big metamorphosis over the past four decades or so. In the early years after Independence as a legacy of the British, most civil servants came from elite schools, colleges and universities. Fortunately, with the proliferation of print and electronic media, it has become relatively easier for a common man to bring his grievances to the notice of officials concerned. Also, the Right to Information Act has also made the bureaucrat more conscious of his responsibility. The recruitment system after the introduction of reservations is more broad-based and not elitist.

What is your vision of India as a country?

A superpower in another 10 years! Hopefully, Prime Minister Modi’s speech saying that a new India is born, following the historic success of his party in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, will come to fruition. For this, we have to work very hard and with a clear focus.

What has impressed you most about Uttarakhand?

The first point of contact with any place is its environment. Having spent a good amount of my career in Delhi, coming to Uttarakhand was heavenly. Its fresh air, mountains, rivers and people add to its beauty.

Is philately your main hobby?

Yes, philately has been my pastime for a long time. My father introduced me in my younger days to this fascinating hobby. I inherited his treasure trove of stamps and have substantially added to it. I was also instrumental in personally sponsoring new issues on famous poets Sahir Ludhianvi and Sumitra Nandan Pant. Hobbies provide relaxation and stimulate thinking. Reading newspapers and writing have also been interests since my early days. I took some interest in astrology and even passed a basic course in it but could not practise it continuously.

Aren’t you an avid reader and fairly prolific writer?

I am not as prolific a writer as you! However, I write regularly as and when I get the time. At one time, I wrote for The Statesman and The Tribune, Chandigarh. I also did some freelance writing for other newspapers. Reading has been a passion for a long time.

Generally, what genre do you read? Who are some of your favourite authors?

From crime thrillers to science fiction and biographies to literary classics, I enjoy them all.

You are also a Hindi movie and music buff. Tell us some of your favourites among lyric-writers, composers and singers.

Yes, I have been fond of watching Hindi movies from my younger days and have several favourites among music composers, lyricists and playback singers of yore. S D Burman is an all-time favourite. These days, the emphasis is on watching music and not listening to it, as it was earlier. This has changed the style of music as well as the lyrics.

So far, you have had three innings in your career: police officer, member of UPSC and now governor. What are your plans after you complete your tenure as governor?

Actually, four innings! You are forgetting that I am a qualified chemist with a PhD in a difficult area and have several publications to my credit. So, my first innings was as a chemist. After retirement, it will be my endeavour to go back to some serious and creative writing that was only a pastime earlier.

Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
April 2017